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Event will focus on successful exporting in today’s wobbly economic environment

SANTA CRUZ – 03/31/09 – The Monterey Bay International Trade Association, the Cal Trade Consortium, Global California and TradePort will host the "Where’s the Money and Markets in Our Challenging Global Economy” conference, Friday April 3, 2009 in the Kellogg Auditorium of the Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara.

The day-long, ten-panel event – sponsored by FedEx – will address the state of California’s global trade profile and offer representatives from both the public and private sectors an open forum to discuss the opportunities facing California’s international trade community in today’s challenging economic environment.

The conference, which will include both a trade expo and networking opportunities, will cover a wide variety of timely topics facing California global traders with an emphasis on both conventional and alternative sources for trade finance and maximizing export opportunities in selected overseas markets.

Topics include: Get More Out of Your Exports; the Masdar City Project (UAE) Development Overview; Trade Finance Tools for Exporting During the Economic Downturn; the Best Prospects for Silicon Valley in the Middle East and Africa; An Overview of the SBA’s Export Working Capital and Export Express Guarantee Programs; and Injecting Financing into Small Business Exports to Create Jobs.

The conference will maximize dialogue between the panelists and attendees by sharply focusing presentation times and maximizing the opportunity for a direct exchange of information with attendees. Distinguished panelists at the conference will include John Dunlop, CEO, InterNetLC.com; Todd Acker, Regional Sales Manager- International Sales, FedEx Services; Gary Mendell, President, Meridian Finance Group; Joseph Englert, President, Export Assist Inc.;  Peter Ballinger, Director – Business Development, OPIC; Paul Watts, Business Development Officer, EXIM Bank; and Michael Lloyd, Vice President – Marketing, Unique Image Inc.

Cooperating organizations and agencies include the Valley International Trade Association; the U.S. Commercial Service; the California Commission for Economic Development; CNetwork; the san Mateo County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; the Meridian Finance Group; the Export-Import bank of the U.S.; and the CalTrade Report.

Registration for the "Where’s the Money and Markets in Our Challenging Global Economy” conference at www.mbita.org or by calling the Monterey Bay International Trade Association at 831-335-4780.

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