Jeff Willis was among the speakers addressing a June seminar co-sponsored by the Clay County EDC on doing business in China.

Conferences, Classes, Workshops and Seminars

Among the most useful sources for additional information on business trade are the many workshops, seminars and classes that are available through organizations such as the Missouri Department of Economic Development or the International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City. The ITC offers ongoing courses that are of special interest to businesses in this area.

Another outstanding source for show and events in this area is Trade Events search features at Export.Gove, located at www.export.gov/eac/trade_events.asp.

The ITC preliminary 2009-2010 calendar of events is available in PDF format here.

Several upcoming U.S. Commercial Service initiatives designed to connect you to business opportunities around the world. Please scroll down to learn more about each opportunity.

1) Webinar: U.S. Business Opportunities in Senegal and South Africa
2) Webinar: Best Market Opportunities in Saudi Arabia
3) Webinar: RepCAN 2010
4) Event: Trade Mission to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica
5) Event: Executive-led Trade Mission to Senegal and South Africa
6) Event: Asia Pacific Business Outlook (APBO) Conference
7) Exporters in Rural America: Promote Your Products in 176 Countries Worldwide for Just $199
8) Free Tools to Help U.S. Exporters
9) Event: AccessAmerica Directory for China - Featuring U.S. Service Firms

If you have any questions about these initiatives, please contact your local U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist. To find the trade specialist nearest you please visit http://www.buyusa.gov/home/us.html

Webinar: U.S. Business Opportunities in Senegal and South Africa
Venue: Your Computer
Date: December 16, 2009
Time: 9:00 ñ 10:00 a.m. EDT
Learn more/register:
https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/newWebinarRegistration.jsp?SmartCode=0Q2X

Learn how to do business in Senegal and South Africa, using various trade promotion services from the U.S. Commercial Service including an upcoming trade mission. You will be able to focus on best prospects in these markets, the countries' growing and diverse economies, pro-business environments, and major infrastructure needs. The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is organizing a trade mission to Dakar, Senegal and Johannesburg, South Africa, March 7-12, 2010, to help U.S. companies launch or increase their export business in these markets. Participating firms will gain market information, make business and government contacts, solidify exporting strategies, and advance specific projects, towards the outcome of increasing U.S. exports. The mission will include business-to-business matchmaking appointments with local companies, networking events, and meetings with government and industry officials. A question and answer session will follow after the presentation. For more information, please contact Linda.Abbruzzese@mail.doc.gov

Webinar: Best Market Opportunities in Saudi Arabia
Venue: Your Computer
Date: December 17, 2009
Time: 11:00 - 12:30 p.m. EDT
Learn more/register:https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/newWebinarRegistration.jsp?SmartCode=0Q3B

Learn about the many business opportunities for U.S. companies, and how to be successful in the Saudi Arabian market. Promising sectors for U.S. companies include real estate, medical and healthcare, education, and many more. You will learn about these industry sectors and gain valuable insight on doing business in Saudi Arabia. Main speakers are Amer M. Kayani, Counselor for Commercial Affairs, Embassy of the United States, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Edward Burton, President and Managing Director of the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council,†Shaun Saathoff, President & Managing Director of Acoustiblok Mideast.†††A question and answer session will follow after the presentation. For more information, please contact Linda.Abbruzzese@mail.doc.gov.

Webinar: RepCAN 2010
Venue: Your Computer
Date: December 17, 2009
Time: 2:00pm ET
Learn more/register: http://www.buyusa.gov/canada/en/webinarusfirms.html

Join the U.S. Commercial Service in Canada for an informative webinar to explain the benefits of RepCAN 2010 - CS Canada's flagship event for U.S. firms looking to export their products. We invite all U.S. suppliers to join us for this interactive session. Now in its 15th year, RepCAN 2010 is open to U.S. Small-and-Medium Enterprises in all industry sectors with separate events staged in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto from June 9 ñ 17, 2010. Learn more about RepCAN and how it will help you to enter the market and grow your business in Canada, our largest and most important export market in the world. For more information contact: Vancouver: Project Manager Judy Simonite or telephone: 604-642-6678; Montreal: Project Manager Connie Irrera or telephone: 514-908-3662; Toronto: Project Manager Stefan Popescu or telephone: 416-595-5412 ext 223.

Event: Trade Mission to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica
Venue: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Kingston, Jamaica
Date: March 15-19, 2010
Learn more/register:https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/newRegistration.jsp?SmartCode=0R0C

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Executive Trade Mission to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica will open doors for U.S. firms seeking to enter or expand their presence in the Caribbean. The Caribbean is a steadily growing market full of business opportunities for U.S. companies. The Caribbean Region is a natural commercial partner of the United States, closely linked by geography, history, and culture. Led by a Senior Commerce official, this mission offers a timely way for U.S. companies to gain first-hand market information, access to government decision-makers, and one-on-one meetings with pre-screened business contacts, including potential agents, distributors and partners. For more information contact: Lesa.Forbes@mail.doc.gov or Ashley.Wilson@mail.doc.gov.

Event: Executive-led Trade Mission to Senegal and South Africa
Venue: Dakar, Senegal and Johannesburg, South Africa
Date: March 7-12, 2010
Learn more/register:http://www.export.gov/africamission2010/

Senegal and South Africa offer a gateway for U.S. companies to enter the African continent. A growing consumer base and national efforts to upgrade infrastructure have created opportunities for U.S. exporters in both countries. This mission will promote U.S. equipment and services in key sectors such as electric power systems, automotive spare parts, construction and mining equipment, and agribusiness, among others. Businesses with clean technologies in those and other sectors are also encouraged to apply. Application deadline: January 15, 2010. For more information, visit the website at or contact Karen Dubin: 202-482-3786 / africamission@mail.doc.gov

Event: Asia Pacific Business Outlook (APBO) Conference
Venue: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Date: April 19-20, 2010
Learn more:http://www.buyusa.gov/pacificsouth/apbo.html

The APBO conference, hosted by the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with the full support of the U.S. Commercial Service, is the longest-running, regional conference focusing specifically on Asian markets. It is an opportunity for U.S. exporters to meet with fourteen senior commercial officers (SCOs) from throughout the Asia Pacific region, India and Mexico at one venue. The SCOs from American embassies, consulates and institutes in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam will speak in small group workshops and be available for private one-on-one consultations with APBO participants. Space is limited so sign up today.

Exporters in Rural America: Promote Your Products in 176 Countries Worldwide for Just $199
Promote your products worldwide at the discounted rate of $199. Go online to http://www.thinkglobal.us/rural to see if you are eligible. Then, just complete the online registration form. Your ad will appear in the March/April 2010 issue of Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Limited discounts are available. The deadline to register is December 31, 2009. For more information, contact your U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist, or call 1-800-581-8533, x 822 or send e-mail to advertise@thinkglobal.us.

Free Tools to Help U.S. Exporters
The U.S. Commerce Departmentís Trade Compliance Center (TCC) offers a variety of free tools to help U.S. exporters. Exporters can go on line to report a foreign government trade or investment barrier, and Commerce specialists will evaluate their issue and discuss how to address it. They can view agreements covering trade in manufactured goods and services, view agreements covering trade in manufactured goods and services and access commercial and economic information which helps them understand and evaluate opportunities created by those same trade agreements. Please visit http://tcc.export.gov/. For more information on how the TCC can assist you, please email tcc@mail.doc.gov or phone the TCC at 202-482-1191.

Event: AccessAmerica Directory for China - Featuring U.S. Service Firms
Venue: Online Chinese-Language Directory for U.S. Service Firms and Economic Development Agencies
Date: Your firm featured online and at Invest in America events in China and the U.S.
Learn more/register:http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/

"AccessAmerica"is our new online Chinese-language directory of U.S. firms that provide customized services to Chinese companies that want to conduct business in the U.S., including finding partners and setting up offices. The "AccessAmerica" Service Provider directory gives U.S.-based companies and economic development agencies access and exposure to Chinese clients who seek U.S. expertise in global logistics, trade finance, HR, site selection, tax, insurance, legal and regulatory issues, marketing, and other support related to investing in the U.S. It is promoted in China, in Chinese, in cooperation with our partners including the Council of American States in China, CCPIT, Shanghai Overseas Investment Development Board, the U.S.-China Business Council and the American Chambers of Commerce in China, among others. State partners include Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi and New York. AccessAmerica is featured on the U.S. Embassy Chinese webpage which has 100,000 hits per month. It is also featured at Invest in America programs in the U.S. and China, such as the China Overseas Investment Fair and Invest New York events. AccessAmerica was featured in China Business Review, Xinhua and China Trade Newsand is generating actionable leads for subscribers. Your listing will include company information, company logo, and contact details, all translated into Chinese, for a one-year subscription fee of $400. Increase your firm's visibility in China and boost your service exports. For more information contact: julie.carducci@mail.doc.gov.

The U.S. Commercial Service - Your Global Business Partner. With offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration uses its global Network and international resources to connect U.S companies with international buyers worldwide. If you have any questions about these initiatives, please contact your local U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist. To find the trade specialist nearest you please visit http://www.buyusa.gov/home/us.html .