Innovation-Focused Summit to Provide Global Investors and Economic Developers with Latest Information on Investment in the United States
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Ambassador Richard R.Verma today announced that registration is now open for the third SelectUSA Investment Summit to be held June 19-21, 2016, in Washington, D.C. The Summit’s theme is “The Innovation Advantage” and will feature investment opportunities from every corner of the United States for global investors, while high-profile business and government leaders will share their insights on the latest innovation and trends.
“For three straight years, business leaders from around the world have ranked the United States as the number one place to invest,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The SelectUSA Investment Summit is an opportunity to underscore some of our country’s greatest strengths, including a vibrant culture of innovation, a skilled and productive workforce, and an attractive consumer market. This third annual convening promises to provide international firms and economic developers with tools that will lead to more investment in the United States.”
The 2016 Summit will build on the overwhelming success of the last SelectUSA Investment Summit which brought together thousands of participants from more than 70 international markets, including companies and business associations, as well as economic development organizations (EDOs) and other representatives from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Global CEOs and other business leaders representing major international firms such as BMW, Carlyle Group, Google, Michelin, Nestlé, Nissan, Samsung, Sony, Unilever, and Walmart joined entrepreneurs at the Summit who have successfully grown their startups and SMEs in the United States.
India had one of the largest delegations of more than 80 people at the SelectUSA Summit in 2015, representing a wide range of sectors. Many of those delegates are moving forward with their plans to expand or invest in the United States.
“Because India is known for creative and dynamic thinking, the theme of this year’s summit, ‘The Innovation Advantage,’ is highly relevant to Indian investors and entrepreneurs. India has become the fourth fastest growing source of FDI into the U.S, with $11 billion of historical investment. The number of Indian companies operating in the U.S. has increased from an estimated 85 in 2005 to over 200 companies today. I am confident that this trend will grow exponentially as the U.S.-India trade and investment relationship deepens,” said Ambassador Verma.
“Our first two Summits were oversubscribed, and we are expecting spaces to go quickly again this year,” said Vinai Thummalapally, Executive Director of SelectUSA and former U.S. Ambassador to Belize. “For companies thinking about opening or expanding operations in the United States, there is no more efficient way to meet the right people and discover opportunities from across the entire country.” The 2016 Summit will be held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Participants will include international and domestic companies of all sizes seeking to establish or expand operations in the United States, as well as U.S. state, regional, and local EDOs; business associations; service providers; and other organizations that facilitate business investment.
In addition to an agenda featuring high-profile CEOs, government leaders, and other experts, the Summit will include an exhibition hall where U.S. economic development organizations can host individual or joint booths, display the advantages of their locations, and connect directly with investors. Participants will also be able to submit topic proposals and potentially present at the SelectUSA Academy, a pre-Summit orientation that covers the fundamentals of investing and promoting investment in the United States. Interested parties can visit http://www.selectusasummit.us for more information.
Members of the media who wish to cover this event must register athttp://www.selectusasummit.us/apply. If we are able to accommodate your request for credentials, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.
To request a phone interview with SelectUSA Executive Director and former U.S. Ambassador to Belize, Vinai Thummalapally, please contact at 202-482-6920 (Washington, D.C.) or Genilson.Brandao@trade.gov.
About SelectUSA
Housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce, SelectUSA promotes and facilitates business investment into the United States by coordinating related federal government agencies to serve as a single point of contact for investors. SelectUSA assists U.S. economic development organizations to compete globally for investment by providing information, a platform for international marketing, and high-level advocacy. SelectUSA also helps investors find the information they need to make decisions; connect to the right people at the local level; navigate the federal regulatory system; and find solutions to issues related to the federal government. For more information, visit www.selectusa.gov.
