G8 Seamless Border and Electronic Commerce for SMEs Seminar
Camino Real Hotel 17 April 1999, El Paso, Texas
Objective
The seminar will help creating linkages and sharing experiences between decision-makers and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in international electronic commerce. These linkages will facilitate future work at the national and international levels, in the United States and Europe, to promote and understand the issues in international electronic commerce, especially from a SME viewpoint. The seminar will cover El Paso/Juarez's SMEs’ experiences in cross-border electronic commerce – which are the problems, how have they been solved, what has been learnt? This will be linked to a wider context that is relevant for any SME doing international trade. Invited to the meeting are experts in industry, trade associations, and public policy makers, including the G8 Policy Group.
Agenda
10:00 – 10:15 Opening and Welcome
Dr. Diana Natalicio, President, UTEP
Professor Deirdre Hunt
10:15 – 11:15 El Paso/Juarez SME Border Trade Overview
Wes Jurey, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce
Pete Parraz, El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Elia Purdy, World Trade Center El Paso/Juarez
Kathleen Campbell Walker, El Paso Foreign Trade Association
11:15 – 11:30 Break
11:30 – 12:30 NAFTA Impacts on Supply Chains, Garment Industry Example
Don Shapiro, CEO, Action West Jeans
Cesar Viramontes, CEO, International Garment Processors
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch
Introduction of speaker: Carlos Mendoza, District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration
Speaker: El Paso Mayor Carlos Ramirez
1: 30 – 2:00 Trade Information Network initiative of the G77 Chambers
Speaker: Dr. William Tiga Tita
2:00 – 2:45 G8 Global Marketplace Overview
(Panel presentation – goals and achievements of committee + reaction to morning presentations followed by Q&A)
Moderator: Professor Hunt
2:45 – 3:45 Seamless Border Strategy: Electronic Commerce
Gus Rodriguez, Chairman, Seamless Border Task Force
Olga "Cookie" Mapula, CEO, TCG, Inc.
Bob Snead, CEO, El Paso Black Chamber of Commerce
3:45 – 4:00 Conclusions
Professor Hunt
4:00 – 5:00 Visit to El Paso Saddleblanket Company
Dusty Henson, CEO (History of company’s evolution from retail outlet of imported goods to manufacturer and distributor, to worldwide electronic commerce strategy)
6:00 – 10:00 Trolley from hotel lobby to Chihuahua Charlie’s Restaurant in Cd. Juarez
More information
If you wish to participate or need more information, please contact the secretariat of the G8 Global Marketplace for SMEs Pilot: Hannele Ihonen at the European Commission DGXIII, hannele.ihonen@dg13.cec.be or by phone +32-2-295 8247, or fax +32-2-296 8387. Participation may have to be restricted because of the limited number of places available.
To register for this event Email Ian Culpin at iculpin@martech-intl.com