Premier Texas-Europe Business Summit Now Two-Day Event

 

AUSTIN—The World Affairs Council of Austin (WACA) has received a grant from the European Union through the Word Affairs Councils of America to organize and co-host the 2015 Texas-EU business summit, in partnership with the European Center of Excellence at the University of Texas at Austin. This annual business-focused event connects Texas businesses with economic opportunities in the European Union (EU) and will take place at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on April 22-23, marking the first time the summit has been a multi-day event. WACA was instrumental in organizing and co-hosting previous Texas-EU business summits.

“We are very pleased to have received this grant and excited to be organizing the first multiday summit,” says WACA President Mortada Mohamed. “The summit has grown each year and these developments are a tremendous confirmation of the success it has enjoyed in connecting Texas businesses and entrepreneurs with European opportunities.”

WACA will cosponsor the event with the City of Austin, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Greater San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, Kozmetsky Center for Excellence in International Finance at St. Edwards University, the U.S. Department of Commerce and various European-American chambers of commerce.

Day One will bring trade promotion experts and businesspeople from European Union nations to Austin for panels and meetings with the Texas business community. It provides a face-to-face opportunity for Austin businesses to make connections and learn about current business opportunities with Europe. It will offer a special focus on some of the EU’s newest members, the nations of southeast Europe.

Day Two, hosted by and at the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas, will bring a strong focus on the IT sector. Attendees will learn about specific examples of foreign direct investment in Texas, and opportunities for collaboration with European companies located in Austin.

The 28 nations of the European Union represent a combined economy of $17.5 trillion (compared with $16.8 trillion for the United States and $9.2 billion for China) [IMF 2013] and a market of more than half a billion people.

Additional information on the 2015 Texas-EU Business Summit can be found on the event website http://conferences.la.utexas.edu/texaseusummit/

Contact: Jonathan Black
(512) 466-0805
jblack@wacaustin.org