The World Forum For Foreign Direct Investment Comes to Philadelphia

Peter Chawaga, for GPA -- The World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment was created to connect the international business community and foster mutually beneficial relationships between local governments and foreign investors. By conducting research, offering educational programs and hosting events, the Foreign Direct Investment Association bridges the gap between cities that are ripe for advancement in the global economy and the investors who see potential in their growing profiles.

Last year’s World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment, a multi-day conference that offers seminars and networking sessions, was held in Shanghai. This year it is will be coming to Philadelphia.

“For the past eleven years we have held the World Forum in Europe and Asia, continents with countries, cities and regions which have competed for foreign direct investment for over 30 years,” said Cathy Dawson, president of Red Hot Locations, the London-based events firm responsible for organizing the World Forums. “The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania heard that we were looking to host the World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment 2014 in the United States and stepped in quickly. They are very switched on to foreign direct investment.”

Dawson added that the event will feature delegates from at least 24 countries, representing expanding companies and the destinations that hope to attract their business. Philadelphia will be the first city in the United States to host the event.
There will be site visits to developing areas in the city as well as the Lehigh Valley, Malvern and Chester County. The conference program will feature corporate investors from national stalwarts like PepsiCo, DuPont and IBM, as well as foreign leaders like Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile manufacturer and Sasol, a South African chemicals company.

“Because this is about global foreign direct investment, not just investment into the United States, it is a meeting for both expanding companies and for destinations throughout the world to get together,” said Dawson. “This will highlight the state of Pennsylvania, and of course, the city of Philadelphia as destinations for investment.”

The event, which will take place from June 16 to 18, will also feature presentations from thought leaders like Al Jazeera America’s Ali Velshi, Dr. Karl P. Sauvant, the former director of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and Dr. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics. There will also be networking events taking place at the Barnes Foundation and Constitution Center.

To register, visit Red Hot Location’s website.

Photo courtesy of World Forum FDI.