Speaking in advance of the next inward investment visit on 25 and 26 February, by Ambassador Paula J Dobriansky, the US Special Envoy, and a US business delegation, the Minister said: “I am now able to confirm that the conference will commence with a reception on the evening of 7 May and end on Friday, 9 May 2008.
“Planning has been ongoing since the conference was originally announced by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, as one of the outcomes delivered at the St Andrews Talks in May 2007.
“From the outset, the Northern Ireland Executive and US administration have been clear that the conference should be a tightly focused business event, targeting between 30-50 CEOs and Senior Executives from US companies. Companies have been identified in specific market sectors that are considered to offer the best prospects for future inward investment in Northern Ireland.
“There is already a healthy level of interest, as reflected by the positive response from companies which participated in the October 2007 visit to Northern Ireland, led by Ambassadors Tuttle and Foley, and by the level of interest during investment missions to the US by myself and the First and deputy First Ministers last year.
“The First and deputy First Ministers have written to a number of key contacts with preliminary information and, as I have now confirmed the dates for the conference, formal invitations to the targeted range of US companies will issue this week from Invest NI.”
The Minister continued: “Given the tight timeframe of the conference, it is envisaged that the main sessions will be held in the Greater Belfast area. The event, will of course, seek to position the whole of Northern Ireland as a region that is highly competitive against alternative investment locations.”
The Minister believes that, while Northern Ireland must be mindful of what is happening in global financial markets and the US economy, we must continue to seize the opportunities presented in May. He said: “We cannot ignore the impact that the events in the US economy and in worldwide financial markets could have on the local economy and on its immediate inward investment prospects.
“Nevertheless, it is vitally important for Northern Ireland to maintain and build strong relationships with key figures in the US administration and business community at this time. We must undertake the groundwork so that, when the US economy begins to rebound, Northern Ireland is clearly established in the thoughts of key business decision makers as a premier location for investments in high value, knowledge-led projects.
The Minister concluded: “The conference is a unique chance to stimulate the interest of carefully targeted, high level US business decision makers. It is essential that we show the US that Northern Ireland is a stable, welcoming region that is pro-business and pro-active in meeting the needs of international investors.
“At government level we will continue to work closely with the US administration, business leaders and the governments in the UK and Irish Republic to ensure that this conference will produce positive results for the local economy and will benefit all our people.”
Notes to Editors:
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