Montana World Trade Center E-NEWS

1. June 6, 2007 (Wednesday): International Trade Alliance (Spokane) hosts Sergio Rios, Senior Trade Commissioner of Mexico for a Trade Update

2. 4th Annual Montana Government Information Technology Conference December 5-7, 2007 is looking for interactive demonstrations that showcase cutting edge technologies or new and innovative uses of current technologies (www.matr.net)

3. Wanna be an entrepreneur? Go to Montana (www.matr.net)

4. June 4, 2007 at 2pm EDT/11am PDT: Webinar on Opportunities with the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) (US Commercial Service)

5. Globalization101.org: a program of the Carnegie Endowment (globalEDGE Newsletter)

6. Globalization and Rural America (Chicago Fed Letter…forwarded by Liz Marchi)

***************

1. June 6, 2007 (Wednesday) at 7:30 am: International Trade Alliance will host Sergio Rios, Senior Trade Commissioner of Mexico for a Trade Update

Topics include:

· Mexico Today

· NAFTA

· Best Business Prospects

· International Events in Mexico

One-on-one appointments are available with Mr. Rios after the program.

To register, contact Jenifer Priest at 459-4124 or [email protected]. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $15 for ITA members, $20 for nonmembers.

The program will be held at:

SRBC
801 W. Riverside
First floor conference room

Street parking is free until 9 am!

2. The 4th Annual Montana Government Information Technology Conference December 5-7, 2007 is looking for interactive demonstrations that showcase cutting edge technologies or new and innovative uses of current technologies (www.matr.net)

The 4th Annual Montana Government Information Technology Conference will be held in December 5 – 7, 2007 in Helena, Montana. The conference steering committee is planning a new concept at this year’s conference; interactive demonstrations that showcase cutting edge technologies or new and innovative uses of current technologies. Demonstrations should be in an ‘open house’ format, where attendees can come and go, and hands-on opportunities should be provided if practical and of value to the attendees.

We anticipate 2 to 3 hour blocks for each demonstration, which may feature hardware, software, applications, or any combination thereof. The number of the demonstrations is limited. Therefore, the steering committee will select those submissions that, in our opinion, will be the most exciting and interesting for the majority of conference attendees.

If you have a product that has a great “WOW” factor, and you would like to show it off at the 2007 Montana Government Information Technology Conference, provide the committee with your company and contact information along with a detailed description of your product and demonstration. Please email this information to [email protected] by July 20, 2007.

Thank you very much!

2007 Montana Government Information Technology Conference Committee

Gordy Conn, DOA/ITSD 406-444-3170, [email protected]

Robin Trenbeath, DOA/ITSD, [email protected]

Art Pembroke, City of Helena / Lewis & Clark County, 406-447-8340, [email protected]

Dan Chelini, DOC, 406-841-2705, [email protected]

Michele Burchett, DOA ITSD, 406-444-0109, [email protected]

Glen Gormely, Montana Information Technology Alliance, [email protected]

Margaret Morgan, Montana Information Technology Alliance, 431-9836, [email protected]

3. Wanna be an entrepreneur? Go to Montana (www.matr.net)

The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, which was released today, shows that the level of entrepreneurial activity in the country has stayed relatively stable over the past decade with about 465,000 people creating new businesses on average each month.

Interestingly, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area ranked in the middle of the pack of the top 15 metropolitan markets in terms of entrepreneurial activity. The study found that there were 220 entrepreneurs for every 100,000 people in the Seattle area, which compares to 500 entrepreneurs per 100,000 people in the Miami area (the top metro area) and 130 entrepreneurs per 100,000 people in Detroit (the bottom metro area). The San Francisco Bay Area boasts 440 entrepreneurs per 100,000 people. Washington state posted a rate of 270 entrepreneurs per 100,000.

The study also found that Asians, Latinos and immigrants created business with more frequency than native-born Americans. The rate of entrepreneurial activity for immigrants jumped to 0.37 percent, well above the 0.27 percent for people born in the U.S. The rate of business creation by Asians increased from 0.27 percent in 2005 to 0.32 percent in 2006. African Americans saw a slight decline to 0.22 percent.

And the state with the biggest risk-taking business men and women? That would be Montana, where there are 600 entrepreneurs for every 100,000 people.

I guess the frontier spirit is alive and well in big sky country.

4. June 4, 2007 at 12pm MST: Webinar on Opportunities with the Central America Free – Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) (US Commercial Service)

International trade offers a world of opportunity for U.S. small and medium sized companies. Under the Central America –Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), U.S. companies can more easily enter this region with greatly reduced or no tariffs or duties. Our panel of experts will help you get started and expand your international business in this region.

Consider the Central America – Dominican Republic Region:

· Central America is the third largest market for U.S. goods and services in Latin America behind only Mexico and Brazil;

· U.S. export growth to the CAFTA-DR region has outperformed overall U.S. exports.

· Communicate directly with experts; and

· Get answers to your questions.

Question and Answer Session

There will be a question and answer session during which these experts will respond to your questions.

· Jim McCarthy, Senior Commercial Officer for U.S. Commercial Service — San Jose, Costa Rica

· Anthony Grasso, Senior International Trade Specialist for the Latin America Team at the Trade Information Center.

· Mark Siegelman, International Trade Specialist for the Office of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Who Should Attend?

International marketing and sales managers, as well as those who specialize in these markets. Even if your company is not yet selling overseas, it’s never too late to begin exploring your options.

Is there a cost to view this webinar and how do I participate?

Yes, it is $25. To register contact Linda Abbruzzese at [email protected].

5. Globalization101.org: a program of the Carnegie Endowment (globalEDGE Newsletter)

Globalization101.org is dedicated to providing students with information and interdisciplinary learning opportunities on this complex phenomenon. Our goal is to challenge you to think about many of the controversies surrounding globalization and to promote an understanding of the trade-offs and dilemmas facing policy-makers

6. Globalization and Rural America (Chicago Fed Letter…forwarded by Liz Marchi)

Globalization has been a great benefit to rural America in that it has opened overseas markets for its agriculture. Yet, there is a growing concern that U.S. rural communities will loste not only their share of agricultural trade but also nonfarm jobs to global competition. This article examines how they can remain competitive relative to low-income countries: http://www.chicagofed.org/publications/fedletter/cfljune2007_239.pdf