French Consul General and other Trade Officials to Visit Palm Beach County

For immediate release: Date: December 10, 2007
Contact: Maggie Smith (561) 355-3624

Palm Beach County Economic Development Director Kevin Johns, AICP, will be participating in a two-day French “Familiarization Tour” on December 17th and 18th.

Consul General Philippe Vinogradoff, from the Consulate General of France in Miami and Nathan Regan, Trade Attaché from Atlanta’s Consulate General of France will be attending. 

“As a key element to implementing the new Palm Beach County Strategic Economic Plan, trade is on the French agenda of local businesses seeking to crack the European marketplace,” Johns said.
 
On December 17th, the tour will include meetings with representatives from the World Trade Center Palm Beach, the South Florida Water Management District and Palm Beach County Convention Center, and conclude with a welcome reception at the Chesterfield Hotel.  The media is invited to interview the delegation at the reception. 

On December 18th, the tour will include the IBM facility in Boca Raton, the Port of Palm Beach, the Scripps Research Institute and the Florida Research Park.

“In this initiative, Palm Beach County Economic Development and the World Trade Center Palm Beach are joining forces to increase local trade exports and global investment,” Johns said. 

The tour will focus on increasing trade opportunities between Palm Beach County and France, particularly in the areas of bioscience, high-tech industries, film and television, cultural arts, aerospace/aviation and water technology.  Last year alone, Enterprise Florida reported that commodity trade between Florida and France totaled over $2.6 billion in exports and imports combined. 

The “Familiarization Tour” has been organized by the World Trade Center as part of Palm Beach County’s international economic outreach strategy.  The President of the French/American Chamber of Commerce, Jacques Brion, will be in attendance, along with the World Trade Center Palm Beach Chairman, Al Zucaro.  The tour is a unique opportunity to engage European investment leaders and blend the common economic interests of Palm Beach County and France. 
The County’s international business “team” will help connect market opportunities to the high-wage/high skill growth industries targeted in the Palm Beach County Strategic Economic Plan, adopted by the Board of County Commission in March 2007. 

For additional information, please contact Maggie Smith or Claudia Lopez at the Palm Beach County Economic Development Office at (561) 355-3624.