Wilmington is the first of four stops for North Carolina’s Go Global Road Show, an opportunity for local businesses to connect with trade officials and learn how to expand their markets internationally.

The annual event, presented by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), takes place locally April 1 at Cape Fear Community College’s downtown campus, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is free of charge.
 
North Carolina’s foreign-based trade representatives will be featured at the event and will meet individually with export-ready businesses participating in the event.

“Our trade experts based in Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East will be providing one-to-one consultations that dive deeply into whether a particular global market is a good fit for a company’s product or service,” John Loyack, EDPNC vice president for global business services, said in a news release. “And U.S. Export-Import Bank staff will be on-hand to discuss export-financing options.”

Go Global Road Show attendees also will be able to meet with the EDPNC’s North Carolina-based international trade managers, who specialize in industries such as biotechnology, information technology, plastics, aviation, automotive, textiles and furniture, the release stated.
 
Statewide, more than 80 local businesses participated in last year’s event, according to EDPNC spokeswoman Mary Wilson. “Most of them [were] small North Carolina businesses that really appreciate the opportunity to access free support for their exporting activity,” she said, adding that the Economic Development Partnership hopes to see even more companies this year.
 
Businesses wishing to participate must register in advance. For more information or to register, contact Jen Vogelsberg of the EDPNC’s international trade division at (919) 447-7788 or email her at  [email protected]. Click here for an event flyer.