Let the Countdown Begin: 2016 SelectUSA Investment Summit

The following is a cross-post from Tradeology, the official blog of the International Trade Administration

Blog post by Felicia Pullam, Director of Outreach for SelectUSA

The countdown to the 2016 SelectUSA Investment Summit begins today! In four weeks, June 19-21, President Barack Obama will welcome economic developers from across the country and companies from around the world to Washington, D.C. The SelectUSA Summit is the highest profile event to promote job-creating foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States.

Registration for the Summit will reach capacity soon. In fact, the pre-Summit SelectUSA Academy is already oversubscribed. If you are thinking about attending this year’s Summit, don’t hesitate to apply.

Why are so many people planning to travel from roughly 60 countries to attend this year’s Summit? Because business representatives are looking for a place where they can establish or expand their operations. They recognize what many others have seen: there is no better time than now to invest in the United States.

Earlier this month, AT Kearney released its annual FDI Confidence Index, which showed that global executives ranked the United States as the top destination for FDI for the fourth year in a row. The U.S. lead widened: “Bullish sentiment among global business executives on the economic outlook for the United States reinforces this trend. More broadly, executives’ outlook on the U.S. economy is considerably more positive today than it was in 2015.”

With more than $2.9 trillion in stock, the United States is home to more FDI than any other country. For nine of the past 10 years, the United States attracted the largest amount of FDI inflow. And this investment is important to our economy: approximately 12 million jobs in the United States can be attributed to FDI. The scale of investment shows a consistent recognition among investors that the U.S. market — and the American workforce — offers quality, innovation, and opportunity.

That’s exactly what participants will find at the 2016 SelectUSA Summit, where they will be able to explore opportunities from every corner of the nation—all in one building—through four types of activities:  

• On Sunday, June 19, the SelectUSA Academy will include sessions designed for first-time investors and economic developers;
• Plenary and breakout sessions on June 20-21, will feature high-level government and business speakers;
• The exhibition hall will provide U.S. economic developers with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their locations to some of the world’s top companies; and
• An improved, online matchmaking system will enable investors, economic developers and others to connect directly and meet face-to-face.

The team at SelectUSA stands ready to help you get the most out of the Summit. Housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce, SelectUSA assists U.S. economic development organizations to compete globally for investment by providing information, a platform for international marketing, and high-level advocacy. SelectUSA also helps investors find the information they need to make decisions; connect to the right people at the local level; navigate the federal regulatory system; and find solutions to issues related to the federal government.

From established multinationals to small or medium-sized enterprises and high-growth startups, companies of all sizes can find the location, the people, and the resources they need to be successful in the United States. There is still time to register for the Summit. Visit selectusasummit.us and apply to attend today!