Making sure the city of Atlanta remains globally competitive has been one of Mayor Kasim Reed’s key priorities since taking office in 2010. Re-opening the Office of International Affairs in 2013 was an important step toward reaching this goal.
As director of this office, my mission is to develop and maintain relationships with Atlanta’s international community, foreign partners and global constituents, growing the city’s visibility outside our borders and, ultimately, creating quality job opportunities for Atlantans.
We are proud of our long-lasting relationship with 18 international sister cities, 70-plus consular and trade offices, 40 bi-national chambers of commerce, and the more than 200 foreign delegations we welcomed in the last two years — all evidence of Atlanta’s growing international stature and footprint.
Every day, my office explores avenues for creating economic development opportunities to improve Atlanta’s position as a hub for international trade and commerce. An important role of the Office of International Affairs is organizing trade and business missions led by Mayor Reed to countries across the world, which raises Atlanta’s global profile.
Our business mission to Israel for the Tel Aviv Cyber Security Conference provided our delegation with ideas and solutions for abating cyber threats to the city’s technology infrastructure. Our trade mission to Brazil encouraged foreign direct investment in the metropolitan Atlanta region. Our most recent historic trade mission to Cuba, on the heels of President Barack Obama’s plans to formally re-establish diplomatic relations with Havana, provided Mayor Reed and the Atlanta business delegation with solid ideas for how Atlanta can begin nurturing trade opportunities with the island country.
The relationships we forge during these missions will yield results for years to come and allow Atlanta businesses to expand into these growing markets.
Providing support for Atlanta-based companies in their export activities is an effective way to build a stronger economy. Indeed, companies that export grow faster, pay higher wages and are less likely to go out of business than companies relying solely on the domestic market. Moving the needle in the right direction requires bold partnerships and initiatives. This is why the Office of International Affairs, in collaboration with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the state of Georgia, Invest Atlanta and other economic development partners launched the Atlanta Metropolitan Export Plan five months ago.
As part of the Export Plan, city and business leaders created the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge – a grant program targeting small and medium-sized businesses looking to begin exporting or to increase their exports.
The Office of International Affairs also works closely with Invest Atlanta to attract foreign direct investment projects to the city. In the last year, several foreign companies, representing more than 2,600 additional jobs have established headquarters and division offices here. These include: U.K.-based payment processor WorldPay, German orthopedics company Bauerfeind, Dutch financial company Backbase, and international companies from Portugal and Brazil.
Our infrastructure and connectivity also make Atlanta a natural choice for global events and conferences. Our city is excited to host upcoming international summits and meetings, including the 2016 Clinton Global Initiative America Annual Meeting, 2016 Japanese-American Grassroots Summit, 2017 U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit, and 2017 Rotary International Convention. Not only will these events provide an incredible opportunity to promote Atlanta globally, they support numerous jobs in our thriving hospitality industry.
The world now realizes our global connectivity is unparalleled; our workforce is young, talented and culturally conscious; and the city of Atlanta is a world-class place to live, work and play. The Office of International Affairs is working hard to enhance our reputation and ensure this trend will continue for years to come.
Claire Angelle is director of the Office of International Affairs for the city of Atlanta.
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