The
Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) hosted its fifth biennial
U.S-Africa Business Summit June 21-24, 2005 at the
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Summit strove to increase American investment
throughout the African continent by increasing U.S. private
sector awareness of the many commercial opportunities in
Africa. It also addressed specific policy issues that
confront the U.S. private sector in the African marketplace
and to develop partnerships among African and American
businesses.
It was our aim that the U.S.- Africa Business Summit
would help
advance, in tangible terms, our common ambition of
strengthening trade and investment ties between the United
States and Africa. We did so through an agenda that included
plenary sessions and workshops.
Topics discussed
included:
· Agriculture
· Arts & entertainment
· Education
· Energy & power
· Finance
· Healthcare
· Housing
· Regional groups
· Small business opportunities
· Telecommunications
· Tourism
· Transportation & infrastructure
The format of the event provided the opportunity for
participants to interact with African and American private and
public sector leaders. As in past years, the 2005 Summit
attracted nearly 2000 business and government leaders
from Africa and the United States.
"[THE SUMMIT IS] UNPRECEDENTED ... IT IS
PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT FOR
COMMERCIAL INTERESTS ON BOTH CONTINENTS."
Eric Mercer
International Marketing Specialist
Department of Economic Development
State of Missouri
"THE
LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT CCA HAS PROVIDED IN
AREAS RANGING FROM POLICY AND ADVOCACY TO
BUSINESS LINKAGES, HAS SURPASSED OUR
EXPECTATIONS ... I WANT TO COMMEND CCA FOR
ITS VISION AND COLLABORATION."
Oren
Whyche - Shaw Regional Director for Africa
TechnoServe