Leaders of the 23 American Chambers of Commerce (AmChams) representing the U.S. business community throughout Latin America and the Caribbean will meet in Washington, D.C. the week of October 23rd for AACCLA’s 56th Annual Meeting and the "Forecast on Latin America and the Caribbean (FOLAC)" Conference: Strengthening a Resilient Hemisphere. The half-day Conference on Tuesday, October 24 is the public portion of this annual meeting and will be held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce HQ in Washington, D.C. for the first-time post-pandemic.
Here’s everything you need to know about FOLAC:
What is FOLAC?
The FOLAC Conference was built around AACCLA’s Annual Meeting bringing together CEOs, Presidents and business leaders of the region’s AmChams. With the presence of these regional leaders already in Washington, the annual conference is an outstanding platform from which to advance AACCLA’s shared goals for promoting trade, economic growth, the rule of law, and closer cooperation throughout the hemisphere to important public and private sector stakeholders. Speakers at previous FOLAC Conferences include the presidents of Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico, in addition to numerous regional private sector leaders, U.S. government officials, and Ambassadors from the region in Washington.
How is the business community engaging?
The AACCLA network represents 23 AmChams with over 20,000 member companies in 28 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 80 percent of all U.S. investment in the region. Additionally, AACCLA’s Leadership Circle member companies are multinationals innovating in diverse sectors from health to courier services, and even music. Together, these companies and AmChams share expertise and best practices on how to do business in the region. FOLAC’s open invitation to the public creates an opportune networking space for private and public sector stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean.
What is the end goal?
In bringing together top thought leaders in the Americas, discussions at FOLAC are agenda-setting for both businesses and governments of the region. Drawing from the private sector’s expertise and experience, FOLAC’s various panels, armchair conversations and discussions present recommendations on the most relevant policy areas of the day, such as trade facilitation, health, and innovation. This engagement between the private and public sector “strengthens a resilient hemisphere” liaises between the private sector, the U.S. Government, and the regions’ governments to improve trade relations within the hemisphere.
Who is going to be there?
FOLAC brings together the top business leaders, AmCham representatives, and government figures in both Washington, D.C. and the region as a whole. Confirmed speakers for this year’s conference include, but are not limited to:
- H.E. Santiago Peña Palacios, President of the Republic of Paraguay
- Secretary Gina M. Raimondo, United States Secretary of Commerce
- Gen. Laura J. Richardson, Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
To see who else will be attending FOLAC, click here.
What topics will be discussed?
- Prosperity and Security: Secretary Raimondo and General Richardson’s discussion on how the nexus of a secure hemisphere guarantees a prosperous hemisphere.
- Supply Chain Redistribution: Presentation on the findings from the U.S. Chamber’s IPSOS Survey on how U.S.-based multinational senior executives perceive Latin America and the Caribbean as they restructure critical supply chains.
- Health: Perspectives from the public and private sectors on innovative financing and sustainable investment in the region’s health systems.
- The Power of Trade: Conversation on trade’s power and potential in the region for not only business development, but also economic development for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Regional Updates and Quick Takes: Electoral, political, and economic updates from top thought leaders; and other “Regional Quick Takes,” brief 5-minute updates on the most relevant policy issues impacting the region from a business point-of-view.
When: The FOLAC Conference is on Tuesday, October 24th and AACCLA will be holding adjacent meetings with its AmChams during the week.
Where: U.S. Chamber of Commerce HQ in Washington, D.C.
Registration: The event is open to the public and the registration information can be found here. For more information, please direct inquiries to Cole Matino at cmatino@uschamber.com.
