LONG BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) made its landmark debut at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, held in Washington, D.C., June 23-26, 2024. This year marked the largest Investment Summit in SelectUSA history, with over 5,000 attendees spanning 96 international markets, and, for the first time, all 56 U.S. states and territories represented.
Key participants at SelectUSA were Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg; Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su; Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks; Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk; White House Senior Official Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh; and Export-Import Bank Chair Reta Jo Lewis. For more information, visit the Summit Newsroom.
The Long Beach delegation included Leah Goold-Haws, LBEP President/CEO; Bo Martinez, City of Long Beach Economic Development Department Executive Director; and Felipe Cusnir, World Trade Center Long Beach Executive Director.
Long Beach participated as a member of the California delegation led by the Governor’s Office. Significant meetings and connections were established, both domestically and internationally, including U.S Department of Commerce Deputy Under Secretary Dianne Farrell; U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti; SelectUSA Executive Director Jasjit Singh; and other foreign ambassadors, dignitaries, and high-level government officials.
“Bringing Long Beach to the world stage for the first time at SelectUSA Investment Summit is a clear indication that LBEP’s relaunch of the World Trade Center Long Beach is making meaningful progress, and effectively putting the global spotlight on the city,” Cusnir notes. “Our involvement helps promote our economy and attractiveness to foreign companies and investors, and indicates our firm commitment to serve the trade and investment community, both locally and internationally. The World Trade Center Long Beach is proud to serve as the dedicated agency to actively promote our economy and position the city as a prime investment destination,” Cusnir says.
The Summit enhanced efforts to facilitate the export of Long Beach goods and services to countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the European Union, and showcased the city’s favorable investment climate and competitive standing on the world stage. Some key connections include an Asian aluminum manufacturer looking for a site to establish their US headquarters; a European sanitation and waste-to-energy company looking to enter the US; transportation and logistics companies looking to be located and to operate in SoCal; an Asian e-commerce platform seeking to feature Long Beach companies/exporters on their platforms; and a Latin American ag-tech company looking to enter the US market.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo noted that the success of the 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit demonstrated why the United States remains the top destination for foreign direct investment for twelve consecutive years.
About SelectUSA
Housed within the International Trade Administration, SelectUSA promotes and facilitates business investment in the United States by coordinating related federal government agencies to serve as a single point of contact for investors, and raises awareness of the critical role that economic development plays in the U.S. economy. 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 foreign companies 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.
About Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP)
LBEP is a non-profit, action-oriented organization that works to grow the economy of Long Beach and expand citywide economic opportunities with a global vision. This is achieved through locally focused partnerships, newsworthy events, and other actions that will deliver on their vision for dependable growth. LBEP works directly with companies to understand their needs and assist them in their success, providing business services ranging from site selection to incentive programs, industry-focused initiatives, and talent pipeline development.
