Over 56 American business have registered to take part in the first-ever American and Ghana Trade and Investment Exhibition and Conference, which takes place at Accra International Conference Centre from October 8-12, 2002. The theme for the event is “America and Ghana-Partners in Development”.

The Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama is expecting to perform the opening ceremony with the US Ambassador Elizabeth Raspolic delivering the welcome address. Some of the prominent speakers at the opening will be Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Alan J. Kyeremanten, the Mayor of Accra, Samuel Darko, US Congressman Dany K. Davies and Dr.Ayesah Hakeem, the executive director of African Connections.

There will also be addresses from the Mayors of Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington. A delegation of Ivorian business headed by the director of External Commerce is also expected to exhibit some of the country’s most dynamic companies and opportunities to improve cross-border trade and regional integration at a specially constructed Cote d’Ivoire pavilion.

According to a release, this important business-to-business exhibition and conference is targeted at US companies and organizations with existing trade and investment interests in Ghana or those interested in newly penetrating the West Africa market.

It is also a unique platform for companies in Ghana to establish trade relationships with business partners with business partners in the US and showcase their goods services to a high quality audience.

Impressive arrays of speakers will delivery presentations at the conference including Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Paa kwasi Nduom, Minister for Planning and Ms. Vicki Cooper, president, American Chamber of Commerce.

As part of the event, there will be a general assembly of the West Africa Businesswomen’s Network which brings together regional businesswomen dealing in broad spectrum of products and services and assisting members in the development of business skills, sourcing of markets and other related opportunities.

The release said the American and Ghana Trade and Investment Exhibition and Conference will attract strategic sectors of the West African marketplace including oil and gas, energy, textiles, tourism, information and communication technologies, food and agriculture, equipment and machinery, building and construction, woodwork processing, banking and finance as well as transportation.

Some registered exhibitors include Regimanuel, Carmac, Oceanic, the US embassy, Quality Foods, Wabnet Sambus, Manet, Paper pen Ghana Free Zones Board, FAGE, PHC Motors and Bibiani Logging.

Others are GHAPOHA, Nnuro Kente, Ashanti Textiles, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Cocoa Processing Company, Citibank Tecnoserve, Getrate, NNDP and VOLCO. It noted that a special feature at the exhibition will be a strategically located data bank files and information of leading American businesses for future trade and investment opportunities on network computers.

The exhibition will be complimented a high level, two-day conference running alongside, focusing on trade and investment in Ghana and throughout West African. Providing practical and workable solutions with presentations given by current business practitioners based on their first hand experience in the region, this conference will be unique opportunity to gain a valuable competitive advantage giving one an authoritative insight into current investment legislation, the availability of finance and the advantages of developing business partnerships.

There will also be one-on-one matchmaking meeting where Ghanaians business will meet their American counterparts to establish trade partnerships. America and Ghana Trade Investment Exhibition and Conference is organized by Expo Promotions and African Connections, with the Planning and Regional Integration and Private Sector Development.

The release said the event is sponsored by Price Water House Coopers, Third Rail, Citibank PHC Motors, WABNET, Sambus Co. Limited and Atlantis Radio.