SelectUSA investment summit recap 2018

Published: 06/26/2018
Updated: 10/09/2019

More than 3,000 participants from 66 international markets and 50 U.S. states and territories gathered under one roof in the Washington, D.C. area for the SelectUSA Investment Summit from June 20-22, 2018.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S., featuring senior government officials, C-Suite business executives and other thought leaders. In the past, this Summit has initiated conversations that led businesses like Kudelski Security to ultimately choose Greater Phoenix.

This year, in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) exhibited a large free-standing booth at the Summit, showcasing the region’s People, Place and Technology assets. The booth was tech-forward and showcased Greater Phoenix’s innovative and robust tech community by highlighting key statistics, businesses in the region and partnerships.

During the three days, the GPEC team and community partners were kept busy at the booth, chatting with many international business leaders and investors interested in expanding or relocating their companies to the U.S.

Attendees also got the opportunity to “skydive over the Grand Canyon” and experience Greater Phoenix’s tech innovation first-hand through GPEC’s virtual reality station, The Connected Experience.

Here are some highlights:

“The Phoenix metro area was showcased at the 5th SelectUSA Summit in a way that eclipsed anything done at prior summits. The amazing “The Connected Place” booth established visibility, presence and relevance that resonated well with over 1,200 international attendees from 66 countries. Our identity and image were on full display among our well known geographic rivals – and we STOOD OUT! It succeeded in catalyzing foreign direct investment (FDI) interest for years to come and it facilitated a regional promotional effort that was eagerly supported by numerous regional partners. Our unified and collaborative presence, approach and messaging demonstrated a level of sophistication and maturity that firmly planted us on the global stage.”

– Hank Marshall, Executive Officer, City of Phoenix

“Attending the SelectUSA Summit 2018 was an amazing experience!! I found the foreign direct investment network impressive and quite extensive. I truly enjoyed creating new global relationships and learning more about their cultural business climates and their desire to invest in the U.S.  I look forward to continuing to build on these relationships and hope to help them prosper in Arizona!”

– Julie Neal, Economic Development Coordinator, City of Surprise

“SelectUSA Summit 2018 is a great platform to meet and learn unique company’s need from across the globe. In partnership with GPEC, we were able to not only share the breathtaking natural beauty of Arizona such as the Grand Canyon via the VR headsets at our booth, but also to showcase our business-friendly communities with the world. I enjoyed meeting the attendees at SelectUSA and look forward to building meaningful leads for business expansion into the Valley.”

– Carol Hu, Economic Development Specialist, City of Glendale

“The SelectUSA Investment Summit connects Greater Phoenix to the world in one single event. It’s an opportunity for international business leaders to gather information on business locations tax reform, regulatory reduction, workforce, operational costs and other key data that is essential when investing in the United States. This gives Phoenix and Arizona the perfect platform to present ourselves and perhaps get on a company’s radar that was originally thinking of New York or California.”

– Karla Moran, Economic Development Project Manager, Salt River Project

“It was really inspiring to be in the company of so many innovative international corporations, many of whom were already aware of the tech boom taking place in the Phoenix market. The energy was high and the conversations were focused, with everyone looking forward to continued discussions post-show. I believe that the “Greater Phoenix” message was heard loud and clear, about how the region is very collaborative, and seeks to propel the success of the market as a whole. The emphasis was on the support, resources and talent the Greater Phoenix area can provide to all industries, and marketing the overall community with such a team-centric effort really set our group apart.”

– Lauren Conangla, Business Attraction Administrator, Gilbert Office of Economic Development

“The SelectUSA Summit highlighted that there is still great interest in FDI into the U.S. from foreign firms in a variety of different industries. The Connected Place booth was very welcoming and had a unique feel that stood out among other booths at the Summit. The participation from our communities under the regional brand of “The Connected Place” also showed the collaborative approach that our communities represent.”

– Thomas Maynard, Vice President, Business Development, GPEC

“Attending SelectUSA Summit 2018 allowed me to better understand all of the work that goes into generating foreign direct investment. I appreciated being able to meet people from around the world–from very different cultures than my own–that share Greater Phoenix’s same desire to do business with our international neighbors. Because I believe when we work together, we raise the tides of prosperity for everyone globally.”

– Stefanie Carson, Senior Graphic Designer + Photographer, GPEC

“The SelectUSA Summit was a resounding success this year and our engagement with attendees highlighted our region’s attractiveness for foreign direct investment. Our strong talent disposition, competitive operating fundamentals, and robust ecosystem of advanced manufacturing and emerging technology firms resonated with companies looking to strengthen their competitive advantage in the United States.”

– Darryn Jones, Vice President, Business Development, GPEC

 

The SelectUSA Investment Summit provides an unparalleled opportunity to bring together companies from all over the world and economic development organizations from every corner of the nation to work to facilitate business investments in the U.S.

Learn more how you can join Greater Phoenix’s thriving ecosystem and the soft-landing program, the Global Growth Accelerator.

Special thanks to the partners who joined GPEC’s booth and helped to tell the regional story:

• Arizona State University
• City of Glendale
• City of Surprise
• Town of Gilbert
• City of Chandler
• City of Phoenix
• Salt River Project

View more photos from GPEC’s Facebook page here.