Detroit, Michigan
September 9-10, 2009

Day 1: Wednesday, September 9, 2009

7:30-8:30 AM  REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST Renaissance Foyer 

8:30-9:00 AM  WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS   Cartier Ballroom

    Craig Muerlin, Chair, West Michigan District Export Council (DEC)

    Terry Kalley, Chair, East Michigan District Export Council (DEC)

    Gary Locke, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

9:00-10:15 AM PLENARY SESSION: THE FUTURE OF THE NAFTA Cartier Ballroom           Sponsor:  KeyBank

Moderator – Michael Bellardine, Director-Senior Vice President Global Trade and Payment Services, KeyBank
Elaine Feldman, Assistant Deputy Minister, North America, Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Canada), invited
Beatriz Leceygui, Under Secretary for International Trade, Mexico, invited
Brian Brisson, Regional Director, Western Hemisphere Operations, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce

10:15-10:45 AM NETWORKING BREAK     Renaissance Foyer
   Coffee with Exhibitors

10:45-12:00 PM CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Session A – Doing Business in Canada and Mexico: What You Need to Know NOW, Michelangelo
U.S. Embassy Senior Commercial Officers will present the latest business trends in Canada and Mexico. What are the best prospects for U.S. products and services? How has the business climate changed in Canada and Mexico as a result of the economic downturn? What are the most common mistakes new exporters make when trying to enter these markets? Come and learn what it takes to be successful in these two dynamic markets.

Ann Bacher, Senior Commercial Officer (Mexico)
Stephan Wasylko, Senior Commercial Officer (Canada)

Session B – Transportation and Logistics: Ensuring Your Products Reach Your Customer and Greening the Supply Chain, Renoir
Speakers will discuss the legal and efficient means to get goods across the border, and the newest methods to promote the greening of the supply chain.  Highlights will include an outline of the legal documents necessary for cross border traffic, instruction on how to avoid border delays, tips on how to reduce communication costs, and advice on how to effectively challenge amps fines.  Discussion will also include an update of how the transportation industry has made effective steps in climate protection and greening of the supply chain.

Debbie Dent, Director, Carrier Consulting Division, Border Connect (Canada)
Paul Millenbach, Attorney, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith PC

Session C – NAFTA Payment Strategies: Banking Practices, Regulations and Foreign Exchange Risk Management, DaVinci
Gain knowledge of banking practices, rules and regulations for Canada and Mexico.  Learn how to set up a virtual address and lockbox in Canada to better compete with local companies.  Learn how to take advantage of Canadian dollar and Mexican peso accounts for receivables and payables.  Review best practices and tools to help get paid.  Get the latest currency forecasts and learn about hedging strategies to manage market and currency risks.  Listen to case studies of U.S. companies that have successfully worked with U.S. and international banks to expand into Canada and Mexico.

George Hoffman, CTP.  Senior Vice President and Group Project Manager, PNC Bank
Lorna Kennedy, Vice President, Royal Bank of Canada (Canada)
Michael Wahl, Foreign Exchange/Capital Markets, National City

Session D – Don’t Be Stopped at the Border: Customs and Immigration Issues, Greco
Speakers will recommend strategies for getting your exports cleared through customs more efficiently; outline common mistakes exporters make and highlight red flags which can cause problems/delays at the border; share special tips related to paperwork; and outline any available mechanisms that can help expedite the process for exporters that do large volumes of cross border shipping.  Presentations will also include basic information on immigration laws and regulations for those looking to send employees across borders to staff an office, facilitate sales, or deliver a service. 

Amy E. Hatfield, Supervisory Customs Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Susan Oswald, Interim Superintendant, Canadian Border Services Agency (Canada)
TBD, Customs and Immigration Official from Mexico

11:30 AM-12:00 PM LUNCHEON REGISTRATION    Renaissance Foyer

12:00-1:30 PM KEYNOTE LUNCHEON     Cartier Ballroom
 Sponsors:  Federal Express and PNC Bank

Introduction of Luncheon Sponsor: Brian Brisson, Regional Director, Western Hemisphere Operations, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce

Introduction of Keynote Luncheon Speaker: TBD, PNC Bank or FedEx Representative

John Engler, former Governor of Michigan and President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers

1:30-2:45 PM  CONCURRENT SESSIONS    

Session A – Protecting and Enforcing Intellectual Property: Tools and Strategies for SMEs, Greco
Did you know that intellectual property rights may be one of your businesses’ most important assets? Learn the basics of intellectual property rights, including the value that intellectual property rights may have for your business. Speakers will share information on how to protect and enforce intellectual property rights in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada and highlight tools and programs available to assist small businesses.

Lic. Jorge Amigo Castañeda, Director General, Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) (Mexico), invited
Skip Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Agreements and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce
TBD, Partnership for Prosperity and Security Colleague from Canada

Session B – University Resources for Trade in North America, Renoir
Presenters will outline specific university programs and resources related to trade in North America, including: TechTown’s Soft Landings site for NAFTA in Detroit; Michigan State’s globalEDGE and A Basic Guide to Exporting Online Modules; and the Van Andel Global Trade Center’s University/Business Partnerships: Addressing the Global Trade Learning Curve.

Randal Charlton, Executive Director, TechTown, Wayne State University
Sarah Singer, Assistant Director, Michigan State University CIBER
Mark Bleckley, Associate Director, Grand Valley State University, Van Andel Global Trade Center

Session C – Direct Sales in Canada and Mexico: Sales and Warranty Law, Michelangelo
This panel includes Mexican, Canadian and U.S. business lawyers addressing sales laws in Canada and Mexico, as well as the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.  Presenters will discuss why U.S. companies should have their U.S. sales forms reviewed by foreign counsel.  Presenters will also address consumer protection laws in Canada and Mexico and how they can affect your warranty.

Andre Asselin, Attorney, De Grandpre Chait LLP (Canada).
Fernando Cuevas, Attorney, Cuevaslugo Abogados (Mexico)
Adolfo Lugo, Attorney, Cuevaslugo Abogados (Mexico)
William Northcote, Attorney, Shibley Righton LLP (Canada).
Brian Renaud, Attorney, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith PC

2:45-3:15 PM  NETWORKING  BREAK    Renaissance Foyer
   Coffee with Exhibitors 

3:15-4:30 PM  PLENARY SESSION:  FINANCING THE DEAL  Cartier Ballroom

This session will showcase the services and programs of the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. Small Business Administration and how these finance tools can help you and your bank put the last piece in place.

Moderator: Richard Corson, Director, Pontiac U.S. Export Assistance Center, U.S. Commercial Service
Jan Blaho, Business Development Officer, Export-Import Bank of the United States
John O’Gara, Senior International Credit Officer, U.S. Small Business Administration

5:00 –7:00 PM RECEPTION      Coach Insignia
Sponsor:  Michigan District Export Council   (72nd Floor)

 Robert Noble, Consul General of Canada
 Vicente Sanchez-Ventura, Consul of Mexico

Day 2: Thursday, September 10

8:00-9:00 AM  REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST Renaissance Foyer

9:00-10:15 AM CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Session A – Border Security: Achieving a Balance Between Security and Openness, DaVinci
Speakers will discuss the ways in which business and government are working together to ensure secure and open borders in North America.  Highlights will include information on the NAFTA and the FAST program, as well as what the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is doing to ensure that high risk cargo is not entering the United States. 

Amy E. Hatfield, Supervisory Customs Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Sarah Hubbard, Vice President, Government Relations, Detroit Regional Chamber
Cecilia Ochoa Levine, President, U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Mexico Border District Export Council (DEC) and former member of the President’s Export Council

Session B – Fundamentals of NAFTA and Filling Out a NAFTA Certificate of Origin, Greco
Enhance your knowledge of the NAFTA and learn the NAFTA documentation requirements to receive preferential duty treatment in Canada and Mexico.  Topics will include: NAFTA definitions; understanding the roles of exporters, producers and importers; choosing the proper preference criterion; basics of tariff shift and regional value content; determining country of origin; and how to complete the NAFTA certificate of origin.  This session will be pertinent for both the exporter of goods and the suppliers who support the exporters.

Mark Bleckley, Grand Valley State University Van Andel Global Trade Center

Session C – Staffing in Canada and Mexico: Laws and Implications, Renoir
This panel includes Canadian, Mexican and U.S. business lawyers discussing the differences between labor and employment laws in the United States, Canada and Mexico.  The session will not only be applicable to U.S. companies with offices in Canada or Mexico or those planning to hire employees, independent contractors and/or agents in those countries, as U.S. companies can unwittingly cause foreign labor and employment, tax, and other laws to apply to them if they do not structure their foreign distributor/agent/sales representative relationships properly.  Presenters will also discuss typical provisions in agreements with foreign sales representatives and suggest performance standards.

Andre Asselin, Attorney, De Grandpre Chait LLP (Canada)
Bryce Chandler, Attorney, Shibley Righton LLP (Canada)
William Northcote, Attorney, Shibley Righton LLP (Canada)
Jorge Olvera, Attorney, Cuevaslugo Abogoados (Mexico)
Jean Schtokal, Attorney, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith PC

Session D – Doing Business in Canada and Mexico: What You Need to Know NOW, Michelangelo (repeat of September 9 AM Session A)

U.S. Embassy Senior Commercial Officers will present the latest business trends in Canada and Mexico. What are the best prospects for U.S. products and services? How has the business climate changed in Canada and Mexico as a result of the economic downturn? What are the most common mistakes new exporters make when trying to enter these markets? Come and learn what it takes to be successful in these two dynamic markets.

Ann Bacher, Senior Commercial Officer (Mexico)
Stephan Wasylko, Senior Commercial Officer (Canada)

10:15-10:45 AM NETWORKING BREAK     Renaissance Foyer
   Coffee with Exhibitors 

10:45-12:00 PM PLENARY SESSION:  SMALL BUSINESS PANEL Cartier Ballroom
Sponsor: Lexwork International

Ready to increase your sales to Canada and Mexico, but not sure where to begin?  This interactive panel discussion will feature successful international sales managers from small businesses.  Panelists will share their “in the trenches” stories ranging from international payment pitfalls to best internet marketing practices and more.

Moderator: TBD, Lexwork International
Raymond Gaynor, President, International Solutions, LLC.
Michael Gibbons, International Sales Director, Yard King, Inc.
Yannick Greiner, Global Sales Director, Penda Corporation

12:00 PM  CONFERENCE ADJOURNS

1:30-5:00 PM Individually Scheduled Meetings with U.S. Embassy Commercial Specialists from Canada and Mexico
 Greco, Michelangelo, Renoir and DaVinci