Our overseas Commercial Service offices offer a range of services to help ensure the success of each CTM. Offices, agencies, and organizations partnering in the CTM Program will receive. Following approval of the CTM, there will be direct communication between the mission organizer(s) and Commercial Service overseas offices to negotiate the level of support, budget, and logistics they require. Once the services to be requested have been negotiated, the fees to be charged by the Commercial Service are collected from the CTM participants by the organizer, who then pays the Commercial Service the total cost of the CTM. Typical services provided by post are:
- Guidance on developing event budgets during mission planning.
- Expeditious handling of application for mission certification.
- Advice by trade promotion experts on the mission objectives and / or plan before the proposal is forwarded to the relevant overseas office.
- Advice from market experts internal and external to the U.S. Department of Commerce during planning, implementation, and mission follow-up.
- Identifying, inviting, and confirming of locally based institutional partners to insure critical mass at mission events.
- For the physical events, securing and preparing the venues to be “turn-key”, i.e. completely set up and ready to go by the time the delegates and local participants enter the rooms. Such preparation could include registration desk, name badges, printed materials, etc.
- Organizing of food and beverage services for the event such as coffee breaks, lunch and end-of-day reception (if any) and or including, if determined feasible, a reception at the residence of the Ambassador and or the DCM, or an alternative U.S. government facility such as the embassy restaurant as appropriate.
- Scheduling of one-on-one business appointments between delegates and prospective clients based on pre-screened criteria, etc. (Gold Key Services).
- Arranging of product presentations in-country that relate to the goods/services of the mission delegates.
- Arranging of appropriate meetings with relevant government officials in country.
- Co-ordination of ambassador involvement in the program to the extent that his/her schedule allows. In the case that the Ambassador is not available, the Deputy Chief of Mission will represent the Ambassador.
- Providing of economic/business briefings for the visiting mission, to include representatives of the relevant Embassy sections. Vet and send out invitations to a list of individuals to be provided by the local AmCham, etc. to an Ambassador (or DCM) hosted reception for the group.
- Organization of relevant site visits for mission delegates, which may include transportation and briefings.
- Facilitating with trade show organizers and providing of trade promotion support if the mission schedule incorporates attendance at a trade show.
- Arranging for interpreters and logistical support for the mission delegates and U.S. Government officials participating in the mission.