-For Immediate Release- Media Contact: Graziella DiNuzzo, [email protected] 608-6807670 The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia Virtual 18th Annual World Trade Centers Day Awards Presented by Independence Blue Cross October 7, 2020 at 3 pm via @WTCPhila YouTube Channel Emcee: Cherri Gregg, Community Affairs Reporter KYW Newsradio 2020 Honorees:
Philadelphia, PA, September 21, 2020…The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) is pleased to announce its 18th Annual World Trade Centers Day Awards, presented by Independence Blue Cross, and will take place virtually via YouTube @WTCPhila channel on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 3 pm US EST. KYW Newsradio Community Affairs Reporter, Cherri Gregg will be emcee. The World Trade Centers Day Awards is dedicated to recognizing the global achievement of the Greater Philadelphia region and to celebrate local business leaders who have made a significant contribution to regional and national economic growth through international trade. The event is in keeping with World Trade Centers Day, a day dedicated by the United Nations after the tragic events of 9/11 to celebrate the contributions to peace and prosperity made by World Trade Centers across the globe. The Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement honoree is Tom Leonard III, Chairman of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP. About Tom Leonard As written in Top 100 Magazine: Thomas A. Leonard has dedicated his career to the practice of law. With nearly 50 years of comprehensive experience in business and complex commercial litigation in both federal and state courts, he serves as both chairman of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell and HippeI LLP and chairman of the firm's litigation department. Tom's illustrious career has included the role of chairman of the disciplinary board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. A fierce litigator with an extensive appellate practice, he argues many cases in the appellate courts, including the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. In 2019, he was named one of America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators. He also serves on the merit selection committee for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where he has been responsible for approving every federal judge who has been appointed throughout the past 25 years, and he has served on the magistrate retention committee for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Tom serves as president for the board of trustees for Roman Catholic High School and as a trustee on the board of trustees for Drexel University. Tom graduated from Roman and Drexel. Prior to becoming a trustee of the university, he served as a trustee of the Drexel School of Medicine. For his hard work and dedication, Tom has received numerous honors and awards. Tom has also been active in politics throughout his life, beginning as city controller for the City of Philadelphia. He has served as vice chairman of finance for the Democratic National Committee and he is the current chairman of an independent expenditure PAC, Pennsylvania Values. In Pennsylvania, he has chaired campaigns for president, U.S. senate, governor, and mayor, and he has served as a delegate for numerous presidential conventions. In 1996, he served as chairman of the electoral college in Pennsylvania. The 2020 Member Company of the Year honoree is Philadelphia International Medicine. About Philadelphia International Medicine (PIM) Since 1999, Philadelphia International Medicine has been connecting patients and physicians from around the world with doctors and healthcare professionals from ten world-renowned Philadelphia-area medical centers in more than 100 specialties and sub which include: Jefferson Health, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health, Magee Rehabilitation, Main Line Health, Nemours Hospital for Children, Rothman Orthopaedics, The Renfrew Center, Vincera Institute, and Wills Eye Hospital. The 2020 Global Business Leadership Award honoree is SAP About SAP SAP stands for Systems, Applications, and Products in data processing. Founded in 1972 in Walldorf, Germany, SAP has offices around the world. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end enterprise application software, database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. A top cloud company with 200 million users worldwide, SAP helps businesses of all sizes and in all industries to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and achieve their purpose. About World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) is one of over 320 World Trade Centers in 89 countries around the globe. A non-profit and membership - based organization, the WTCGP accelerates global business growth for companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey by providing customized, one-on-one trade counseling, market research, educational programs, trade mission support, business networking events, and powerful connections to customers and partners worldwide. Since 2002, the WTCGP has served as a catalyst for regional economic growth and job creation, helping area companies generate over $2B in incremental export sales, supporting over 26,000 jobs. Sponsorship Package Sponsorship Payment Form
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Today, we remember those we lost.
We remember the workers in their offices. We remember the airline travelers who never made it to their destination. We remember the heroic first responders who ran toward danger to save others. We remember the families who continue to mourn their loved ones. We remember, and we will never forget. As one of over 300 World Trade Centers across the globe, it is our mission to bring growth and prosperity to businesses, communities, and neighborhoods in Greater Philadelphia and worldwide through global trade and investment. We continue to carry out our mission every day, in their honor, and stand united for global peace and prosperity through trade. By removing the geographic borders we have created, we learn to respect and appreciate one another regardless of differences in race, religion, and nationality. On August 19, 2020, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia's (WTCGP) China Club held an informative online fireside chat with Craig Allen, President of the US-China Business Council, moderated by Gary Biehn, Chair of the International Group and China Business Group, White and Williams LLP and Board Chair of WTCGP. The discussion focused on navigating the evolving US-China commercial and trade relationship.
“The WTCGP is pleased to bring to our region leading thought leaders like Craig to share with our China Club Members and guests valuable insight during this historic time in our relationship with China,” said Linda Conlin, WTCGP President. As Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development, I had the honor of working with and traveling to China with Craig and appreciate his distinguished 35-year career as a diplomat and public servant, including serving at the Embassy in Beijing, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia, and Ambassador to Brunei.” Craig began with a look at geo-political issues to better understand the current business and trade environment. China has recently flexed its might across Asia from border disputes with India in Kashmir to island building and threats in the South China Sea. This confrontation, along with the US-China trade dispute, has escalated nationalism in China and across the world. As a result, some US consumer product companies are feeling the pressure through the loss of customers in China. While some US consumer goods companies are feeling exposed, Chinese people generally prefer to purchase products manufactured in the US and overseas as compared to domestically produced goods. As relations normalize, US consumer product manufacturers should continue to find China a good market. While Chinese people prefer to purchase goods manufactured overseas, the Chinese government and State-owned enterprises continue to prefer purchasing goods and services from wholly owned foreign enterprises (WOFEs) and joint ventures (JVs), Craig informed the audience. Companies who wish to sell to these entities may find it advantageous to establish such ventures in China. If companies wish to pursue this option, China has recently enacted the Foreign Investment Law which elevates foreign ventures, including WOFEs and JVs to that of a domestic company. According to Craig, these entities can work anywhere in the country in almost any industry now. China remains a country where US companies see potential. Many members of the US-China Business Council are doing well. Craig informed the audience that he is seeing an increase of companies doing business in China. While there has been a lot of rhetoric on both sides of the Pacific, China remains an important trading partner of the US, with trade being a bright spot in US-China relations currently. The United States and China are committed to the Phase One deal. While export targets are ambitious and may be challenging to accomplish, Craig is seeing favorable results regarding IP protection, the Chinese court system and the opening of new industries to international companies including pharmaceuticals. While IP protection is becoming more substantial, Craig stressed that companies still need to safeguard their trade secrets. Historically, US companies have looked to Hong Kong to safeguard their businesses’ IP protection and take legal recourse if necessary. Most companies will find that if they have issues with private companies in China or 3rd party countries, such as Japan or South Korea, pursuing arbitration in Hong Kong should not be a problem. However, if a company is working with the Chinese government or State-owned enterprises, they may want to look at Singapore for their arbitration. “If a company was able to do it in China before, they can do it in Hong Kong now, but if they couldn’t do it in China before, they can’t do it in Hong Kong now,” said Craig in reference to IP protection and arbitration. WeChat is an app that is used in China for communication, payment and posting information and blogs online. It essentially combines WhatsApp, Apple Pay and Facebook into one app, and it is used by almost every Chinese person and business. The United States is poised to ban the app in less than 45 days if there is not a negotiated settlement. While China is not looking at retaliating for banning the app currently, Craig stressed that by banning the app, it will make conducting business harder in China for US companies and will give an advantage to Chinese and other international companies. When business people are again able to travel to China, WeChat is an essential tool for them to communicate with clients, pay for food and market their products and services. |
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