Upcoming Haiti Commerce and Relief Events

Thank you to Bill Lawton from the U.S. Department of Commerce for sharing this list of upcoming meetings and events regarding rebuilding trade and commerce in Haiti.

March 9-10, 2010
What: International Peace Operations “Haiti Summit”
Where: Miami, FL
Details: An organization for private military and logistics corporations, the International Peace Operations Association (IPOA), is co-organizing a ‘Haiti Summit’ which aims to bring together ‘leading officials’ for ‘private consultations with attending contractors and investors’.

March 10-12, 2010
What: Export-Import Bank Annual Conference
Where: Washington, DC
Details: This annual meeting is geared to new and current Ex-Im Bank City/State Partners. Staff will brief partners on the Bank’s new products/ programs and product changes.

March 12, 2010
What: “Haiti: Jobs and Growth - What Will it Take?” Conference
Where: Washington, DC (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
Details: This high-level roundtable discussion will examine three central topics: 1) Natural Disasters: Lessons Learned; 2) Private Sector on the Ground Realities; and 3) Beyond Investment: Contributions of the Private Sector in Building Back the Community. There will be a moderated fully-interactive discussion on each topic with hand-picked policy experts and opinion leaders. The roundtable should stimulate consideration of innovative policy proposals to facilitate private sector-led growth and job creation in Haiti going forward.

March 17-19, 2010
What: Sustainable Haiti Conference
Where: Miami, FL
Details: This conference is a special “conference within a conference” taking place during Social Venture Capital/Social Enterprise Conference, Miami-2010. It will contain 45 workshops/panels and over 100 speakers from around the world during its 3 days.

March 31, 2010
What: United Nations Donor Conference
Where: United Nations Building, New York, NY
Details: Government’s from the world’s major economies convene to discuss initial financial/other commitments to Haiti. Commitments based, in part, on a post-disaster needs assessment (prepared by World Bank, IDB, UN, etc.) detailing a list of initial demands.

April 7, 2010
What: Haiti Jobs and Growth: What Will it Take? (Tentative)
Where: New York University, New York, NY
Details: Organized by U.S. Chamber of Commerce with partner Business Civic Leadership Center. President Bill Clinton has been invited but has not yet accepted.

April/June 2010
What: Business Outreach Events
Where: Miami, New York, New Jersey and other U.S. locations TBD
Details: ITA/MAC, working with USEACs, will hold events for the local business community in several U.S. cities including Miami, New York, Boston, northern New Jersey and others. The goal is to engage businesses and other stakeholders (local government officials, academia, etc.) with a direct interest in Haiti’s long-term development. Sites will be chosen and events promoted with the additional goal of reaching members of the Haitian diaspora. MAC will work closely with Commercial Service-Export Assistance Centers in these cities to ensure strong participation.

May 5-6, 2010
What: Haiti Business Development Conference
Where: Santo Domingo, DR
Details: Haitian business sector organizations and companies will be invited to participate in the Conference, providing them with a platform to establish linkages with U.S. and Dominican providers/partners. All of the business participants will attend the presentations made by the multilaterals and other key organizations, including the U.N., WB, IDB and USAID. Those organizations have welcomed the opportunity to inform the private sector about their Haiti plans, procurement processes, etc. They have also indicated an interest in possibly including companies from other major donor countries as well, which AMCHAM may handle.

June 14-18, 2010
What: Trade Mission to DR and Jamaica
Where: DR and Jamaica
Details: CS’s Trade Mission to the DR and Jamaica that was originally scheduled for March has been pushed back until June.

Spirit Airlines Resumes Service to Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Ultra Low Cost Airline Once Again Liberates Haiti From High Fares-- Ultra low cost carrier Spirit Airlines has resumed service to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Regular passenger service had been suspended following the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010.