Minister Pawel Pietrasienski, Bogdan Pukszta and PACC Chicago Board, "Passport to Poland" Metropolitan Club Chicago, May 18, 2012
The Workshop on May 19, 2012, Enhancing Poland-US Collaboration in Business- brought together impressive mix of Polish business, government and community leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. The meeting resulted in signing of the 3C’s Chicago Declaration.
The aim of this unprecedented summit was to increase business relations between Poland and the US to promote Polish economy and business prospects for smaller, family-owned companies.
The event was organized by the Trade & Investment Section of the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, Polish American Congress/Polish National Alliance (PAC/PNA) and the Polish American Chamber of Commerce (PACC) in Chicago.
Minister Pawel Pietrasienski and his team from the Embassy conducted a daylong workshop at the Chicago Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel, PAC/PNA President Frank Spula hosted a dinner at the spectacular Copernicus Center and PACC Chicago Executive Director Bogdan Pukszta and his Board hosted a “Passport to Poland” networking reception at the exclusive Metropolitan Club in downtown Chicago.
Special guests included keynote speaker, Adam S. Wilczewski, U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Chief of Staff and Maciej Cybulski, Illinois Department of Commerce European Office Manager.
Polish government was represented by Honorary Consuls in the U.S, Robert Lawrence Ashe from Atlanta, Robert Gardener from St. Louis and John Petkus from Las Vegas, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Economy in Warsaw, various voivodships and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP). Three technological parks, Multimedia City Nowy Sącz, Nickel Technology Park Poznan, Technology Park Koszalin and several outstanding companies, FakroAmerica, AmRest LLC, TZMO SA, PEGASUS, Grotto, 4th Wave Consulting and others, showcased the private sector.
Representatives from chambers of commerce, business councils and sister-cities associations from Chicago, Washington, DC, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Palo Alto, Warsaw and Wroclaw contributed a unique mix and perspective.
The presentations and breakout sessions, live streamed by ARTV Chicago, addressed the challenges, priorities and actions necessary to build sustainable partnerships between the stakeholders. Impressive case stories from diverse regions offered inspiring solutions.
Presentation “Poland-US Collaboration in the Aviation Industry” by Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest Founder Eva Orlowska and incoming President Teresa Indelak Davis was well received and spurred a lively discussion.
Despite differences, a unanimous agreement was reached to strengthen collaboration, cooperation and communication, so called 3C’s, between the participants. Progress is to be reviewed and evaluated next year at a follow-up conference in Las Vegas in 2013.
A Declaration of Joint Effect on enhancing Poland-US cooperation in small business initiatives was signed by the participating stakeholders:
Polish American Congress/Polish National Alliance, Trade and Investment Section of the Embassy of Poland in Washington, D.C., Honorary Consuls of Poland in the United States, Polish Ministry of Economy and U.S. Department of Commerce, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), Polish Chamber of Commerce (KIG) and Illinois Trade Office in Warsaw, American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, US-Poland Business Council in Washington D.C., Polish American Chambers of Commerce in Chicago and Warsaw, Atlanta Polish Chamber, Polish-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida and the Americas, US-Polish Trade Council in Silicon Valley and Polish American Chamber of Commerce of Pacific Northwest, Warsaw Committee of the Chicago International Sister Cities, Polish American Business Club in New York, Polish American Contractors and Builders Association, Polish Regional Authorities, Technology Parks and Academic Institutions, as well as private sector representatives from US and Poland
See the Full Declaration: Chicago Declaration May 19, 2012
See Conference Speakers and Full Agenda: http://www.paccpnw.org/event/enhancing-poland-us-collaboration-in-small-business-initiatives-challenges-and-perspectives-for-the-future/