Lehigh Valley will be hosting a group of foreign direct investment professionals this coming Monday, June 16^th.

As many as 50 attendees of the prestigious World Forum – an event that is being held in Philadelphia next week – have accepted an invitation from Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and will board a bus for a tour of three Lehigh Valley sites.

“Excursion Day” participants will first stop at world-famous Martin Guitar outside Nazareth, before heading toward the buzz of economic activity in center-city Allentown for a lunch presentation hosted by City Center Investment Corporation. The final stop of the day: global life sciences leader B. Braun Medical in Bethlehem.

The World Forum has been hosted in a spectrum of world locations that include Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Valencia, Bologna, Vilnius, Tallinn and Shanghai, according to its official website. This year the forum comes to America for the first time.

“This prestigious FDI meeting provides a platform to network and discuss global location decisions amongst FDI dealmakers: globally expanding companies, economic and investment agencies, and the multipliers and site selectors who advise both parties,” the website notes.

http://www.redhotlocations.com/world-forum-for-direct-investment.cfm

The conference will involve presentations by corporate, academic, and government speakers as well as tours to leading investment sites in the greater Philadelphia region, include water investment, energy and corporate investment, the creation of investment clusters, the issue of investment incentives, patterns of reshoring, and investment shifts between suburban and urban locales.

Jarrett Witt, vice president of development at LVEDC, jumped at the chance to attract World Forum attendees to Lehigh Valley.

“I saw it as a great way to showcase the region and its many economic development opportunities,” Witt said. “I was pleased the World Forum agreed that Lehigh valley should be part of Excursion Day. We are one of only three places to be granted tours.”

The LVEDC bus will depart from Philly at 8:45 a.m. LVEDC CEO & President Don Cunningham will be on board to provide commentary during the hour-long trip. The passengers will also get an advance look at Lehigh Valley as the bus plays videos showcasing the region. Participants who attend this tour will get to see some of the largest Industrial Development projects from one of the nation’s top logistics market.

“The tour will also showcase the major transformation of urban and cultural centers in the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem,” Witt noted. “Both cities have experienced more than a billion dollars of investment. Participants will learn about the region’s assets, strategic advantages, and the incentives that drive current and future investment.”

The itinerary

Martin Guitar Factory and Museum (10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.)

Guest will have a chance to visit this iconic guitar manufacturer’s factory floor. The guided tour will show how world-famous Martin guitars come to life through the hands of trained craftsmen. Participants will explore the art of guitar making, and get an up-close look at the Old World tools that preceded the current state-of-the-art facility. Then it’s on to the nearby Martin Guitar Museum which features a gallery wall of the more-famous Martin guitar owners and the Pickin’ Parlor where you to play some of Martin’s high-end and Limited Edition models.

Allentown Transformation/City Center Lehigh Valley (12 p.m.–1:30 p.m.)

Participants will have lunch while they learn about City Center Lehigh Valley which is one of the largest urban revitalization projects for mid-size cities nationally. City Center Investment Corporation, a visionary real estate development and management company dedicated to renewing downtown Allentown, is combining the best new and existing cultural, commercial

and residential properties to create a vibrant, safe and walkable urban community. Over the next five years, CCIC expects invest $500 million in the downtown.

B. Braun Medical (1:45 p.m.–2:45 p.m.)

Participants will get a chance to tour a state-of-art manufacturing facility operated by one the world’s leading medical device manufacturing companies. B. Braun Medical is part of the B. Braun Group of Companies collectively known as simply B. Braun, which is one the world’s leading healthcare suppliers and medical device manufacturers headquartered in Melsungen, Germany.