LVEDC President & CEO Don Cunningham speaking at last year’s “Bringing the World to You” event at Ben Franklin TechVentures in Bethlehem.

Trade representatives covering 46 countries from around the world visited the Lehigh Valley this week to meet one-on-one with regional companies and discuss important issues facing the global economy.

Lehigh University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted its annual “Bringing the World to You,” the region’s premier international conference, on Sept. 10 at the Ben Franklin TechVentures business incubator in Bethlehem.

The event, which is co-sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), provided an excellent opportunity for large and small businesses in the Lehigh Valley to meet with overseas trade representatives and increase their international reach.

The countries represented included Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and many more.

During one-on-one meetings at breakout tables, the trade representatives were able to assist Lehigh Valley companies on a wide range of topics, including determining the marketability of a product, agent/distributor search, identifying and supporting relevant trade events, reviewing marketing materials, and more.

The event also included workshops and joining the breakfast and luncheon presentations.

Among the presentations were Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba on international law, Export Tax Management on international tax strategies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on customs and export regulations, UPS on international shipping, and Fulton Financial Advisors providing a global economic outlook.

The Lehigh University SBDC is a member of the Pennsylvania Network of Small Business Development Center, whose mission is to provide entrepreneurs and small business owners with the knowledge needed to make smart decisions and prosper.

Lehigh University’s SBDC has served small businesses in Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks, and Montgomery counties since 1978. It annually consults with over 1000 small businesses and provides free consulting to businesses in all stages of development, from pre-venture to mature.

In addition to LVEDC and SBDC, the event was be sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Association, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Lafayette Ambassador Bank, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, and UPS.