October 31, 2016
On October 26, the Chamber brought over 50 business representatives to Tijuana for its second Cross-Border Business Forum. The event was held at Club de Empresarios Tijuana, the city’s most exclusive meeting venue for high-profile entrepreneurs in Baja California.
The meeting opened with a panel discussion, which included cross-border business experts:
- Erik Caldwell, Director of Economic Development, City of San Diego
- Paola Avila, VP of International Business Affairs & Leadership Development, San Diego Regional Chamber
- Kenn Morris, President & CEO, Crossborder Group, XBorder Americas LLC, and
- Alfonso Gonzalez, Partner, CIR Law Offices International.
The panel experts reviewed current data on cross-border commerce (including workforce demographics, infrastructure, and border wait times) and the actions their respective organizations were taking in order to promote economic development across the border.
After the panel introduction, Forum attendees were invited to ask questions and discuss issues concerning cross-border commerce. Many topics were addressed, but the conversation centered on four major themes:
- Binational education, workforce development and promotion of STEM education in Baja
- Border infrastructure and wait times, including: advocacy from the private sector, public/private partnerships (such as the Cross Border Xpress), and strategies to enhance border innovation
- VISAS and immigration reform
- Growth opportunities in the region
The next Cross-Border Business Forum will be held Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at the San Diego Regional Chamber.
For photos of the event, visit our album on Facebook.