Washington, D.C — The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), with the support of leading U.S. corporations, African businesses and global leaders, will host its 7th Biennial 2009 U.S. – Africa Business Summit: Realizing the Investment Power of Africa at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., September 29-October 1, 2009. More than 2,000 of the world's top business leaders are expected to attend.
Despite the current global economic downturn, African countries continue to experience above average growth and higher levels of investment across a diverse portfolio of industries. The African continent is expected to maintain a positive growth rate of 3.5 percent for 2009 according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"Business in many African countries has proven to be an important part of any company portfolio, and perhaps even more so in these economic times," said Stephen Hayes, president and CEO of CCA. "The summit makes the case for greater economic investment in Africa, to benefit both the economy of the United States and the nations of Africa."
The three-day event will include more than 50 industry-specific sessions, workshops, and a trade expo. Sessions will focus on Africa's most promising economic sectors, including agribusiness, extractive industries, financing, health, infrastructure, power, and tourism. These sessions will be led by U.S. and African business and government leaders whose expertise stems from their own successful engagements and ongoing ventures in Africa.
Participants will have the opportunity to network with key African and U.S. private sector and government representatives, identify specific growth areas and hear detailed information about projects that are ripe for investments; learn about the latest financing options and available instruments; and meet numerous African heads of state and key government officials, and learn about the U.S.-Africa policies of the Obama administration.
CCA's U.S.-Africa Business Summit has a stellar track record of attracting key decision makers and featuring high-powered workshop and plenary sessions. U.S. and African heads of state and their cabinet ministers, along with heads of international organizations, have participated in past summits.
The summit has been hosted in several cities since its inception in 1997, including Baltimore, Houston, Philadelphia and Cape Town, and now returns to Washington, D.C., for the third time.
To date, sponsors include Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin, South African Airways and ACROW Corporation of America.
For more information on and to register for the 2009 7th Biennial 2009 U.S. – Africa Business Summit, visit www.africacncl.org.
Established in 1993, The Corporate Council on Africa is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the African continent.
CONTACT: Andrea Todd, (202) 263-3538
