Here's the replay from World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara's webinar on the #CanAm border on 1/26, in collaboration with South Niagara Chambers of Commerce and Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce. Thanks to Anthony Annunziata, Tourism Canada Niagara; Kathryn Bryk Friedman, University at Buffalo and Wilson Center; and Ron Rienas, Peace Bridge Authority for offering their expertise and thoughts. Next session is Tues., 2/2. Join us!

WTCBN Podcast interview with Joe Berti, President of Speed Global Services, headquartered in Tonawanda, NY. Join host Craig Turner, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara President, and Joe for their conversation about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on logistics in 2020 and into 2021, the importance of ramping up workforce development in logistics and supply chain and WTCBN's upcoming Global Business Academy.

0:23 - Intro, Joe Berti, President, Speed Global Services

6:26 - Impacts of the pandemic on logistics and global trade

10:49 - Changes and innovations in logistics that will last

12:47 - Impacts of CanAm border shutdown

15:45 - Warehousing challenges and solutions

17:41 - Developing the future logistics workforce

22:06 - WTCBN's Global Business Academy

25:14 - Thank you and more information

WTCBN Podcast interview with Evert Jan Schouwstra, Managing Director for World Trade Center Noord-Nederland / Leeuwarden. Join host Craig Turner, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara President, and EJ for their discussion on the Netherlands' business community's response to COVID-19, Dutch perspectives on the U.S. presidential election and our upcoming Buffalo Niagara/Leeuwarden virtual trade mission.

0:36 - Intro - Evert Jan Schouwstra, Managing Director for World Trade Center Noord-Nederland / Leeuwarden

1:22 - Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

3:55 - Current thoughts on COVID-19 and business

6:17 - Looking at 2021

8:17 - Opportunity and innovation

10:57 - Dutch perspectives on U.S. politics

13:40 - Doing business in Leeuwarden

14:51 - Buffalo Niagara/Leeuwarden virtual trade mission - February

18:34 - More information on Leeuwarden

20:10 - Leeuwarden as a gateway to the EU

Join WTCBN for a panel discussion (October 21, 2020) on the upcoming election, and insights on the candidates’ positions on North American and global trade policy, as well as perspectives from the Canadian trade community, following it all very closely.

Program Panalists

Douglas Kennedy, RBC Managing Director, Centre for Global Enterprise, Schulich School of Business (York University)

Jack O’Donnell, Managing Partner, O’Donnell & Associates

Chelsey Penrod Hickman, Partner, Winning Strategies Washington

Replay of WTCBN's webinar on October 8, 2020 - "Economic Recovery: Into the Holidays and Beyond to 2021".

While there’s still a great deal of uncertainty from COVID-19, the economy appears to be coming back, and companies doing business internationally are resuming making decisions about their futures. On October 8, join WTCBN for a forecasting webinar for the rest of this year and into 2021. We’ll hear from Marc Chandler, Chief Market Strategist for Bannockburn Global Forex, who will offer his thoughts on the global economic recovery from COVID-19 and forecast for next year, followed by a moderated discussion with Marc and Jim Manno, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Sonwil Distribution, who will offer industry perspectives on Marc’s outlook.

Program Speakers

Marc Chandler, Chief Market Strategist, Bannockburn Global Forex

Jim Manno, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Sonwil Distribution

WTCBN Podcast interview with Dr. Laurie Trautman, Director for the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University. Join host Craig Turner, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara President, and Laurie for their discussion on the U.S.-Canadian border, both the many opportunities that collaboration offers our cross-border communities, as well as the challenges posed by the current shutdown of "non-essential" cross border travel due to COVID-19. Learn how our economic and personal border impacts in Buffalo Niagara are shared at the western end of the CanAm border.

1:04 - Intro - Dr. Laurie Trautman, Director, Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University

4:32 - CanAm Work with the Woodrow Wilson Center

6:22 - Cross-Border Successes in the Pacific Northwest Region

11:38 - Cross-Border Economic Opportunity

14:43 - Impacts of the Border Closure

17:35 - Message to Ottawa and Washington

19:21 - Next Steps (2021)

21:51 - Closing and more info

WTCBN Podcast interview with Eileen Martin, Partner and Team Co-Leader for Immigration with Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, LLP, and WTCBN Board member. Join host Craig Turner, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara President, and Eileen for their discussion on U.S. immigration challenges during COVID-19, with emphasis on the U.S.-Canadian border, which is currently closed to non-essential travel. We discuss current realities in immigration, trends and how the U.S. is dealing with specific types of requests, and how companies should be approaching immigration in both their short- and long-term strategies.

1:07 - Intro - Eileen Martin, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, LLP

2:37 - Foreign Worker Rules

5:14 - Unique Challenges for Foreign Workers from COVID-19

6:16 - Current State of the U.S. Visa Process

8:29 - Visa Process Forecasting

9:40 - U.S.-Canada Immigration Challenges

15:45 - U.S.-Canada Crossings

17:08 - U.S.-Canada Border Forecasting

18:49 - Border Advocacy

21:00 - Immigration Strategy Going Forward

22:49 - Closing and more info

WTCBN Podcast interview with David Herer, CEO of ABC-Amega, headquartered in Buffalo, NY. Join host Craig Turner, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara President, and David for their discussion on international collections, cash flow and other challenges during COVID-19 and the current recovery. We discuss best practices, and how you should be assessing your company's financial status as the global economy comes out of the shutdown.

0:33 - Intro - David Herer, ABC-Amega

2:34 - Current mindset

4:46 - COVID impact on terms

6:53 - Cash flow best practices

10:17 - Mitigating the risk of bankruptcies

12:17 - Why call ABC-Amega?

14:16 - What's next?

16:31 - Closing and more info

WTCBN Podcast interview with Ed Allison-Wright, Director at Fairhomes Group of Companies, developer of World Trade Center Gibraltar. Join host Craig Turner, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara President, and Ed for their discussion on the post-COVID19 recovery in Gibraltar, the economic benefits of a World Trade Center-branded facility, and why Gibraltar is a great place for U.S. and Canadian companies to do business.

0:43 - Intro - Ed Allison-Wright, World Trade Center Gibraltar

2:04 - Gibraltar overview

3:35 - Moving through the post-COVID recovery

7:01 - Impact of COVID on the Gibraltar tourism industry

9:16 - Economic recovery themes

11:08 - Opportunities and creative solutions

13:10 - Economic impact of WTC real estate and WTC London update

18:10 - Doing business in Gibraltar

19:46 - Closing and more information

WTCBN Podcast interview with Dr. Kathryn Bryk Friedman, Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center and Research Professor, University at Buffalo. Join host Craig Turner, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara President, and Dr. Friedman for their discussion on the Bi-national Prosperity Initiative, a collaborative, across-the-border effort to grow the regional economy in the bi-national Buffalo Niagara region.

0:21 - Intro - Dr. Kathryn Bryk Friedman and the Bi-national Prosperity Initiative

3:22 - The challenges of cultivating bi-national collaboration

8:17 - What's the real opportunity?

9:30 - Opening the border recommendations post-COVID

14:07 - University of Buffalo collaboration with Brock University

15:23 - What's next for the Bi-national Prosperity Initiative?

17:06 - For more information

17:46 - Thank you and close