The WEFTEC Global Center is a place to facilitate the match between international trade delegates and American exhibitors and to share water sector knowledge across national boundaries.
For years, the WEFTEC Global Center has been a space for learning about and making contacts with leading water sector manufacturers and representatives. This hub of global business programming also offers multi-language translation, presentations of global interest, trade delegate product interest information, and an international lounge for trade delegates and their hosts.
Programming
The Global Center will have a steady stream of events throughout WEFTEC. Things kick off at 10:00 a.m. Monday with an inauguration featuring panelists Dale N. Tasharski of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service International Trade Administration and Dennis Lee Forsgren of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water.
Later in the day there will be another big panel, “Dealing with Declining Flows: Lessons from Japan.” This panel, headed by several Japanese water sector leaders, will focus on how the Japanese wastewater industry is handling the challenge of declining flows and shrinking customer bases – a problem hardly limited to Japan.
Tuesday morning at 9:00, another key presentation called “Global Collaboration Through Innovation” will be held by The Global Water Tech Hub Alliance. Representatives from several global water hubs will discuss how they are collaborating and finding solutions to water challenges around the world. The Alliance will also present the outcomes of their Trial Challenge project.
At 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, the International Water Association will be presenting “Toward Waterwise Cities,” where they will speak on their 17 principles for improving water accessibility, sustainability and safety. They will be discussing how to develop innovative technologies and methods to make more “waterwise” cities.
Trade Delegations at WEFTEC
The Global Center also is home to WEF’s Trade Delegation Program. This program attracts international buyers to WEFTEC. It offers the opportunity for delegates to network with others in the water sector from the U.S. and across the globe. The goal is to forge new business contacts, create partnerships, and discuss the latest technologies and solutions available. The Global Center will be packed with meetings of U.S. trade agencies, consulates, embassies, and independent delegation organizers who are interested in gaining greater access to international markets.
