International panelists share their expertise on exporting during the Maryland/DC Celebration of International Trade 2013.
Spurred on by an enthusiastic showing at the inaugural event on Tuesday, officials already are planning the Maryland/DC Celebration of International Trade 2014.
“There is a wealth of content. The panelists and speakers are getting the benefit they have hoped for and so are the attendees. It seems to be a real hit,” said Carl Livesay, chairman of the Maryland/DC District Export Council, which orchestrated the day-long informational series on exporting, held in Linthicum Heights.
As only 3 percent of Maryland companies participate in exporting their goods and services, the conference sought to educate businesses on resources to ease market entry.
“The simple truth is most companies don’t know what they don’t know, so when they meet a barrier they don’t know how to handle, they put it away in their ‘too hard’ box. What we’re trying to do is help people wittel away at their ‘too hard’ box,” Livesay said. “We’re trying to eliminate or at least reduce the barriers of entry for international trade, and demystify it, and also help companies understand how to best leverage the resources available from state and federal government and trade associations.”
