For over 100 years the United States has been one of Iceland´s most important trading partners and today the United States is the second largest exporter to Iceland following the European Economic Area, and the largest foreign direct investor in the country. In return, Iceland finds a ready market in the United States for its world famous seafood, technology, creative industries, logistics and unique tourist destinations.
On Wednesday, May 30, during a half-day conference and luncheon hosted by the Icelandic-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) at the Embassy of Iceland in Washington, D.C., Icelandic and American business and government speakers will discuss investment opportunities in Iceland and for Icelandic investors.
The event, held in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State and celebrating 70 successful years of diplomatic relations between the countries, will feature speakers covering a range of topics: Iceland’s most promising investment sectors, competitive energy costs, responsible fisheries and tourism.
Deborah A. McCarthy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, will make the keynote speech and discuss U.S. and Icelandic economic ties. Panelists who will speak about investments on both sides of the Atlantic, fisheries, the Arctic and renewable energy include John Connolly, Director, National Fisheries Institute, Kristjan Guy Burgess, Political Advisor to the Foreign Minister of Iceland, Aaron Brickman, Deputy Executive Director at Select USA of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Charles J. Arrigo II, Advisor, Glacier Securities LLC.
Other notable participants include:
Helgi Mar Bjorgvinsson, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing, Icelandair
Thordur Hilmarsson, Managing Director, Invest In Iceland
Conference Chair: Jon Sigurdsson, Chairman of the IACC, President and Chief Executive Officer, Össur
Panel Moderator: Fridrid Jonsson, Advisor to the Executive Director, Nordic and Baltic Countries, World Bank
Gudmundur Arni Stefansson, Iceland Ambassador to the United States
Thor Thors Jr., 1st Vice Chairman of the IACC
Marie L. Yovanovitch, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, State Department
WHAT: The Icelandic American Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference
WHERE: Embassy of Iceland, 2900 K Street N.W., Washington, DC 20007
WHEN: May 30th, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 pm. Registration starts at 8:15 a.m.
HOW: Please RSVP to Bergthora Laxdal at blax@mfa.is or call + 1 646 282 9360. Conference fee and luncheon is $80.
To learn more about the conference, please click here.
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