AACCLA conference spotlights important business issues.

A distinguished panel of governmental and business leaders focused on "Linking the Americas" at the Business Future of the Americas conference, held Nov. 13-16 in Panama City, Panama. More than 300 attendees discussed key regional issues at the conference, sponsored by the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA) and hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of Panama.

"AACCLA's Business Future of the Americas conference has been hosted by AmChams in countries as diverse as Brazil and Guatemala, but the Panama event confirmed the event's distinctive character as a truly hemispheric gathering," said Maston Cunningham, president of AACCLA. "Our 29th annual conference took a hemispheric view of the year's events, from progress toward a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) to calls for a new international financial architecture."

Mike Magan, executive vice president of AACCLA in Washington, D.C., added, "Many attendees commented on the increased participation from U.S.-based businesses, reflecting heightened awareness of the importance of Latin markets to U.S. business."

For Panama, hosting the conference helped build awareness of the nation's increasingly important role in the hemisphere, according to Samuel Urrutia, president of AmCham Panama. "Panama will inherit a significant piece of land from the United States, along with the Panama Canal," he said. "That will create many new transportation, business and investment opportunities."

Walter M. Laffitte, president of the conference organizing committee and AmCham board member, said the three-day event was very successful in fostering the economic and commercial integration of the Americas. "AACCLA has been working towards this goal even before the 1994 Miami Summit of the Americas," he said. "AACCLA is increasing its efforts in Washington, D.C., to make the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) a reality by 2005."

One of the key conference speakers was Dan Smith, vice president for Latin America of BellSouth International in Atlanta, who pointed to the Internet and wireless as technologies that are helping to link the Americas. "Without question, the emergence of Latin America as a high potential area for new markets and businesses is one of the most dramatic developments in the world economy," he said, adding that the US$46 billion Latin telecom market is expected to rise to $77 billion by 2004. "As more Internet access providers enter the market and as more companies like BellSouth begin offering more attractive rate plans, the benefits of competition are bound to take place -- lower prices and increased penetration."

In her conference presentation, Gally Bar-on, senior vice president and chief of staff for StarMedia Network Inc., New York, spoke on the "Internet revolution" in the Latin American business world. "Through the Internet, small and medium size businesses can now compete with large monopolies, and individuals have greater access to information," she said.

Bar-on added that StarMedia is developing innovative e-commerce initiatives, such as a venture with Hewlett Packard that will allow merchants to create a web-based store in less than 24 hours. StarMedia is also partnering with eOffprice.com, Inc., an international online discount designer clothing store, to serve Spanish- and Portuguese-language Internet users.

Other speakers at the Business Future of the Americas conference included Florida Governor Kenneth H. "Buddy" Mackay, Jr., President Clinton's special envoy for the Americas; Arturo Vallarino, First Vice President of the Republic of Panama; Katherine Harris, Florida's Secretary of State; Robert Martinez, former Florida governor; and Michael Zellner, editor-in-chief of Latin Trade. Next year's conference will be held in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 13-14, 2000.