This was the fifth World Latvian Economic and Innovation Forum. Previous such forums have been held in Latvia, Australia and the U.S.A.. This was the first Latvian economic forum on this scale that was held outside of the capital city, Riga - the picturesque Latvian regional business and manufacturing hub of Valmiera, from June 28-29, 2018. 

The forum was jointly organized by: The World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA), The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Latvia, Valmiera City Council and the Valmiera Development Agency.

It was a unique opportunity for business professionals with a special interest in Latvia as a vehicle for business success to make valuable connections and explore practical opportunities in this exciting and evolving global market. 

The program included practical examples for attracting capital investment and appropriate human resources, an introduction to specific foreign markets, a "Speed Contact Exchange", a trade display to highlight some of the most successful Latvian businesses, as well as informative site visits to selected businesses in the Vidzeme region.

Expert panel of moderators included: Ingrīda Kariņa - Bērziņa (Partner, COBALT and AmCham board member), Pēteris Blumbergs (Assistant General Counsel Federal Election Commission, USA), Valda Liepiņa (Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Translation at the European Commision), Matīss Kukainis (Partner, Attorney at Law at Spigulis & Kukainis) and Ieva Reine (Uppsala University, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences). 

Our member Vismands Menjoks from Apply participated in the discussion "Global Latvian Technology Companies".

On June 29 the WLEIF kicked off with a panel discussion "Choose Latvia" on why you should choose Latvia to startup and develop your business, and how to enter the business market. In this discussion AmCham Latvia president Arnis Kakulis explained the benefits of becoming a member of a Chamber of Commerce, highlighting the instant network that businesses are exposed to with their membership. AmCham members Aleksis Karlsons (CEO of Hotel Bergs) and Pauls Miklasevics (Individual member) also took part in the discussion.

Presentations are available here: http://www.ieguldilatvija.lv/en/presentations/

For further information, visit: www.ieguldilatvija.lv/en. Pictures from the event are provided by WLEIF.

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