In Rochester Friday, around 200 people attended the only conference of its kind in New York State.
"Our upstate trade conference is really all about preparing companies who are looking at expanding their businesses by exporting and going into international markets," said Mark Peterson, President and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, which hosted the annual event downtown. "We help them to understand what that process is and what the opportunities are and also what some of the challenges are so they can grow their companies."
Peterson says the conference helped business leaders understand that process, and the challenges they face to growing their companies.
"There's a lot of things to be considered, but it's also a huge opportunity. We're the second largest exporting city in the state of New York, only behind NYC, on a per capita basis, we perform way above our weight class. Per capita bigger than places like Dallas and Philadelphia and other major metros," he said.
Peterson adds that trade is a big deal for the Finger Lakes region, and GRE is trying to put a spotlight on that, and continue to help companies to understand how they can use exporting and gowing in foreign markets as a way to expand their businesses.
A nationally recognized expert on the global economy, Jay Bryson, who is managing director and global economist at Wells Fargo Securities, delivered the keynote address at the conference.