Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin
By Samantha Roberts
More than two dozen Mexican investors will visit Las Cruces as part of a Foreign Investment Trade Mission organized by the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces and New Mexico Economic Development Department Office of Mexican Affairs from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 1 8, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.
This event marks the first trade mission in Las Cruces and the first bi-national event at the new convention center, said Peter Ibarbo, organizer of the trade mission and newly appointed chair of the Hispano chamber’s Economic Development Committee.
Ibarbo said he wanted to bring the event to Las Cruces as an effort to fulfill the chamber’s mission to promote culture. “I have been involved in numerous (trade missions) before in Albuquerque,” Ibarbo said. “There has never been anything like this in Las Cruces. There are a lot of great opportunities Las Cruces has to offer. I hope the event captures additional businesses and showcases the region’s assets.”
Trade sessions will be held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and include the following:
•Table 1: Real estate development – This table consists of prospects interested in viewing investment opportunities in projects involving hotel development, townhome development, condominium complex development, apartment complex development, gasoline station-convenience store development and other similar commercial real estate opportunities.
•Table 2: Restaurant and café development – This table consists of prospects interested in viewing viable commercial properties to develop restaurants and cafes.
•Table 3: Import and distribution – This table consists of prospects interested in identifying joint-venture partners to expand their marketing channels and establish distribution centers. The products include wooden dowel, plugs and bungs manufacturing looking to partner with a U.S. company to establish a consolidated distribution center; infectious disease and environmental health hazard control kits; a buyer looking for a U.S. supplier for national distribution in Mexico; corrugated cardboard packaging manufacturing looking to develop a market to possibly establish a processing plant in Las Cruces for local and international distribution; and a supplier development center looking to make contacts with potential maquiladora suppliers in the realm of metal stamping, machining, plastic injection and packaging.
•Table 4: Tourism and special events – This table consists of prospects interested in partnering with travel agencies to promote weekend getaways to Copper Canyon, promote tourism in Chihuahua, Mexico as well as looking to coordinate special events in Las Cruces and identify vendors from Las Cruces that may want to showcase products at special events in Chihuahua, such as the Chihuahua Balloon Festival, ExpoAlimentab, ExpoMaquila, etc.
•Table 5: Commercial space supply chain – This table consists of commercial space supply chain coordinators interested in viewing potential suppliers for the commercial space industry. Areas of interest include construction of commercial space facilities, common area maintenance suppliers for commercial space facilities and tier 1/2 commercial space production inputs.
•Table 6: Sister City agreements – This table consists of four municipalities interested in establishing sister city agreement discussions with potential cities around the Las Cruces region. These cities include Guerrero, Cuauhtemoc, Meoqui and Chihuahua.
With a multi-faceted group of investors, Ibarbo said he is also inviting a wide range of businesses to the event. “We are inviting the business community in Las Cruces to come with established products that are looking to expand and make new contacts,” he said. “Companies who want to grow their market, such as real estate developers who would like to partner and bring hotels and condominiums. “We are also reaching out to local agencies that are active in economic development and want to provide a platform in foreign investment.”
Registration for tables includes: $500 for logo presence, an exhibitor’s table and an access pass for two persons to participate in the private lunch, business-to-business sessions and dinner; $250 for an exhibitor table and an access pass for two persons to participate in the business-to-business session dinner; and $100 for a banner sponsorship that will be positioned in a prominent place during the event. Admission tickets can also be purchased for $17.50 to $35 per person.
In addition to the tables, the event will also host a dinner at 6 p.m. and offer different levels of entry fees to cater to everyone’s needs. Tickets can be purchased for the business-to-business marketing session, dinner or both.
The dinner will include keynote speakers from the Commercial Space Committee, who will talk about the commercial-supply chain for Spaceport America; Sacred Power, which will discuss alternative-energy developments; and Jose Louis Mauricio, who comes from the El Paso-Juárez area and founded La Red, a company that has helped to establish more than 100 businesses in El Paso.
“The Hispano chamber is partnering with the New Mexico Economic Development Department, the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce,” Ibarbo said. “If you are a member of any of these groups, then you can get more information from them, or anyone can contact the Hispano chamber.”
For more information or to register, contact the Hispano chamber at (575) 532-9255.
