World Trade Week

Join us on Thursday, May 7 at the Wilshire Grand Hotel, downtown Los Angeles for the 83rd Annual World Trade Week Kickoff breakfast. Keynote speaker Dr. Steven B. Sample, President of the University of Southern California (USC), and more than 500 executives and members of the diplomatic corps at the World Trade Week 2009 Kickoff Breakfast.

World trade is L.A.'s economic engine, providng more jobs and economic impact to the region than any other industry. More than 400 executives and members of the diplomatic corps attended the 82nd Annual World Trade Week Kickoff Breakfast last year with keynote speaker Andy Bird, Chairman of Walt Disney International and Master of Ceremonies, Giselle Fernandez-Farrand. Beginning with the annual World Trade Week Kickoff Breakfast signature event in May, more than 20 events are planned throughout Southern California to educate the public about the many benefits of world trade.

For more information, contact International Trade Coordinator Jasmin Sakai-Gonzalez, 213.580.7569 or jgonzalez@lachamber.com or visit www.worldtradeweek.com.

Keynote:

Dr. Steven B. Sample became the 10th president of the University of Southern California in March 1991.  He is the university's first holder of the Robert C. Packard President’s Chair.

Dr. Sample is an electrical engineer, a musician, an outdoorsman, an author, and an inventor.  In February 1998 he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to consumer electronics and leadership in interdisciplinary research and education.  In 2003 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his accomplishments as a university president.

Under Dr. Sample's leadership, USC has become world-renowned in the fields of communication and multimedia technologies, received national acclaim for its innovative community partnerships, and solidified its status as one of the nation's leading research universities.