The New EU:  Business Opportunities
 in the Expanded European Union

Program Agenda

12:30
Registration/Check-In Begins

1:00
Welcome & Introduction with a "State of Trade" Address – Richard J. Coyle, President, Maine International Trade Center

1:15
Overview of the EU Expansion:  Major Issues and Practical Effects – Sven Oehme, President, and John Zindar, Senior Associate, European-American Business Organization

2:00
Panel Session:  Business Opportunities in the New EU
Moderator:  Sean Timmins, International Trade Specialist, Central and Eastern Europe Business Information Center (CEEBIC), U.S. Department of Commerce

• Opportunities in Industrial/Infrastructure Sectors: Tim Hussey, President and  CEO, Hussey Seating Company

• Eastern European Manufacturing/Contract Packing Opportunities: Bruce Cameron, Senior Business Development Officer - Finance, Overseas Private Investment Corp.

• Exporting Services to New EU Countries:  Robert Meissner, President, MEI Search Consultants, LLC

• Inside the EU Perspective:  Consul-General John Rankin, British Consulate

4:00
Networking Reception

5:30
Dinner and Awards Ceremony

Special Guest: Maine Governor John Baldacci Governor Baldacci has been an international trade enthusiast – leading a trade mission to Ireland and the United Kingdom in 2003.  He will present this year’s international trade awards for Exporter of the Year, Service Provider of the Year, Foreign Investor of the Year, and International Innovator of the Year.  In addition, the Governor will announce the destination for the next Gubernatorial Trade Mission for the Fall of 2004.

Keynote Speaker: Joost van Leenders, Senior Economist, ABN AMRO - Netherlands Mr. van Leenders is an analyst for the US whose expertise includes cyclical and structural economic analysis; growth, inflation and interest rate forecasting, as well as competition between the US and the euro-zone and EU-enlargement. Previously, he was an analyst for the UK and has been with ABN-AMRO since 2000.

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