2023 marked the first full year under the operational partnership between the World Trade Center New Orleans (WTCNO) and Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.). For the WTCNO this partnership allows the organization to better serve its members and preserve and grow the WTCNO legacy. For GNO, Inc., this partnership fosters a dedicated international trade arm within the organization, driving jobs and investment in the region.
Together, the two organizations are embracing the WTCNO’s rich legacy as the founding World Trade Center in what is now 300+ across the world, while looking ahead to the future of trade.
Together, under this partnership, the WTCNO had a remarkable year in 2023, showcasing Louisiana’s potential as a vibrant hub for international trade and investment. “Together, with our members’ commitment to promoting international trade and economic growth in Louisiana, 2023 was a resounding success for the WTCNO,” said Harrison Crabtree, Director of World Trade Center of New Orleans. “The World Trade Center New Orleans is showing the world that Louisiana is open for business,” Crabtree added.
Some of the WTCNO’s most shining accomplishments of last year include:
Partnerships and Company Collaborations
WTCNO partnered with GNO, Inc. to promote international trade in Louisiana. The WTCNO engaged with nine international companies to highlight the state’s market as a business hub and explore expansion opportunities. These collaborative companies span various industries, including technology, advanced manufacturing, transportation, and logistics.
Events and Conferences
In 2023, the WTCNO hosted the inaugural Louisiana International Trade Conference, which attracted over 100 members of the state’s trade community. Panel discussions highlighted challenges and opportunities that Louisiana companies face in a global environment. The WTCNO was joined by keynote speakers, Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, and Eugene Laney, President and CEO of the American Importers and Exporters Association.
WTCNO also executed trade missions to Ireland, focusing on technology and health sciences, and to Montreal, focusing on transportation and logistics. These missions likely involved meetings with companies and organizations in the respective sectors.
International Collaborations
New Orleans’s World Trade Center hopes to be the premier voice of international trade and business in the Gulf South, with its ultimate indication of success being the presence of a vigorous and growing international business community, in industries such as advanced manufacturing, energy, transportation and logistics, and technology, supporting Louisiana’s status as the “gateway to North America.”
To that end, this year WTCNO partnered with GNO, Inc. to heavily promote international trade in Louisiana. The organization engaged with nine companies to highlight the state’s market as a business hub and explore expansion opportunities. Collaborations span various industries, including technology, health sciences, transportation, and logistics.
Countries Hosted by WTCNO
In 2022 and 2023 alone, the World Trade Center New Orleans has hosted government and business officials from over 40 countries.
International Visitors
In this very big past year, GNO and the WTCNO met with and welcomed over 90 government and business leaders from 33 countries, including Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazović, the Ambassador’s of Belgium, Ireland, Ivory Coast, and Slovakia (from where?),, seven Consul Generals, and three members of Parliament. These visits to Louisiana not only indicate a growing interest in the state as a hub of international trade, but also provide a unique opportunity to highlight the economic benefits our market presents.
Other visiting trade delegations included a Francophile tour for French businesses and organizations to their sister city of New Orleans, highlighting to them the innovation ecosystem in Louisiana.
Advocacy
In 2023, the World Trade Center New Orleans took on a proactive role in advancing policies at the local, state, and federal level that solidify Louisiana as a hub for trade and international investment. During the 2023 Louisiana Legislative Session, advocacy efforts included supporting legislation such as the creation of the Office of Port Development within Louisiana Economic Development.
WTNO hosted a Washington D.C. fly-in event to bring members of the Louisiana trade community to our nation’s capital to meet with the Louisiana delegation, emphasizing the economic importance of the state’s trade sector to the Louisiana delegation. Additionally, in conjunction with GNO, Inc., the WTCNO hosted a Day at the Capitol, providing its members with the opportunity to highlight the important of trade to members of the Louisiana legislature.
“By proactively identifying legislation that impacts international trade in Louisiana, we are able to support one of Louisiana’s most critical sectors that employs over 500,000 residents across the state,” said Harrison Crabtree, Director of the world Trade Center New Orleans.
