On Friday, April 8, the Douglas Campus of Cochise College will be the site of the first Mexico-U.S. Networking Conference aimed at the development of trade along the border.

The event includes a full day of information from the Arizona Department of Commerce, Small Business Administration, South East Arizona Government Organization, and Mexico Consulate in Douglas, international trade specialists, foreign dignitaries, and experts on the Douglas-Agua Prieta economic corridor.

Jos�© Mario Juarez Lopez de Nava, trade advisor for the M�©xico Consulate in Los Angeles, will address key trade points. Mathew Baker, international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, will explain new trade initiatives. Other speakers include Victor Gonzalez, Douglas Economic Development Corp; Carlos Valenzuela, CVR, LLC, developer of Douglas Tourism Plan; and Randy Heiss, executive director for the South Eastern Arizona Governments Organization.

“We want to better identify trade opportunities and entrepreneurs desiring to increase their radius of action internationally,” said Mark Schmitt, director of the Cochise College Small Business Development Center, sponsor of the international event.

A series of follow-up meetings and regional events are planned to further develop the initiative year round. Networking coffee sessions are planned throughout the day to facilitate the identification of potential business opportunities amongst the participants. The conference will be simultaneously translated into Spanish or English.

The event will be in the Student Union at the Douglas Campus from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration is $25 per person. Morning coffee and lunch is provided. For more information, contact the Cochise College Center for Lifelong Learning at (520) 515-5492.