
2 minute read
Good news about Colombia
1. GUEST COLUMNIST
HISTORIC SUMMIT, A GLOBAL SUCCESS Each month I consult with chambers around the globe. Most recently, I have been meeting chambers in Canada, the United States, and Colombia. We have been discussing four important themes designed to better support small and medium businesses throughout the Americas and to prepare chambers for the future.
Worldwide, chambers are adopting innovations to help business owners and operators. Focus is helping find solutions along their own digital transformation journey; supporting efforts to expand their business to new international markets; finding strategies that empower more women’s leadership and tangible action on climate change.
In a recent chamber visit, I travelled to Colombia on invitation from The Camara de Comercio de Bogota. Of all the chambers I know, Camara de Comercio de Bogota stands out for many positive reasons. It is a smart organization with strong leadership. Its vision is clear, and its capabilities to connect and engage business people from throughout North, Central, South America and the Caribbean were well apparent at the first Ibero-American Summit, which CCB hosted last month.
This Summit brought over 1000 small and medium-sized companies, representing more than 30 chamber chambers from across 24 countries. This conference not only convened both pragmatic business innovators and economic development practitioners but also brought together thought leaders from the USA, Spain, Korea, and many other parts of the globe.
The two-day Summit played a very important role for the World Chambers Federation in that it represented the first of many regional meetings planned for around the world. With a focus on innovation and sustainability, the Summit was rich with provocative ideas and approaches. Business leaders, government representatives, and community developers were delighted. Bogota chamber has set the standard for chambers around the world. As Vice-chair for the Americas, I am able to point to this successful event as a model for other chamber regional meetings.
Of particular interest was that approximately 20 chamber executives stayed an additional two-days following the Summit. They were so inspired by Summit discussions Bogota Chamber and the World Chambers Federation arranged for facilitated workshops to help them develop specific solutions to issues in their respective communities. I was inspired by the intensity of conversation, the willingness to share, and the creativity of solutions generated. By all accounts, the first Ibero-American Summit was a resounding success and has started something truly special.
Todd Letts MBA, CCE. World Chambers Federation Vicechair for The Americas and CEO for the Brampton Board of Trade in Canada.
