The Obama Administration may be fully committed to civilian disarmament—and I’m thinking they are—but it’s not about to let its antipathy to Americans’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms interfere with their reverence for the almighty dollar. Well at least one part of the Leviathan. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reports that U.S. Department of Commerce has selected the SHOT Show as one of only 26 trade events to be part of its 2014 International Buyer Program. [Press release after the jump.] “Through U.S. Commercial Service offices in U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, the IBP recruits thousands of qualified foreign buyers, sales representatives and business partners to U.S. trade shows each year, giving U.S. companies excellent opportunities to expand their global sales.” Also included: the Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade Show and Conference. So there . . .

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE’S INTERNATIONAL BUYER PROGRAM SELECTS 2014 SHOWS

Boosting attendance of foreign buyers at U.S. trade shows helps grow U.S. exports

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commercial Service of the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has announced the selection of 26 trade events for the 2014 International Buyer Program (IBP). Through U.S. Commercial Service offices in U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide, the IBP recruits thousands of qualified foreign buyers, sales representatives, and business partners to U.S. trade shows each year, giving U.S. companies excellent opportunities to expand their global sales.

“The IBP offers U.S. exhibitors the convenience of face-to-face meetings with prospective foreign buyers at a single venue, saving businesses valuable time and resources in their pursuit of global business opportunities,” said Antwaun D. Griffin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Domestic Operations with the U.S. Commercial Service. “Increasingly, exports are the engine of our economy, and this is one more example of how the International Trade Administration is working to support the President’s National Export Initiative by giving businesses the necessary tools to help them compete internationally.”

The selected shows cover manufacturing and service sectors such as franchising, information technologies, energy, agribusiness, packaging, consumer goods, media, medical, and many more. On average, the IBP facilitates nearly $1 billion in new U.S. export sales each year. Last year, the IBP recruited nearly 11,000 representatives from companies around the globe.

Selected shows include:

1. 2014 International CES® (Consumer Electronics Show), January 7-10, Las Vegas
2. Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, January 14-17, Las Vegas
3. World of Concrete® 2014, January 21-24, Las Vegas
4. DistribuTECH® Conference and Exhibition, January 28-30, San Antonio, Texas
5. International Production & Processing Expo, January 28-30, Atlanta
6. NAHB International Builders’ Show® 2014, February 4-6, Las Vegas
7. Progressive Insurance® Miami International Boat Show®, February 13-17, Miami
8. CONEXPO-CON/AGG® 2014, March 4-8, Las Vegas
9. Natural Products Expo West/Engredea 2014, March 6-9, Anaheim, Calif.
10. International Home + Housewares Show 2014, March 15-18, Chicago
11. WasteExpo 2014, April 1-3, Atlanta
12. The 2014 NAB Show®, April 7-10, Las Vega
13. 2014 Offshore Technology Conference, May 5-8, Houston
14. The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (NRA Show) 2014, May 17-20, Chicago
15. InfoComm International® 2014, June 18-20, Las Vegas
16. 2014 International Franchise Expo, June 19-21, New York
17. Fancy Food Show (Summer) 2014, June/July (TBD), New York
18. 2014 Annual Meeting and Clinical Laboratory Expo of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, July 27-31, Chicago
19. MAGIC Marketplace (Summer) 2014, August 17-20, Las Vegas
20. International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair, August 20-23, Atlanta
21. Farm Progress Show, August 26-28, Boone, Iowa
22. WEFTEC® Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference 2014, September 27-October 1, New Orleans
23. PACK EXPO International 2014, November 2-5, Chicago
24. American Film Market®, November 5-12, Santa Monica, Calif.
25. Greater New York Dental Meeting, November 28-December 3, New York
26. POWER-GEN® International, December 9-11, Orlando, Fla.

At the shows, the U.S. Commercial Service manages an International Trade Center where foreign buyers can meet and negotiate with sellers, obtain assistance identifying potential business partners, and begin “walking the show floor.” Many U.S. exhibitors take advantage of interpreter services and face-to-face export counseling from overseas U.S. Commercial Service representatives, who usually accompany the visiting delegations from countries worldwide.  Foreign buyers and U.S. exhibitors can also take advantage of an online business matchmaking software program to connect and schedule meetings prior to the show.

Five of the 26 trade shows were also selected to participate in both the 2014 and 2015 IBP Programs: 2015 International CES, World of Concrete, The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015, and POWER-GEN International.

For more information, visit www.export.gov/ibp.

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International Trade Administration

The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has 2,400 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 70 countries worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.