Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/97063
C a p i ta l Tout Le Monde World Trade Centre Winnipeg positions Manitoba on global stage by Jennifer McFee Photo by Darcy Finley T el Aviv. Moscow. Zurich. Shanghai. Winnipeg. $200,000 cost for the license, which was privately funded. We're all part of a global family linked through one prestigious network — the World Trade Centers Association. ANIM and its staff will transition to operate the content and activities of WTC Winnipeg, while the Chamber will determine its location. The bilingual World Trade Centre Winnipeg officially launched in October at international business-to-business forum Centrallia 2012, where New York City-based WTCA CEO Eric Dahl welcomed Winnipeg to the fold. "We are very excited about Winnipeg for several reasons. The first reason is that it is a strategic location, getting us a much better coverage in central Canada. We have good presence on either coast, but we've been weak in the middle. So it's a strategic location that fills out our Canadian network," Dahl told more than 700 business leaders gathered at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. "Secondly, which I think is even more important, is the team. I'm extremely impressed by their motivation and enthusiasm." The WTC project is a joint venture of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and ANIM, Manitoba's bilingual trade agency. Also collaborators on Centrallia, the organizations shared the 20 MBiz November 2012 ANIM and WTC Winnipeg president and CEO Mariette Mulaire says membership raises Winnipeg's profile on the world stage. It's another tool to get Manitoba and Manitoba companies on the map. "It might not be direct, but it's certainly another way to position the province and the city," Mulaire says. "We do have a challenge of not being known out there. Being part of an international network helps elevate our brand, whether it's for tourism, for immigration, for business, for investment, for site selectors, for international students. I think that's the biggest immediate impact and long-term impact." Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Dave Angus hopes to find an ideal location within the next year. "Our objective is to use the license to stimulate the development of a new building in Winnipeg called the World Trade Centre,