World Trade Centers Association Introduces Artificial Intelligence-Powered Matchmaking Platform to Foster Global B2B Networking at its 2021 General Assembly

NEW YORK,April 12,2021 -- The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)— an international trade organization connecting more than 320 World Trade Centers (WTCs) in nearly 100 countries — will host its 2021 annual General Assembly (GA),launching an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered B2B matchmaking platform.

The GA will bring together Member World Trade Centers and their global business networks consisting of leaders from business,government,academia,media and international organizations,reflecting the WTCA's diverse global footprint.With the theme of "The Power of Our Community," the 2021 GA promises to be a unique and engaging week-long event,demonstrating the strength of the WTCA network and offering attendees the opportunity to learn from leading experts and connect with each other virtually via a complimentary AI-powered matchmaking platform. This year's week-long event will take on a 100% virtual format and be held from Monday,April 26 to Friday,April 30.

"In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,now,more than ever,is an important time to strengthen our connections and collaborate in international trade," said John E. Drew,Chair,Board of Directors of the WTCA. "As a new addition to this year's programming,we are incorporating an AI-powered matchmaking platform for a full week of networking opportunities to effectively and virtually connect GA attendees to business prospects around the world,at no cost to attendees."

Main stage sessions will kick off on April 27 with WTCA Members-only programming to provide updates from the WTCA Board of Directors and senior leadership,as well as updates from the nine Member Advisory Councils (MACs) covering areas such as Agriculture,Business Clubs,Conferences & Exhibitions,Real Estate and Trade Services. On April 28 and 29,the second and third days of the GA's mainstage programming – which are open to all attendees – will include fireside chats,panel discussions and presentations from leading experts to help navigate today's changing environment. The agenda promises a spectacular lineup,featuringBernard Kuiten,Head of External Relations of the World Trade Organization (WTO); Feike Sijbesma,Honorary Chairman of Royal DSM; Hamid Mamdouh,Senior Council of King & Spalding LLP.; Peter De Keyzer,Founder and Managing Partner of Growth Inc.; Richard Lui,filmmaker,author and NBC/MSNBC anchor; Roberto Rigobon,Professor of Applied Economics at MIT Sloan School of Management; Sharif El-Gamal,Chairman,Founder and CEO of Soho Properties; and Suzanne Gaboury,Director General,Private Sector Operations Department of the Asian Development Bank.

Available to GA attendees for the whole week from April 26 to April 30,the AI-powered matchmaking platform uses an algorithm to collect and process individual interests of every event attendee,providing them with the means to discover the right content,foster meaningful connections with relevant matches and achieve individual goals. The tool also has the ability to learn from attendee interactions,further improving match relevance in real time and scheduling virtual one-on-one meetings instantaneously. Most importantly,it is complimentary,efficient and effective due to its ability to quickly find business prospects to connect with around the world.

"The WTCA is in a unique position as the only organization who can provide business matchmaking on a global level,across all industries and sectors. Not only through our vibrant network of WTCs,but also fully leveraging the latest technology. Hence we are proud to introduce our GA attendees to this AI-powered tool," said Robin van Puyenbroeck,Executive Director-Business Development of the WTCA. "Leveraging an algorithm,attendees can receive a list of their best matches in just a few seconds — maximizing the time spent to establish networking opportunities with truly relevant people. We believe new technology such as this will benefit our Members and enhance our network's ability to connect and facilitate trade for our Members and their business networks."

For more information about the 2021 WTCA General Assembly,please visit https://events.bizzabo.com/WTCAGA2021.

MEDIA CONTACT:

World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

Chanelle Kasik

Phone: +1 212 432 2644

Email: ckasik@wtca.org

About World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a network of more than 320 highly connected,mutually supporting businesses and organizations in 92 countries. As the owner of the "World Trade Center" and "WTC" trademarks,the WTCA licenses exclusive rights to these brands for Members to use in conjunction with their independently-owned,iconic properties,facilities and trade services offerings. Through a robust portfolio of events,programming and resources that it offers its Members,the goal of the WTCA is to help local economies thrive by encouraging and facilitating trade and investment across the globe through Member engagement. To learn more,visit www.wtca.org.

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