On November 28, Austin Mayor Steve Adler visited the IPADE Guadalajara campus to participate in a session titled ‘Connecting Your Business to Texas.’ Mayor Adler, along with 17 other Austin-based business and community leaders, visited Guadalajara as part of the Mexico Business Delegation 2016. The purpose of this delegation was to connect and engage with Mexican business owners and entrepreneurs.
The delegation included representatives from the Economic Development Department of the City of Austin, the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, SXSW, CodersLink, Meteora, and the Austin Film Festival, among others. The session was attended by more than 60 high-level members of the Guadalajara business community, including representatives from the American Chamber of Mexico, the Chamber of Commerce of Guadalajara, and the National Chamber of Commerce.
Although politics were impossible to ignore following the recent U.S. presidential elections, the focus of the event was to build ties between the business communities of Austin and Guadalajara, strengthening the economic connection and collaboration between the two cities.
“We want to build bridges, not walls, to Austin, Texas,” said Mayor Adler. “And we see this as an opportunity to kickstart that, and we really appreciate the opportunity.”
The afternoon event was focused on facilitating interaction and networking between the Guadalajara business community and the delegation, beginning with a networking lunch prior to the session, and concluding with a networking cocktail and welcome toast. To facilitate connections, attendees were provided full details on each participant, including their business interests and goals.
“This event is really important for us,” said attendee Edgar Blanco, Executive Director of FreshKampo and a member of the MEDEX Class of 2012. “Our company is incorporated in the United States and in Mexico, and we do business in both countries…events like this are really important to strengthen the ties between businesses and the business communities in both countries.”
