The World Trade Centers Association® (WTCA®), an international trade organization that connects over 300 World Trade Center® (WTC®) locations in nearly 100 countries, announced today that it will host its 2022 WTCA Member Forum from October 23-25 in-person in New York City for the first time in two years, as well as provide virtual access for its members around the world. With the theme of "Innovation & Connection: Celebrating the Power of the Network," this year's event promises to be an engaging and insightful experience — allowing members to reconnect — and demonstrates the resilience and global reach of the WTCA network. Programming for this hybrid global event will feature networking, workshops and more to help attendees expand their business.

The WTCA Member Forum is one of the Association's flagship events, gathering representatives from member World Trade Center® businesses, as well as renowned experts. "We are excited to welcome back our members to our headquarters in New York City to network, share ideas and learn new skills at our first worldwide, in-person event since before the COVID-19 pandemic," said John E. Drew, Chair, Board of Directors of the WTCA. "This year's program will bring focus to the WTCA members themselves, offering invaluable insight on what is happening around the global network, as well as opportunities for them to foster and strengthen global connections."

“I’m especially delighted to see representatives from the four corners of Africa: Ghana, Mauritius, Cairo and Nigeria who will be attending the forum,” said Robin van Puyenbroeck, WTCA Executive Director-Business Development. “Africa is one of the fastest growing regions for the WTCA's membership base of iconic World Trade Center locations and this forum will give us another opportunity continue our discussions around how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is paving the way for African countries to strengthen intra-regional trade and investment.”

"From our General Assembly (GA) hosted earlier this year, it’s clear that there’s a renewed focus on business in Africa, and there’s tremendous opportunity as we gear up for next year's GA, which will be hosted in Accra, Ghana by World Trade Center Accra from 23-28 April 2023."

Attending the three-day WTCA Member Forum, either in-person or virtually, offers many benefits. Attendees will be able to reconnect with fellow WTCA Members — the association's greatest resource — as well as gain insights on how they adapted during the pandemic and hear updates from the WTCA executive leadership team. The winners of the 2021-2022 WTCA Foundation "Peace Through Trade" Student Competition will also be announced, and the event will conclude with a unique presentation to officially kick off the countdown to the 53rd annual General Assembly (GA) to be hosted by WTC Accra (April 23-28, 2023), along with new GA promotional and educational programs offered by the WTCA.

"Throughout the pandemic, we were able to shift our events to a virtual format, gathering record-breaking numbers in member attendance. We are thrilled to finally be able to resume our in-person events, with limited attendance and strong safety measures in place, as well as provide digital access for those who cannot make it to New York City," said Crystal Edn, WTCA Director of Member Services. "Our members are eager to meet again in person, and we look forward to honouring their resilience and connection to each other at this year's event."