News release: Vancouver to host 2018 NASCO Conference

NASCO kicks off tri-national conference in Mexico, announces its next conference will be held in Vancouver in Fall 2018

MONTERREY, MEXICO — The North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO), kicked off its annual tri-national conference in Monterrey on Oct. 25 to address issues and discuss solutions to the rapidly changing state of international business and its impact on global trade.

Decision-makers came from everywhere, with many delegates from the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon, Michoacán, and Durango, and from the Canadian Provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.

“We were honoured to welcome keynote speaker Ildefonso Guajardo, Mexican Secretary of the Economy, who leads Mexico’s NAFTA negotiation team,” said Tiffany Melvin, NASCO President. “To hold the conference in Monterrey, Mexico, was a strategic decision to highlight the talent and vast business resources of the region, including the Tecnológico de Monterrey, one of the most recognized universities in Latin America.”         

NASCO is the only grassroots continental organization focused on the competitiveness of the North American supply chain, workforce and energy independence. This year's conference theme is "Beyond Borders, Beyond Politics." Decisions about North American business and trade are underway and under a microscope with NAFTA negotiations. 

“I can’t think of any entity, any business, any manufacturer and any trade that wants to alienate or discharge one of its top three customers," said Ken Allen, Chairman of NASCO. Canada, Mexico, and the United States form the world’s largest free trade area that links 450 million people and represents a $20+ trillion economy. “Successful talks and the modernization of NAFTA are the end game.”

Instead of a traditional format, this year’s conference included a number of unique experiences for attendees, including rapid-fire sessions and fishbowl networking. Top industry experts updated participants on the North American Supply Chain, Trade Alliances for Economic Prosperity and North America’s Workforce. 

“This conference clearly shows how North American business partnerships support exports to all corners of the globe and are having a positive impact on all three countries,” said David Crawford, Vice President of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, who travelled to Monterrey to attend this year's conference. “NAFTA trade is up 250 per cent since 1993. I call this a success.”

In keeping with the tri-country partnership, NASCO President Tiffany Melvin announced that next year's conference will be held in Vancouver in Fall 2018.

For more information on NASCO, visit nasconetwork.com.