Under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic of Lebanon General Emile LAHOUD World Trade Center - Beirut, organizes "Lebanon International Business Forum: Gateway for doing Business with the Middle East" Beirut, Lebanon July 4 - 7, 2005

BACKGROUND

Lebanon has long been the financial, commercial, and recreational center of the Middle East. What has made Lebanon so special is the combination of the country's fascinating geography at the crossroads of three continents, resourceful hard working people, free market economy, and long history of culture and trade that goes back to the beginning of time
Being a regional trade hub, Lebanon offers an ideal gateway for foreign companies seeking access to a market of 300 million consumers in the Middle East. With the consistent increase in per capita income, and the upsurge in development projects, the Middle East market offers enormous business opportunities.
This Business Forum offers business entrepreneurs from all over the world the opportunity to know and experience the Lebanese and Middle East markets. The forum will be marked by a workshop of business matchmaking between visiting business delegates and local business delegates from the Middle East. Eight business sectors have been identified as the forum main focus.
The Forum will constitute a unique gathering of leading business entrepreneurs from various Middle East countries together with those of other regions interested in doing business with Lebanon and the Middle East

OBJECTIVES

• To assist foreign companies in entering the Lebanese & Middle East markets
• To strengthen commercial ties between Middle Eastern and foreign markets
• To explore emerging trade and investment opportunities in the Middle East
• To present Lebanon's successful experience with trilateral trading
• To identify potential means to develop trade with the Middle East

TARGETED SECTORS

Although not limited to, the following sectors have been identified as the main focus of the forum:

• Food & Beverages
• Information & Communication Technology
• Fashion
• Packaging
• Jewelry
• Agriculture
• Travel & Tourism
• Construction materials

FEATURED TOPICS

The main themes of the conference will focus on:

• Doing Business with Lebanon
• Investment Incentives in Lebanon & the Middle East
• Doing Business with Iraq
• Market entry strategy to the Middle East
• Rediscovering Lebanon's tourism industry
• Sectors Briefing

BUSINESS MATCHING

A two-day Business matching workshop will be devoted to facilitate and initiate business contacts between visiting business delegates and matched local companies.
Business matching will be performed on two-tracks, whereby WTC Beirut will arrange for visiting delegates pre-screened qualified meetings with local companies in line with their specific requests, and will request from a number of local companies to prepare business cooperation proposals detailing the type of cooperation they are seeking and analyzing the prospects of partnership.
The business cooperation proposals submitted by local companies will be published in a special forum catalogue that will also include the profile of all participating delegates. Forum catalogue will be provided to all participants, foreign and local, ahead of the forum date.
In addition to identifying potential business partners, introducing business proposals, and setting up qualified meetings, WTC Beirut can also assist in providing post-meeting support to facilitate closing the deal.

PARTICIPATION FEES

Forum registration fee shall be $500 and include:

• Participation at the conference & Conference Kit
• Business matchmaking
• All forum social functions (lunch, and coffee breaks)
• Listing in forum catalogue
• Dinner reception
• One day tour including entrance fees and lunch
• Additional delegates from the same company or accompanying guests attending forum functions will be charged $200.

CUT-OFF DATE

The deadline for applying for business matchmaking is the 1st of June. Application submitted after this date may not be processed.