Bogotá, May 10th, 2024. Over two days, Bogotá was the epicenter of global business. The Americas Summit, organized by the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce and the World Chambers Federation, was successful. The event saw participation from 68 representatives of 34 Chambers of Commerce worldwide, 70 international buyers, and over 600 domestic SMEs. 

The first day's highlights were trend talks and recommendations for SMEs, attended by nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs. The second day was marked by 1,427 business meetings between companies from Bogotá and the region, as well as countries such as Ukraine, Israel, Kenya, the United States, Argentina, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. 

Short, medium, and long-term business expectations amounted to US$21,550,179. The countries with the highest business opportunities generated were, in order, the Dominican Republic with US$7.6 million, the United States with US$5.9 million, El Salvador with US$1.8 million, Paraguay with US$1.5 million, and Bolivia with US$1.2 million. 

The main products of interest for buyers included medical equipment, textiles, apparel, healthy foods, and construction supplies. Buyers particularly praised the quality of these products. 

Ovidio Claros Polanco, President of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, stated, "This Summit was a resounding success as it exceeded all expectations in terms of business opportunities and fulfilled the objectives of conveying trends and recommendations for Bogotá's SMEs and the region, making them increasingly competitive." 

John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, affirmed, "I am proud of the inaugural Summit of the World Chambers Federation of the ICC organized by the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce for fulfilling its commitment to connect SMEs (which, according to studies, are disproportionately excluded from exports) with practical tools and knowledge to support their international growth and accelerate economic development in the region. Connectivity is at the core of what we do at ICC, and we look forward to continuing to support SMEs in Colombia and Latin America." 

Shabdrack Mwiti from Debra Limited in Kenya stated that he came to contact medical equipment manufacturers since he supplies these products to seven African countries. "I was impressed by the quality of Colombian products. Here, I found a good manufacturer of this equipment, and Kenya is a good market for it. I am confident that we will close good deals," he affirmed. 

Humberto Garcés, a construction entrepreneur from Green Construction in the United States, mentioned that he found good opportunities. "Specifically, I am leaving with several contacts and the possibility of finalizing deals this week with three companies to bring their products to the United States." 

Luis Betancourt from Ecorgánicos in Colombia stated that he met with Peru, the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Panama buyers. They hope to finalize deals for approximately US$2,000,000 in the coming months. 

Darly Miranda, Manager of Pinturas Bler, said she could contact the United States, Peru, Bolivia, El Salvador, and Argentina. "It was an enriching experience with real sales expectations towards these markets."