The North America Works Conference focused on key issues that affect North American competitiveness and entrepreneurial development.

Building North American Competitiveness involve more than 120 transportation, logistics and economic development specialists from across Mexico, the United States and Canada in Kansas City. Working together, the North American countries will be positioned to address the dramatic changes that are occurring in the global economy.

The event was co-presented by the City of Kansas City, Mo., International Affairs and Trade Office and the Council of the Americas/Business Committee. The topic is an extension of the 2005 North America Works Conference held for the first time in Kansas City. Now, joining with the Council of the Americas/North American Business Committee, this forum entitled North America Works II drew senior business managers and government officials intent on taking a leadership role in public policy and helping to shape North American economic relations.

Under a new, exciting format, North America Works II included roundtable discussions and group dialogue around such topics as:

• The impact of transportation infrastructure on North American competitiveness and the creation of a North American transportation strategy
• The Security and Prosperity Partnership and the North American Competitiveness Initiative
• The role of urban regions in North American competitiveness
• Building informed and active constituencies for North American integration in government, the media and the academic community

Speakers:  Mayor Kay Barnes, City of Kansas City, Mo., USA; Pamela Wallin, Council of the Americas, New York, Ny., USA; Deputy Mayor Brenda Leipsic, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Héctor Márquez Solís, Mexican Ministry of the Economy, NAFTA Office in Washington, D.C., USA; Eric Farnworth, Council of the Americas, Washington D.C., USA; Georges Rioux, Canadian Consul General in Chicago, Il., USA; Stephen Blank, KCMO Advisor on International Trade and North America Works; Ron Lemieux, Minister of Transportation and Government Services, Manitoba, Canada

Marketing Partners:  KCMO City Manager’s Office, KCMO Mexico Business Development Office, Economic Development Corporation, Belton, Mo., Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce – World Trade Center, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, International Relations Council, International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City, Mexican Consulate – Kansas City, Mo., Port Authority – Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Mo., State of  Missouri – Department of Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce – Kansas City Export Assistance Center