Date, Venue & Program

June 8, 2022 | Bielefeld

Stadthalle Bielefeld

Willy-Brandt-Platz 1

33602 Bielefeld

An overview of nearby hotels can be found here.

Agenda

8:30 am - Registration & breakfast

9:30 am - Welcome & Introduction

Wolf D. Meier-Scheuven, Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter der BOGE KOMPRESSOREN, Bielefeld und Präsident, IHK Ostwestfalen zu Bielefeld
Jan Heck, President & CEO, Miele USA
Matthias Amberg, Vice Chairman, AHK USA

9:40 am - Welcome Remarks

Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, Minister für Wirtschaft, Innovation, Digitalisierung und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen

09:45 am - Opening panel “Transatlantic relations from the perspective of economic policy”

Moderation: Thomas Jahn, New York Korrespondent, Handelsblatt Düsseldorf

Dr. Volker Treier, Außenwirtschaftschef und Mitglied der Hauptgeschäftsführung, DIHK I Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag e. V., Berlin
Pauline Kao, Generalkonsulin US-Generalkonsulat, Düsseldorf
Evelyn Metzen. Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google Deutschland
Felix Neugart, CEO, NRW.Global Business GmbH

10:45 am - US State Pitches - Part 1

Moderation: Matthias Hoffmann, President & CEO, GACC Atlanta

Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi und Nebraska

11:15 am - Coffee break & networking

11:45 pm - Business panel “German companies in the U.S. - Best Practice”

Moderation: Harald Grefe, Stv. Hauptgeschäftsführer, Industrie- und Handelskammer Ostwestfalen zu Bielefeld

Jan Heck, President & CEO, Miele USA
Hans Beckhoff, Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter, Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG, Verl
Michael W. Böllhof, Managing Partner, Böllhoff Gruppe, Bielefeld

12:45 am - US State Pitches - Part 2

Moderation: Matthias Hoffmann, President & CEO, GACC Atlanta

New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania und Wisconsin

01:00 pm - Keynote: New bloc formation in the global world - consequences for the German economy (working title)

Sigmar Gabriel, Bundesaußenminister a.D., Vorsitzender der Atlantik-Brücke

01:30 pm - Lunch break & networking

02:30 pm - Workshops/panels, session 1 (2 workshops in parallel)

I Marketing and Sales in the US - Changed market conditions and digitization of channels

Moderation: Mark Tomkins, President & CEO, GACC Chicago

Workshop I will look at how German companies should position themselves for success in marketing and sales in the US, and how they should do so digitally. Following the question "How does marketing work in the US?," promising forms of distribution in the digital age as well as the use of social media (especially LinkedIn) will be discussed in particular. Other issues include: "Did the COVID-19 pandemic impact marketing and sales?" and "How do I position my brand in a market where my company is relatively unknown?” The workshop also addresses differences between building/recruiting a Sales & Marketing team in the US compared to Germany.

II Biden’s trillions - Opportunities for German companies

Moderation: Dr. Christoph Schemionek, President & CEO, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Washington, DC, LLC

Workshop II will highlight opportunities for German companies under the Biden Administration, particularly with regard to the US infrastructure package, and what to look out for in Buy American and Buy America. The workshop places the package in the context of current US economic and trade policy, and thus also outlines other transatlantic issues that set the framework requirements for success in US business (e.g., Trade and Technology Council (TTC), US-China relationship, punitive tariffs, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

03:30 pm - Workshops/panels, session 2 (2 workshops in parallel,)

III Market entry/expansion as well as legal framework requirements

Moderation: Susanne Gellert, Vice President, GACC New York & Michaela Schobert, Director, Consulting Services, GACC Atlanta

Workshop III will shed light on important issues with regard to the involvement of German companies in the US. Special focus is on possible market entry barriers but also opportunities and strategies for a successful US business. Furthermore, legal challenges and topics such as US company formation, product liability law, employee posting, entry requirements and compliance with special import regulations (e.g., FDA) will be addressed.

IV Innovation location USA & opportunities for German companies

Moderation: Sven Thorsten Potthoff, CEO, Representative of German Business for the Western United States

Workshop IV will highlight the research and innovation landscape in the US, startup hubs as innovation locations, collaboration with startups, introduction of the STEP program, the shaping of digital transformation and customer-centric innovation for businesses, intrapreneurship, the exchange of tried-and-tested innovation methods and best practices.

04:30 pm - Final networking

05:00 pm - End of event

05:00 pm - STEP USA Alumni Party at Founders Foundation

Additional speakers will be announced. Agenda subject to change.