HOUSTON, March 15, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The world economy and trade opportunities will be the main focus when U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez addresses a prestigious international contingent of port executives and maritime leaders at the 25th International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) World Ports Conference this spring.
The theme of the conference, "Anchored by Commitment -- Buoyed by Unity," will celebrate the reunion of world port leaders and provide an arena for addressing the challenges and opportunities that confront the global maritime industry, including the evolving world's economy and its effect on our ports. More than 1,200 delegates are expected to register and attend the conference that is being held April 27 through May 4, 2007, at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel at 1600 Lamar Street in Houston, Texas, U.S.
Secretary Gutierrez will speak to IAPH officers and delegates at the conference luncheon at 12:30 pm, Tuesday, May 1, 2007.
Port of Houston Authority Director of Public Affairs Argentina James, who serves as vice president of the IAPH conference, stated, "We are honored to have Secretary Gutierrez serve as a keynote speaker. The Secretary is one of the world's leaders on issues related to promoting trade and eliminating trade barriers. We look forward to hearing from Secretary Gutierrez on his experience, knowledge and understanding of the world's economy and its relationship to ports. IAPH delegates will most certainly take heed to what the Secretary presents."
Secretary Gutierrez is the 35th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was sworn into office on February 7, 2005, and is former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company.
The Secretary played a key role in the passage of the CAFTA-DR, a landmark trade agreement with Latin America, and travels extensively to open markets for U.S. goods and products. He oversees a Cabinet department with more than 38,000 employees and a $6.5 billion budget.
The globalization of the world economy and its impact on ports will be addressed in several of the working sessions that will be a focal point of the week-long conference.
World container cargo prospects and their long-term forecast will highlight a "World Economy and Trade Prospects" work session. The prospects of their economies will be the focus of a "Brazil, Russia, India and China's Impact on the World Trade" work session.
Each work session will allow time for a question-and-answer session with each speaker.
The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) will serve as the conference host and the City of Houston, Harris County, the Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau and Continental Airlines will serve as the lead sponsors of the event.
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The International Association of Ports and Harbors was founded in 1955. For more than 50 years, IAPH has steadily developed as the leading organization in the global maritime industry. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the IAPH comprises representatives from more than 400 ports and top executives from major industry corporations in nearly 90 countries around the world. The members' ports as a whole handle 85 percent of the world's container traffic and more than 60 percent of the global seaborne trade. More information about IAPH is available on www.IAPHworldports.org. For more information regarding conference registration, sponsorships, and exhibit opportunities, visit www.IAPH2007.com.