WTC Greater Philadelphia Global Trade Summit

 Posted by Nathan Book

On May 21, the World Trade Center Greater Philadelphia hosted the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Global Trade Summit– entitled “Kickoff to 2026 - Seizing the Global Spotlight”– at Temple University’s Alter Hall. 

The event marked approximately one year until the city of Philadelphia will host the WTCA  Global Business Forum from April 19-22 and brought together a variety of business leaders from the greater Philadelphia area and key stakeholders in international trade to hear about how the city’s businesses, organizations, and governmental entities plan to showcase Philadelphia on a global scale through the Forum and numerous other marquee events next summer. This vision was described in detail by several speakers, all of whom emphasized the role businesses and individual community members play in conveying optimism about Philadelphia’s future and helping the city capitalize on this summer’s events.

The Global Business Forum is an annual event hosted by the WTCA to bring together over 300 members and their business networks from around the world. The complete list of WTCA members by continent can be found here. 

As such, the purpose of the Global Business Forum is not only to foster cross-cultural connection and collective exploration of key trends and policy shifts impacting international business, but also to promote shared innovation and growth in the process. Previously hosted by Bengaluru, India in 2024 and Marseille, France in 2025, the 2026 event will cast Philadelphia onto the global stage, enabling the city to build toward becoming a leading global business hub and showcase its plan and vision for doing so.

The Global Trade Summit serves as both a strategic planning forum and a means of rallying the city’s regional and international business communities. Those in attendance engaged in networking, breakout sessions, and presentations that explored how Philadelphia can leverage its strengths to attract global attention, an opportunity that is more apparent than ever this summer. Among the strengths most emphasized were the following:

●       A strategic location as the second-largest city on the Eastern Corridor with easy access to major U.S. markets like New York City and Washington, D.C.

●       The presence of diverse industries thriving in the city with potential for global appeal, including education, life sciences and biotechnology, and healthcare

●       Intentional efforts for further international engagement on the part of city government and active trade organizations, including World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia,  Global Philadelphia Association, local Chambers of Commerce and partners such as World Trade Centers from Pittsburgh, Central Pennsylvania and Delaware among others.

●       A great capacity for growth, fueled by city-wide optimism, engagement, and support to fully take advantage of this summer’s events

For attendees, the event provided practical insights into how their businesses and organizations can supplement larger city-wide efforts, showcasing innovation, hospitality, and growth in a way that gains the attention and admiration of those who visit Philadelphia this summer. In this way, the summit laid the groundwork for a coordinated, region-wide effort to seize the many opportunities presented by the Global Business Forum and related events.

The upcoming year represents a once-in-a-generation showcase for Philadelphia as a result of the many large-scale events the city will host. In addition to the Global Business Forum, Philadelphia will be one of sixteen North American cities hosting FIFA World Cup games, stimulating the city’s economy as people from all over the world stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, and visit other attractions in Philadelphia during their average three-week stays in the city as World Cup fans. Other sporting events taking place in Philadelphia in 2026 include the MLB All-Star Game, the PGA Championship, and certain games of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (March Madness). Additionally, Philadelphia will celebrate America’s semiquincentennial, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thus, to say that 2026 is monumental for Philadelphia would be a drastic understatement, and the Global Business Forum plays a key role in this significant year for the city.

The fact that an international trade event as significant as the Global Business Forum is being hosted not just in our nation, but specifically in Philadelphia next year is significant not only for the city itself, but also for businesses in Central Pennsylvania just a short distance away. The forum offers companies the ability to connect with individuals around the world and gain the opportunity to enhance international trade and learn about trends and policy-related news that directly impact their functioning as a business. For more information about the event and how to leverage this opportunity as a business, visit the World Trade Center Greater Philadelphia’s website here or reach out to World Trade Center Harrisburg staff. More details regarding the forum will be made available on the World Trade Center Harrisburg website as it is released.