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Wednesday 22 May 2013

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WTCA | World Trade Centers Association

 

An Introduction to World Trade Centers and the World Trade Centers Association

 

The world has truly become a global marketplace. With the exponential growth of information and communications technology, distance and national borders are not barriers to trade but open doors for business expansion. The unlimited opportunities for economic expansion through international trade were understood in the early 1960s when the first World Trade Centers began to take shape. The idea was simple: Make the international trade process more efficient and rewarding by concentrating traders and trade-related services in buildings dedicated to that purpose. Yes.

 

By definition, a World Trade Center has a global view and a global mission. So it was quite natural for a group of World Trade Center enthusiasts in regions around the world to form a new organization in 1970 called the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA). The WTCA's purpose is to assist in the establishment and operation of World Trade Centers globally, promote mutual assistance among members, foster prosperity through trade and increase participation in world trade by industrializing nations.

 

A major responsibility of the WTCA’s

 

Artist’s Renderings of World Trade Center New York (under construction)

Board of Directors is to review and approve applications for Association membership from private, public or semi-public organizations who wish to establish a World Trade Center in their respective regions. Since there can be only one effective “center” of trade in any economic area, Regular WTCA Membership in a single economic area is restricted to one organization in that area.

 

All types of political and economic systems can be found in the roster of WTCA members, and they represent regions in all stages of industrial development. This ranges from developing economies where the World Trade Center is a resource and incubator for new international businesses to highly urbanized districts where the World Trade Center makes international business more efficient.

World Trade Centers Association Publications

World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

Over 100 WTCs Certified

For 15 years, World Trade Centers Association’s Quality Certification Program has recognized the good work of World Trade Centers. Over 100 WTCs have been certified in accordance with a set of global standards that reflects the ever-increasing role that World Trade Centers play in benefiting prosperity through trade.

 

The Benefits of Certification

  • Customize your own certification to emphasize services unique to your WTC
  • Measure the performance of your WTC against a set of established global standards
  • Enhance your visibility among other World Trade Centers around the world
  • Increase the recognition of your WTC in your own community as a certified entity
  • Achieve enhanced teambuilding and a restatement of core principles through the process
  • Receive formal recognition as certified in conjunction with the annual WTCA General Assembly

  • Certified WTCs are profiled routinely at various workshops as case studies

 

Artist’s Renderings of World Trade Center New York (under construction)

What is a World Trade Center?

A World Trade Center is the time-tested shopping center concept applied to international business. It complements and supports the existing services of private and government agencies involved in trade. The primary goal of any World Trade Center is to bring together under one roof the businesses and agencies involved in international commerce and provide them with the services they need to be successful.

 

           

 

Many of these groups do business with one another on a regular basis, and this activity is greatly facilitated when a meeting is just an elevator ride away. Together, this concentration of trade-related agencies acts as a major attraction for business visitors from the region and elsewhere. They know when they call on a World Trade Center that they will be able to contact many prospective business partners in one location.

 

           

 

In addition, the central management of each World Trade Center organizes a variety of trade information, trade education, exhibitions, trade missions and similar programs for their clientele to enhance their World Trade Center experience. Through the WTCA, each World Trade Center becomes a branch office for all the others. This concept is passed along to all the businesses affiliated with World Trade Centers, making membership in any individual center an entree to a worldwide business community.

 

           

 

Some World Trade Centers get started by providingonly the trade services component of a World TradeCenter, which is in itself an important contribution toa region’s international business community. The successand visibility of these operations can lead to partnershipswith real estate and other organizations thatcomplete the World Trade Center by providing officespace for world trade and related activities.

 

           

 

Whether it offers world trade services only or services with specialized real estate, a World Trade Center can be a powerful engine for economic development in any region. For this reason, many members of the WTCA are port, chamber or similar entities that develop World Trade Centers to promote international business in their respective jurisdictions.

 

           

 

     

 

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