WASHINGTON, DC, USA - Over 300 business leaders, government officials, and academics from around the world convened at this year’s Global Services Summit held at the WTC DC (Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center). The Summit, presented by the Coalition for Service Industries, discussed the priorities, opportunities, and challenges of international trade in services.

This year, the Summit theme was "Services Across the U.S. and Global Economies," to explore how services contribute to the U.S. economy and economies worldwide. The Summit also focused on how services facilitate success across all economic sectors, including manufacturing and agriculture. One of the most popular panels discussed the importance of the services sector from a U.S. city perspective. Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta, former Mayor of Columbus, Michael Coleman, and Fellow and Director of Strategic Partnerships and Global Initiatives at Brookings, Marek Gootman, shed light on how services support U.S. cities socially and economically.

Business leadership across economic sectors discussed the importance of digital trade in the way that they are now doing business and what some suggest is the 4th Industrial Revolution. Perspectives on this phenomenon and the role of public policy including trade agreements created lively conversation among the panelist. Brexit and a Capitol Hill perspective on the impact of the upcoming elections on TPP, TiSA and TTIP were among other panels presented at the Summit.

Keynote speaker, Kent Walker, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Google, discussed creating greater transparency in international trade agreements in order to bolster broader support for global trade. In addition to the keynote address, the 2nd annual Services Innovation Award was presented to Etsy for creating an innovative online platform for entrepreneurs to sell their products, celebrating and supporting small-and-medium sized companies in the United States and around the world.

To learn more about WTC Washington D.C., click on the source link below.