Centrallia, Global Business Forum - a Futurallia event by ANIM

You need to come. Let us tell you why.

The following testimonials were gathered at Futurallia Qatar in May 2009.

Lindsay West Managing Director, Garthwest Limited/Chair of Advisory Group, World Trade Centre / Hull & Humber in the United Kingdom – Hull, England

“As Chair of the Advisory Group for the World Trade Centre, I believe that the Futurallia model of a business to business event is excellent, and would recommend attendance for any small to medium sized business with export aspirations. The match-making meeting format is perfect but, more importantly, it is the quality of the people in attendance compared to other trade events I’ve attended that really makes the concept work. Coming here to Futurallia Qatar even opened my eyes to an export opportunity for a service of our company that we had not previously identified.”

Sandrine Villaume Export Manager, OCF, Ouest Constructions Frigorifiques – Sigournais, France

“When I attended my first Futurallia, the most significant impact on my business is what I learned about getting my product export market ready. The experience was so valuable that I decided to attend again this year in Qatar. This time, my product is better positioned and ready for export, and I believe the contacts I have made will grow my business.”

Jody Edgerton Director, City of Kansas, Missouri, International Affairs and Trade Office – Kansas City, Missouri, USA

“This is the second Futurallia event that I have attended and I can tell you that this format works. Futurallia’s match-making business to business technique is the most efficient way to bring business owners together in a safe and cost effective environment. The opportunity to increase your business is great; you can choose up to 12 businesses you wish to meet from a registration list of qualified businesses that is very, very good.”

Jos Santy Business Development Director, Waterleau Group – Herent, Belgium

“The Futurallia concept is very good. You have the opportunity in a short period of time to meet with a lot of business people who share an optimistic view of business and are looking to make connections. There are many opportunities for match-making and building long-term business relationships for your company.”

Patrick Rein President, Activis – Paris, France with offices in Germany and Switzerland

“The roll out of this type of trade event is very intense; two days, 12 scheduled meetings and another dozen or so non-scheduled meetings with other attendees. Once you’re familiar with how it works, your opportunity to profit from the new business contacts you can make is immense.”

Geneviève Piret PG brush – Verviers, Belgium

“For anyone wanting to do business in North America, Manitoba is perfectly located at the centre of the continent. Not only is it in the middle of Canada, making it easy to do business both east and west, but it is also close to the American border. That means when it comes to logistics and distribution, Manitoba is right where your business needs to be. Equally important is the fact that Manitoba has a large French speaking population – a big benefit to any business owner coming from a francophone country looking for a North American partner with expertise in this market.”

Alexandre Poty Managing Director, Clean Spirit – Andenne, Belgium

“I have attended many Futurallias and I have enjoyed positive results at every one. I know that when I attend an event like this I will return with some sort of contract or partnership, such as the one I formed with a security consultant at the Futurallia event in Poland. We were able to forge a very strong and complementary business alliance that allowed us to work together on a major construction project to our mutual benefit. I plan to attend Centrallia because it will help me open business opportunities in North America and I know I will find a similar partner, or at least potential client, there as well.”

Stephen Leathem Management – Sales Executive/Biznet IIS – Belfast, Northern Ireland

“The advantage of this kind of event for us is that we get to select from the match-making catalogue the companies who we think offer the best opportunity for our business, and then are able to speak with the decision makers in those companies. Even if we don’t do a deal during the event, we are able to establish meaningful relationships that we can follow up on later.”

Reginald MacDonald President/CEO, Maritime Drilling Schools Ltd. – North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

“These events bring in companies from all over the globe. There is a real energy to them and it is easy to build a rapport with other companies and do some business. It’s the only chance that you’re gonna have to go out, actually to meet so many international business leaders, even government representatives in one place. If you’re looking to increase your business through export, this is the place you need to come to.”

Zamri Baba Managing Director, VDev Consulting – Selangor, Malaysia

“I’m just thrilled with the Futurallia concept and the opportunities it provides. It allows me in a short period of time to meet several quality companies from different countries and regions. For example, here at Futurallia Qatar our company is looking for market research partners in different countries. In this morning’s session alone, I found two to choose from: one for the Gulf region and one for the European market. We’ve also been in discussion with a WTCA officer from another European country who represents exporters keen to venture into Malaysia.”

Ashraf Kiwan Project Investment Manager, Versailles Palace Property Investments Co. – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

“This was the first Futurallia for me. As a project investment manager we were looking to find good opportunities to open a new branch for our company here in Qatar. I was actually able to have 12 meetings and 17 unscheduled meetings. Some of them were very interesting – more than interesting – and I think we’ll be able to make some deals. Overall, it was a very good experience. I met many many companies including many majors. This kind of event helps you put together big projects.”

Charlene Carr Operations Director, Training, CC Imports, Inc. – Conyers, Georgia, USA

“Our experience has been very positive at the two Futurallias we have attended as they have allowed us to expand our relationships with businesses internationally. Although we are guaranteed 12 meetings we actually end up with more than 12 because of the networking session. We actually link up with these businesses later and we actually export products to them. This is a great platform to grow our business and it has been an asset to our organization.”

Hugo Beristain Sales Account Manager, Envases Group – Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

“The Futurallia model is helpful for any business looking to do business in a country it doesn’t know. Here we can benefit from the group experience and the match-making system which enables us to schedule many meetings with potential customers in a very short period of time. Our last experience was with Futurallia Tunisia, which was a new market for us. We knew nothing about it and the event provided us an opportunity to penetrate the market quickly. It didn’t take us long to meet several companies, which immediately led to business partnerships and actual orders.”

George Blackwood Attorney at Law, Blackwood, Langworthy & Tyson, L.C./President, North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO) – Kansas City, Missouri, USA

“As the president of North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO), an organization dedicated to the promotion of trade between businesses in Mexico, Canada and the United States, I believe Centrallia serves precisely the purposes for which NASCO was founded. Its location in Winnipeg is perfect as Winnipeg is located in the center of Canada and is the northern terminus of the NASCO sphere of operation. Through Centrallia our members will be able to meet and do business with companies from around the world. It’s an excellent opportunity for them to promote their products worldwide.”

Jean-Pierre Villéger Sales and Marketing Manager, Joubert Plywood – Auge-Saint-Médard, France

“I’ve been to Futurallia five times, and one similar event in Africa once, and I think that speaks well to the value I see in these type of events. These are places where I have a chance to learn about exporting to new markets, make new contacts in those markets and, eventually, create new business.”

Edmond Béré Technical Director, Softnet-Burkina – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

“I would tell any businesses that it is worth it to participate in at least one event like this to see what opportunities are available and to open their business to the entire world. It’s a chance to meet close to 400 or 500 business people and truly open doors to the world. For example, last year I attended Futurallia 2008 and it was a great success in terms of business creation for my company. I met with several French and American companies and have maintained good alliances with at least three of those companies – alliances that have lead to signed contracts and partnerships.”

Ken Searcy Director of Operations, P/Strada – Kansas City, Missouri, USA

“Every country has a different way to do business and these events provide excellent opportunities to research and understand each country’s business model – allowing a business to maximize opportunities and turn times for business. I have also found that the Economic Development groups that attend these conferences can be as valuable resources as the actual businesses, because they can direct us to the right contacts within their countries.”