Q&A With WTCA's Regional Teams

• SW: The ongoing trade uncertainty has created new dynamics for regional WTC operations to play a pivotal role in facilitating cross-border investment, regional trade diversification and market-entry support. Many WTCA Members have successfully positioned their WTC operations as trusted platforms for connecting global investors with emerging opportunities in the region. They have shared best practices and collaborated well with each other through WTCA programs such as the 2025 Global Business Forum in Marseille, 2025 Chinese-Speaking Regional Meeting in Beijing, virtual 2025 Member Forum, 2025 Asia Pacific Conference in Mumbai, as well as WTCA platforms such as the Reciprocity Desk and events such as the APAC WTCA Day webinar.
• AJ: WTCA is a leading membership organization whose greatest value lies within its Members and their iconic facilities, advanced services, and powerful networks of experts and leaders. For this reason, the work that has been undertaken in 2025 and will be at the core of the 2026 strategy is Membership Empowerment. Our goal is for Members to think individually and collectively about what it means to be part of the WTCA network and how to make the best of their WTC license, whether it be done through collaborative trade mission, multipurpose real estate, event organization, best practices’ exchanges and/or more.
• CR: There has been collaboration between several WTC businesses: WTC Georgetown with WTC Ibague regarding the construction industry; WTC Buenos Aires with WTC Santa Cruz de la Sierra finding fresh capital for WTC Santa Cruz; WTC Asunción and WTC Montevideo supporting WTC São Paulo in the development of the WTCA Investors Day in São Paulo; WTC Mexico City, WTC San Luis Potosí, WTC Portland and WTC Monterrey in the development of the WTCA Investors Day in Mexico City; and WTC Monterrey with WTC Durango in the development of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). There was also collaboration between WTC Buenos Aires and WTC Saskatoon; and further more WTC San Luis Potosi received a delegation from WTC Binh Duong New City.
• MR: Over the past year, WTCA Members in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region have actively collaborated to advance mutual goals, leveraging the WTCA network's strengths. WTCA Members in cities like Abu Dhabi, Algiers, Abuja, Accra, Addis Ababa, Antananarivo, Cairo, Dubai, Lagos Riyadh and Sharjah have worked together to facilitate cross-border trade missions, knowledge-sharing sessions and joint exhibitions that amplify local businesses on the global stage. Notable achievements include partnerships between African and Middle Eastern WTCA businesses focused on capacity building and the promotion of SMEs in priority sectors such as agribusiness, manufacturing, and soft-commodity trade. This spirit of co-creation exemplifies the power of the WTCA network to break down barriers and foster inclusive growth across a diverse economic landscape. The region continues to grow, as we welcomed WTC Ras Al Khaimah and WTC Durban as new WTCA Members. The region hosted two successful in-person events, namely, the WTCA Middle East Members Meeting and the WTCA MEA Conference, graciously hosted by WTC Sharjah and WTC Algiers, respectively. These important events provided an opportunity to bring Members together to discuss activities, improve collaboration and improve resource support for this region.
• NC: Throughout the year, the North American region has focused on a core WTCA principle — fostering strong connections within and among Members and their local communities. In 2025, this commitment has been reflected in efforts to strengthen our collaborative environment by promoting the exchange of best practices, aligning around shared goals and building meaningful relationships. Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to keep this momentum going by encouraging Members to make full use of the network through the Reciprocity Desk, continuous communication with me as the Regional Lead, and participation in WTCA communication channels to deepen engagement and connection across the network.

Describe the highlights from the 2025 Regional Conference in your area. Were there any significant partnerships, discussions or developments?

• SW: The 2025 WTCA Asia Pacific Conference will be hosted by WTC Mumbai in conjunction with its signature annual Global Economic Summit (GES) on November 20-22. A total of 80+ WTC delegates are registered from 30+ regional WTC businesses for in person participation. A total of 10+ MOUs are scheduled to be signed between regional Members. Panel discussions will share best practices in exhibition/events, real estate/facility and trade services/innovation. Additionally, a member roundtable on India WTC facility development will be organized.
• AJ: This year, we decided to put discovery and cooperation at the heart of the 2025 WTCA European Conference, supported by our host, WTC Sofia (Affiliated) – Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, and WTC Sofia – INTERPRED multi-business holding on June 15-17. This allowed us to build strong workshops and run them from difference locations, offering diversity and strengthening relationships between Members. We also discussed the strategic position of Europe in light of current geopolitical uncertainty and global shift in power, and what it means for our Members in terms of opportunities.
• CR: The 2025 WTCA Latin America (LatAm) Conference took place in Curitiba, Brazil on August 12-13, with the participation of 30 delegates representing 22 LatAm WTC businesses. During the first morning, the seminar coincided with the Annual Conference of de Federation of Industries of Parana, with the participation of more than 800 business delegates, which gave the WTCA LatAm Members great exposure among the business community. WTC delegates participated in two panels, a first panel discussing the recently signed trade agreement between the EU and MERCOSUR, and a second panel comprised solely of WTC delegates who discussed the future of industrial development in LatAm. During the afternoon, Professor Marcos Troyjos gave a world class speech on the impact that the U.S.-China trade issue is having in LatAm. Afterwards, the LatAm Regional Office presented the results of the five-year effort of publishing the WTCA Prime Real Estate Index LatAm. The afternoon concluded with a panel that was comprised of participants from WTC Club São Paulo, WTC Club Uberlândia and WTC Club Curitiba where they shared their journeys in the formation of their business clubs. This exercise encouraged other WTC businesses to set up their business clubs. During the morning of the second day, delegates discussed the way that AI could help WTC businesses and a special package of AI for tenants was presented by Ignacio Del (WTC Montevideo). After the AI session, a presentation was made on WTC businesses under construction. The LatAm Regional Office also ran two events attracting real estate-related executives to showcase the findings of the five years of the WTCA Prime Office Index LatAm in São Paulo and Mexico City. With the participation of more than 100 developers, investors and real estate operators at the two events and the support of our partner Latin Trade, we were able to show the accuracy of the forecasts presented in our publication. 
• MR: The 2025 WTCA MEA Conference, graciously hosted by WTC Algiers from September 6-8, delivered a high-impact agenda that seamlessly combined strategic insights, cutting-edge innovation, and Member-driven engagement. The keynote addresses by Afreximbank leaders Emeka Uzomba and Emeka Onyia anchored the conference in expert, real-world perspectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and digital integration/innovation — essential for stakeholders navigating Africa’s evolving economic landscape. Through thematic panels and an interactive workshop, participants gained both high-level insights and hands-on strategies for leveraging network advantages. The Member Flash Presentations illustrated the energy and innovation within the WTCA community — highlighting collaboration, entrepreneurial spirit and the shared mission of unlocking regional growth.
• NC: The 2025 WTCA North America Conference marked a powerful return for a standalone in-person convening for the region. Held June 1-3 in Kansas City, Missouri, the Conference brought together 45 attendees consisting of industry leaders, policymakers and innovators. The agenda centered on exploring emerging trends, the exchange of best practices, and fostering meaningful connections that drive regional and global growth. Participating Members gave presentations that spotlighted their recent achievements, new initiatives and unique programs that cultivated the exchange of ideas and inspiration. The Conference celebrated the strength of the North America network and reaffirmed the value of coming together to share knowledge, create impact and inspire future growth. 

What upcoming WTCA events, trade missions, or partnerships are planned for 2026 in your region? 

• SW: The 2026 WTCA Asia Pacific Best Practice Sharing Webinar Series (quarterly); 2026 WTCA India Conference in mid-2026; 2026 WTCA Day Celebration webinar in June; 2026 WTCA CIFTIS/Chinese-Speaking Regional Meeting in September; and 2026 WTCA Asia Pacific Conference (APC) hosted by WTC Jakarta on November 18-20.
• AJ: After an exciting 2025 WTCA European Conference in Eastern Europe supported by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, our 2026 edition will take us to WTC Ballerup, on the outskirts of Copenhagen where our host will showcase their versatile multipurpose space surrounded by strong industry. It will also be a great opportunity to draw attention to the Nordics where a lot has happened in 2025. After a triumphant launch in 2025, the Geopolitical Annual Trade Risk Index (GATRI), developed by the Hague Center of Strategic Studies (HCSS) in collaboration with WTCA and led by the WTC Dutch Alliance, will come back in 2026! On the mission side, WTC Metz-Saarbrücken is organizing their first learning expedition to Germany in Q1. This inaugural edition was designed for startups, scaleups and SMEs of the WTC Francophone Alliance focusing on industrial & materials innovation, with future editions to be opened to the wider WTCA network. We are also working on enhancing cooperation between our Spanish WTCA Members, ideally spreading the strategic alliance between WTC Barcelona and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce to other WTC locations in the country, and other collaboration options to consider. Additionally, we are working on developing a pilot partnership with the Dutch Railway company, NS, that is already working with NEOO on the WTC Amersfoort project. We believe there are numerous synergies between both activities, and the possibility for WTCA to have a concrete approach toward a more sustainable business world. With the Netherlands and our Members there at the forefront of the climate change battle, it makes a lot of sense to work alongside. Finally, WTC Trieste is strongly collaborating with UNIDO and IMO – and we want to ensure bridges are built with as many WTCA Members as possible so they can set up local initiatives. 
• CR: We will continue with the Services Development Program. This pilot program is part of the methodology adopted by the LatAm Regional Office to support WTC services, and a closer link to the local business community. We began our program with WTC Ibague and we will continue through 2026 running this program with three other WTC businesses. We expect each WTC business undertaking the program to became an active agent of business in their community. Methodology for this program was developed by the LatAm Regional Office alongside Subedelia Sevilla who runs the pilot program and will run the three new programs. We will host two investor events, one in Recife in the northeastern part of Brazil and another one in Monterrey to meet with developers, investors, and real estate players, in the northern part of Mexico. Likewise, we will continue publishing the WTCA Prime Office Index LatAm, which has already positioned itself as an important tool and has given great recognition to the WTC brand in the real estate world.
• MR: Following the successful WTCA regional events held during 2025, efforts are in place to select and finalize the hosts for both the 2026 WTCA Middle East Members Meeting and the 2026 WTCA MEA Conference. Stay tuned for more exciting news and event details planned for 2026.
• NC: We have an exciting 2026 ahead for the North America region. We’ll be building on our efforts to strengthen engagement and collaboration across the region while curating new resources and strategies to help Members diversify and grow their institutions. We’re also renewing activity in the WTCA North America LinkedIn Group and launching a regional WhatsApp channel to make it even easier to share Member events and opportunities. And of course, we’re thrilled the 2026 WTCA Global Business Forum hosted by WTC Greater Philadelphia will be in the region, marking the first time it is held in the U.S. since 2017!

How is the motto “Connecting Businesses, Globally.” implemented in your region’s approach to WTCA activities?

• SW: It is critical for our regional Membership to leverage the global connectivity of the WTCA network and deliver concrete benefits to the business community they are serving. In order to make it happen, we have worked closely with the HQs team to enhance the participation of regional Membership to our global program such as the GBF, which offers great opportunity for our Members and their business community to get connected on a global scale. We continued to promote and train regional Members on our global promotion and connectivity platforms such as the Reciprocity Desk. In addition, we always encourage our Members to explore the resources and expertise available in our network and made intra-/inter-regional connectivity one of our focal areas of the Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) day-to-day operation.
• AJ: We are working both at individual and group levels, connecting Members through common interests or geographical and cultural closeness as is the case of the WTC Francophone Alliance and the WTC Dutch Alliance, possibility expending to other sub-regions, increasing synergies and positive impact of individual initiatives. 
• CR: The LatAm Regional Office encourages and supports WTCA LatAm Members to provide trade services for their business communities and for WTC businesses around the world, and the WTCA LatAm Members have been very active attending the regional seminars.
• MR: A compelling example is the support provided to local businesses seeking global market access. When WTC Addis Ababa in Ethiopia sought North American contacts to expand its coffee exports, it leveraged the WTCA network. Within a few days, connections were established with WTCA Members in North America. This quick action led to a successful export of their coffee products, showcasing the network’s strength and effectiveness in facilitating international trade.
• NC: “Connecting” is one of the most important benefits of being a part of the WTCA network, and we will continue to encourage a culture of connection, among our North America Members and globally. The ability to pick up the phone and reach someone, through the WTCA network anywhere in the world, cannot be understated. There are Members who take advantage of this prolifically, whether for best practice sharing or new opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, the results can be seen in the strength of their operations with their WTC business and Members across the globe.

What individualized strategies or services are provided to support WTCA Members in your region specifically? How are WTCA’s pillars (real estate, trade services, business clubs, and conventions/exhibitions) emphasized or adapted in your region?

• SW: For a vast territory such as Asia Pacific where market dynamics varies from one country to another, we have adopted different strategies and services to adapt to local needs for development. In high-growth market such as India where the average Membership is quite young, we have strengthened training and best practice sharing to nurture the quality operation in both facilities and trade services. We also actively engaged Members for innovation in business model and market approach, and tried to leverage the success in India for other parts of the region. In China where we have challenges of real estate overcapacity, we worked closely with our Members to promote asset-light model to leverage WTCA ecosystem as enabler for existing property. At the same time, we continued our efforts to engage major exhibition/convention platforms for branding and promotion. In Southeast Asia, we continued to leverage our established WTC operations through PR partnership to seek new growth opportunities.
• AJ: We started drafting a real estate benchmark study to evaluate the impact of the WTC brand on rent, occupancy and tenant distribution in WTC buildings that we hope to share with the global network in 2026. This tool will ideally reflect positive brand value and be used in a broader context for marketing and sales purposes.
• CR: The WTCA LatAm Members are diverse, but an important number of them provide services to their communities. WTC Santiago is a leading provider of technical training, WTC Monterrey provides valuable services to SMEs in Mexico, Brazilian WTC businesses have established well reputed Business Clubs as are the cases of WTC Curitiba and WTC São Paulo and now WTC Uberlândia which opened in July 2025 with the participation of the LatAm Regional Office. The LatAm Regional Office has a permanent contact with these WTC businesses and facilitates channels to share these experiences. In October, we participated in the International Economic Summit 2025 in Durango, an event that showcased the new WTC business to the business community of Durango.
• MR: Members in the region are connecting regularly, with many Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed by WTCA Members; examples include WTC Savannah (USA) and WTC Accra (Ghana), WTC Cairo (Egypt) and WTC Algiers (Algeria), and many others. These agreements are a testament to the power of global networks to advance meaningful cross-border relationships. These MOU signings are focused on strengthening trade, tourism and investment ties between the two cities, creating new avenues for businesses in both regions to collaborate and grow. By connecting local companies to global markets, the partnership will help unlock opportunities for trade expansion and economic development, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, logistics, and technology.
• NC: In an evolving economic and trading landscape, each Member will receive tailored strategic support to advance their 2026 priorities and address emerging needs. With a strong focus on trade services, Members will gain targeted strategies and insights to strengthen their programs and increase revenue. Also recognizing the diversity of regional business activities, Members will also receive guidance on cultivating innovative ecosystems in their local communities. Through partnerships with universities, private corporations, investors, chambers of commerce and economic development agencies, Members will gain different strategies on how to leverage collaborative opportunities to generate revenue and stimulate their local economies. In addition, they will benefit from increased visibility for their programming, successes, and achievements through promotion on WTCA channels, social media, and global PR, as well as enhanced access to new databases and resources for speakers and grants.

Closing Statement: 

• SW: In 2025, we were able to successfully sustain the growth momentum in India, solidify our Membership base in China, and continue to build up throughout the rest of Asia. At the same time, we made a great stride in reactivating many of the at-risk Members across the region. As a result, the regional network has been steadily strengthened and getting ready to thrive in 2026. Looking forward, we are confident that WTCA’s role as a major facilitator for international business and collaboration will only be enhanced in an era of accelerated global supply chain restructuring and trade rerouting. Our capacity of global connectivity and local access has never been so relevant for the Asia Pacific region as manufacturing and trade activities are booming.
• AJ: Despite the continuous geopolitical uncertainty, we see a lot of activity in the region, alongside interesting strategic alliances that will hopefully bring sustainable growth for the Association, strengthening both the brand and the network, in Europe and beyond. These inclusive global approaches are at the heart of our approach for 2026, from Europe to the world.
• CR: 2025 began with moderate optimism despite the fact that elections were taking place in many countries and these electoral events halted investment decisions. 2026 looks brighter since many of the electoral disputes have been solved and we begin the year with newly active WTC businesses (Ibague, Asunción, La Paz) and new prospects in Brazil, Mexico and the Caribbean. We hope that in 2026, we can grow at a similar pace as we did in 2025, to become one of the fastest growing regions in the WTCA network. The LatAm Regional Office as also gives support to the WTCA Free Trade Zones Program that has already brought in WTC Santiago Free Trade Zone. A complete strategy was presented to the WTCA network, which will be implemented in 2026.
• MR: As we step into 2026, the MEA region is entering an exciting new chapter. Our network is expanding, our Members are becoming more active, and the MEA Regional Advisory Council (RAC) continues to provide the steady support and guidance that keeps our region moving forward. This year also presents a strategic opportunity for WTCA to strengthen its influence across the MEA region by helping to connect government, business and investment communities in a trusted and meaningful way. While the operating environment remains volatile in some areas, the demand for credible platforms that facilitate trust, investment, and connectivity continues to rise. This trust and credibility provided by WTCA should be the key message emphasized by existing WTCA Members in the region. By staying engaged, building strong partnerships, elevating our presence through digital storytelling and sharing Members’ successes more widely, we can position WTCA as the leading network that links global opportunity with local impact. Together, we can continue shaping a region that is more connected and driving shared prosperity for businesses and communities across the MEA region.
• NC: From my perspective, many Members are looking for ways to engage more deeply within the WTCA network and make the most of their Membership. As we move toward 2026, I’m excited to work with Members to help them connect with others both within their regions and across the globe. By strengthening and expanding these regional and international connections, we can build an even stronger foundation for the WTCA network.