Unlocking Business Opportunities in the U.S.

This program is co-hosted by LIOF & EACC Netherlands and is designed for Dutch companies who are considering entering or further expanding in the world’s largest consumer market, either directly or via a partnership with a U.S. company.

Therefore, we would like to invite you to join us in Sittard on Tuesday, June 24, where we will share insights on different aspects of doing business in the U.S. such as legal, banking, cultural, fiscal, recruitment, sites selection, lessons learned, etc. You will learn from experts, U.S. state representatives and Dutch colleague entrepreneurs. These speakers will be happy to guide you through this country where the workforce, technologies, landscapes, natural resources, and funding sources are vast and varied.

This event is free of charge and it’s meant for companies who are interested in the U.S. and who want to be further updated on the latest relevant resources available.

Program

13.00: Walk-in

13.30: Welcome and introduction:

• LIOF
• Marcel Schulze, Executive Director, European American Chamber of Commerce Netherlands

13.35: Session 1 – RVO

• Finn van Naamen, Advisor International Business, RVO

13.55: Session 2 – Site Selection

• Nicholette Ross, Site Selection Consultant, Global Location Strategies | Overview of site selection and the differences between the 5 regions i.e. Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West
• Panel discussion: spotlight on South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, and Alabama:
• • Sergio Domingues, Managing Director, State of South Carolina Europe Office
  • Sieb Hoogstra, Director, SelectFlorida Benelux
  • Vick Verhaeghe, Senior Advisor Benelux, JobsOhio
  • Christopher Doerr, European Office Director, Alabama Department of Commerce

14.30: Session 3 – Dealing with US business culture and workforce

• Annette van der Feltz, Chief Intercultural Collaboration & Success Officer, DutchAmericanConnection | Turning Cultural differences into profitable expansions and successful partnerships‘
• Florence van den Bergh, Founder, VDB Executive Search, LLC | Expanding to the U.S.: Recruitment Strategies for Dutch Companies’

15.00: Coffee break

15.30: Session 4 – EACC specialists on challenges and solutions of doing business the US

• Thom Doensen, Sales Tax Manager, TABS, Inc. | ‘Organizing your back office when expanding into the U.S. market’
• Yves Cattel, Tax Advisor, Archipel Tax Advice | Dutch tax considerations to expand to the US successfully’
• Duco Royaards, Head of Partnerships, Ebury | Foreign Exchange Risk Management, International Payments, Trade Finance’
• Hilde Cevaal, Director, VisaVersa | U.S. VISA Application Strategies’

16.30: Session 5 – Lessons learned

• Carl van der Zandt, Partner, Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP | Doing Business in the U.S. Maximizing Opportunities, Minimizing Risks’
• Panel: Carl van der Zandt in conversation with seasoned entrepreneurs on their experience in the US:
• • Paul Crutzen, owner pcdata and co-founder, Qeske
  • Gillian Lekner, Founder & CEO, Sobatech
  • Peter Korsten, CEO, Botany

17.30: Networking drinks

19:00: End.

Contact
If you have any questions, please contact Erica van den Oever: erica.vanden.oever@liof.nl.

Kind regards,

Carin Stroeken (LIOF) and Marcel Schulze (EACC)