GlobalAtlanta and the Institute of International Business at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business have collaborated on an online, searchable directory of international resources.
According to Karen Loch, director of the Institute of International Business, both GlobalAtlanta and the institute have a common mission as resources to the international business community.
“We also recognize the tremendous honor and value that the diplomatic corps and related agencies bring to the Atlanta international community. The directory links contact information with news articles located on a special Consular Corps page at www.globalatlanta.com,” she said.
“We want to have the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available. It is our goal that the directory become the go-to reference for current and accurate contact information on organizations providing services to the greater global community in Georgia and the Southeast,” she added. “We recommend that the database be the first choice of anyone seeking information about Atlanta’s official international trade and diplomatic community.”
The database contains listings of the offices of foreign governments, trade officials, international chambers of commerce, sister-city/sister-state relationships, professional service providers, such as legal, consulting, accounting, logistics, and other organizations focused on international business activity are also included.
The city hosts consular offices and trade and investment agencies for 49 countries. The Atlanta Consular Corps is made up of 18 career and 31 honorary consular offices.
Twenty-eight foreign governments have operations in Atlanta to promote trade between their countries and regions and Georgia and the Southeast U.S. There are also 26 bi-national chambers of commerce actively involved in Georgia’s international business community.
According to Dr. Loch, the directory is distinctive from other listings in three ways. “First, it is web-based which allows us to provide an accurate directory in as close to real time as possible. A printed directory is often incorrect before it is printed. Second, it is searchable. This feature allows the users to access the data from their perspective and to meet their needs, rather than how we chose to present the information. Finally, it is dynamic. Because the directory is a web-based database, we can readily add and modify it in response to users requests,” she said.
Please contact GlobalAtlanta at (404)377-7710 or by email at info@globalatlanta.com should you have any suggestions for further development of the database or to correct any of the information.
Visit the Consular Corps page at www.globalatlanta.com. The directory and GlobalAtlanta may also be accessed at http://iib.gsu.edu/international_directory/index.html