Sumaq, an alliance of eight top business schools in Latin America and Spain, will hold its annual global conference in Atlanta again in 2005. It is also considering locating its North American headquarters here, Jaime Alonso Gomez, president of the alliance, told GlobalAtlanta during the Sumaq Summit held at the Omni Hotel last week.
More than 300 businesspersons and academics attended the three-day Sumaq Summit that focused on business strategies in Latin America.
“In Atlanta, we have found tremendous support and an intellectual ambience that is compatible with Sumaq’s vision,” said Dr. Gomez, who is also dean of the EGADE-Tec de Monterrey business school in Mexico.
“We are building futures together. This was a great beginning. We will definitely be back next year, and as far as the future, we are learning,” he said of the alliance permanently locating its hemispheric headquarters in Atlanta.
Jose Ignacio Gonzalez, president of Hemisphere Inc., who was involved in hosting the summit, confirmed that a Sumaq North American headquarters was a possibility for Atlanta, and that such a development would bode well for Atlanta’s bid to win the Free Trade Area of the Americas Secretariat.
“[Hosting the Sumaq Summit] was a key strategic move, not just a symbolic one, in Atlanta’s efforts,” Mr. Gonzalez said.
He added that an announcement about the Sumaq North American headquarters – whatever the decision – would be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
Visit www.sumaq.org for more information about the Sumaq Summit. Contact Hemisphere Inc. at (404) 885-8728 or visit www.atlantagateway.org.