President Bill Clinton to Address Ex-Im Bank's 2012 Annual Conference April 12th - 13th 2012

WASHINGTON, February 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

President Bill Clinton will offer a keynote address to the Ex-Im Bank 2012 Annual Conference on April 12th, Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States' (Ex-Im Bank) announced today.

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"President Clinton's insights into the world's ever-changing dynamics will help Conference attendees understand the global landscape and how America's exporters and lenders can better compete in the international marketplace," said Hochberg.

President Clinton will speak on the first day of the Conference, held on April 12-13 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The theme of the Conference is "Made in the USA: Your Competitive Edge".  President Clinton founded the Clinton Foundation, with the mission to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods, and protect the environment by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private citizens to turn good intentions into measurable results. He also founded the Clinton Global Initiative, an annual meeting that convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges.

Also speaking at the Conference are Samuel Allen, Chairman and CEO, Deere & Company; Scott Davis, Chairman and CEO, UPS;  Ellen Kullman, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Dupont;  Andrew Liveris, President, CEO and Chairman, Dow Chemical Company; David Rhodes, President, CBS News; David Rubenstein, Co-founder and Managing Director, The Carlyle Group;  Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University; and Robert Wolf, Chairman, UBS Americas.

The 2012 Annual Conference presents a unique opportunity for companies around the world to meet U.S. exporters of all sizes. This year's conference will feature a special "Business Speed Networking" session that will bring together foreign buyers and American sellers in one-on-one introductory meetings aimed to facilitate deal making.

Attendees include more than 1,200 exporters, representatives of financial institutions, foreign trade partners, and government officials. At the event, participants will have an opportunity to meet Ex-Im Bank staff and other U.S. government representatives and obtain detailed information about export finance and trade products and programs.

This conference sold out in 2010 and 2011. Online registration and more information about the Conference, including the preliminary agenda and other conference updates is available at http://www.exim.gov/news/annualconf/2012/index.cfm.

"Business Speed Networking" for non-U.S. buyers and U.S. exporters

• Exclusive, ground-breaking technology connects non-U.S. buyers to U.S. exporters
• One-on-one meetings are scheduled with representatives from companies of your choice within target industries 
• Participants self-select their meeting partners

Speed Networking participants will receive an email two to three weeks prior to the conference inviting them to self-select and schedule meetings with a designated number of partners. Other participants will also have the option of selecting a meeting with you. The meeting selection process goes both ways! Participants will receive a printout of their meeting schedule prior to the conference and at registration.  Space is limited and online registration for speed networking is also available.

About Ex-Im Bank

Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. In the past five years, Ex-Im Bank has earned for U.S. taxpayers $1.9 billion above the cost of operations. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees, export-credit insurance and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.

Ex-Im Bank approved $32.7 billion in total authorizations in FY 2011 -- an all-time Ex-Im record. This total includes more than $6 billion directly supporting small-business export sales -- also an Ex-Im record. Ex-Im Bank's total authorizations are supporting an estimated $41 billion in U.S. export sales and approximately 290,000 American jobs in communities across the country. For more information, visit http://www.exim.gov.