In fact, the region’s prosperity is built on the strong, mutually beneficial partnership between the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces that comprise it, and with the countries’ federal governments. And in today’s aggressively borderless climate of global business and trade, the two countries must seek ways to work together more effectively than ever—not only to maintain the strategic advantage of this shared economic powerhouse, but also to capitalize on new and emerging opportunities.

Every business, level of government, organization and individual has an important role to play in this process. The business roundtable at the Great Lakes Economic Forum is an opportunity for industry leaders to share insights about key trends, challenges and opportunities with respect to doing ease of doing business in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region and across the border between the United States and Canada.

The business roundtables in Buffalo on March 27 will provide business leaders with an opportunity to share their views on the global economy and how the region is positioning itself to respond to global economic risks and opportunities recognizing that international trade, both exports and imports, is estimated to support over 2.5 million New York jobs according to the Washington, D.C. based Business Roundtable, with Canada being the state’s top export market for goods and services, which was valued at close to USD$16 billion in 2012.

More important, the discussion will provide an opportunity for roundtable participants to shape the development of an ambitious and practical regional economic agenda in the lead up to the Great Lakes Economic Forum, which is taking place in Chicago from April 26-28, 2015 and will bring together 300+ leaders from business, government, academia and the NGO community to discuss key economic policy issues in fortifying the region’s strategic advantage, such as manufacturing, labor mobility, energy, multi-modal logistics, infrastructure modernization, economic clusters, border management, and regulatory cooperation.

Prominent speakers appearing at the Forum include the Governor General of Canada, the Governor of Illinois, the Administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Canada, and the Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America. For more information about the program and speakers visit greatlakeseconomicforum.com.