Austrade media release

Thursday, 6 December 2007

G’Day USA: Australia Week 2008 is back providing Australian businesses with unmatched opportunities to showcase their talents and products first-hand to the United States, opening greater export avenues at a range of events being held in Los Angeles and New York, 17-26 January, 2008.

Building on the enormous success of previous years, having started as G’Day LA: Australia Week in 2004, the event has become the largest foreign country promotion in the US which includes New York for the second year.

In January, the expanded G’Day USA program will stage a wide range of events to promote Australian expertise in diverse industries such as art, entertainment, tourism, wine, film, food and beverages, energy, fashion, education, investment and sport.

The United States is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner, with annual two-way merchandise trade between the two countries now worth more than A$47.7 billion and represents a valuable market for Australian businesses looking to expand internationally.

Austrade’s Los Angeles-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Sally-Ann Watts, said the 2008 programme will see Australian celebrities and businesses, trade and investment professionals, film and art experts, fashion designers and tourism experiences along with Australian food and wine come together in events from Los Angeles to New York.
 

“The program kicks off with a month long in-store promotion of Australian gourmet food and beverages at leading speciality supermarket retailers Bristol Farms on the west coast and Citarella stores in the east. Australian culinary delights will also be on show at Winter Fancy Foods 2008 in San Diego, one the most significant specialty food trade shows which attracts over 30,000 buyers from the US,” Ms Watts said.
 

“Australian celebrity chefs, Luke Mangan, Neil Perry and Shannon Bennett, will join Hollywood chef Wolfgang Puck to showcase Australian cuisine to G’DAY USA participants. Each chief will incorporate their own signature native twist on their menus with fresh ingredients flown in from Australia.

“Other events include business seminars, film premieres, fashion shows, as well as an energy and climate change forum on renewable technologies,” Ms Watts said.
 

Austrade’s New York-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Gerard Seeber, said the events planned for New York City further promote Australia’s world-class capabilities across a range of industries including design excellence, fashion and financial services.

“Building on the momentum created by the success of last year’s inaugural New York events, the 2008 program includes a financial services day, a wine festival, an innovation day, Wildlife Warriors Worldwide benefit, a two-day fashion show highlighting 10 designers and culminating with the Australia Day Black Tie Gala,” Mr Seeber said.

Austrade has a network devoted to the US market providing extensive support for Australian exporters in the US market with representation in 18 US cities, eight specialist industry teams and a dedicated network of US Export Advisers around Australia.

G’Day USA: Australia Week 2008 is produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tourism Australia, Austrade and Qantas Airways. Australia Week is also supported by six State Governments and over 35 sponsors.

For further information on events being held during Australia Week please visit www.australia-week.com.

Sally-Ann Watts, Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Los Angeles, is available for media interviews.

ENDS

Media contact

Sarkis Khoury
Tel: +61 2 9390 2118
Mob: +61 414 401 072

For further news and information from the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) visit www.austrade.gov.au/mediacentre.