SEUS/Japan Conducts Annual Florida-Japan Summit Program At The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens

MIAMI - May 28, 2014 - PRLog -- FLORIDA DELEGATION, SOUTHEAST U.S./JAPAN ASSOCIATION ('SEUS/JAPAN') successfully conducted its 11^th Annual Florida-Japan Summit. This year’s Summit was hosted by and presented in partnership with The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, FL, from 1:45 – 5:00 pm with a total of 153 registered participants. Special guest speakers included: Florida Secretary of State Kenneth Detzner; the Honorable Shinji Nagashima, Consul General, Consulate General of Japan in Miami; and Minister Hideaki Mizukoshi, Head of Chancery, Embassy of Japan, Washington D.C. Mr. Randal Baker, President, the Morikami’s board of trustees, and Mr. Keith Norden, Secretary-Treasurer, and Dave Woodward, Executive Director, SEUS/Japan provided welcome, introductions and closing remarks, respectively.

This year’s program agenda included two sequential panels on Florida-Japan business/tourism and educational/cultural ties. The business panel included remarks by the chief operating officer of Enterprise Florida, Inc., Mr. Griff Salmon, who commented on that organization’s business development activities with Japan. In addition to the half-day summit program presented, a networking reception was held immediately following from 5:00-6:30 PM at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens for all registered participants. The reception program included welcoming remarks by the Mayor of Palm Beach County Priscilla Taylor and Palm Beach County Commissioner Mary Lou Berger, along with special remarks by a visiting Wakayama Prefecture, Japan senior government official regarding the upcoming 20^th anniversary of the State of Florida’s official sister state relationship with Wakayama. A total of 153 participants registered for this year's Summit. SEUS/Japan organizes and carries out the Annual Summit meeting programs around the state; this was the second time the Morikami has hosted this event, as it hosted the 1st Summit in May 2003. At the end of this year's Summit, it was announced that the 12^th Annual Florida-Japan Summit will be held at Florida International University’s Asian Studies Institute in April 2015 (exact dates TBA).

Enterprise Florida, Weiner, Lynne, and Thompson, P.A., Team Volusia EDC and the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance co-sponsored this year’s Summit. Additional support was provided by the following supporting partners: The Florida Atlantic University School of Urban and Regional Planning; The Palm Beach Business Development Board; The Japan Foundation for Global Partnership; The Beacon Council; The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce; The Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce; The Florida Department of Agriculture; The World Trade Center Miami; The Doral Chamber of Commerce; Mason Vitamins; The Consulate General of Japan in Miami; and The Organization of Women in Int'l Trade.

Founded in 1975, the mission of Florida Delegation, SEUS/Japan is to promote ties of trade, investment, tourism, education and friendship between Florida, Japan, and six other southeast U.S. states through an annual joint meeting program hosted in regular rotation by SEUS/Japan member states and Japan. Florida Delegation, SEUS/Japan has individual, non-profit and corporate membership programs open to all individuals, businesses and organizations interested in supporting Florida Delegation, SEUS/Japan's mission. The next 37^th Annual SEUS/Japan joint meeting will be held this coming September 18-20, in Tokyo at the New Otani Hotel. Visit us online at http://www.fl-seusjapan.org/upcoming-events, or contact us by phone, (786) 235-8289 or by email info@fl-seusjapan.org for more details.