PROVIDENCE, R.I.  â€” Rhode Island Commerce, in partnership with the International Trade Council, is set to welcome hundreds of business and economic development leaders from around the world at next week’s  2023 Go Global Awards.
Scheduled for Monday, November 6 — Wednesday, November 8, the Go Global Awards program is an annual conference that showcases and celebrates companies and government leaders that are driving the economy forward through innovations, technologies, and strategies. The three-day event will feature a series of panel discussions with insight from Rhode Islanders and global leaders alike; live pitch contests; organized site visits to local businesses and tourism hotspots; and after-hours networking events.
“We are pleased to host this year’s Go Global Awards festivities, and we look forward to showcasing everything that makes the Ocean State a competitive, attractive place to launch and grow a business for our guests,” said  Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Liz Tanner. “The purpose of this annual event is to encourage international partnerships that lead to creating jobs and economic opportunities. Rhode Island has a great story to tell, and we are excited to have the platform to tell it.”
Rhode Island Commerce was awarded the opportunity to host this year’s event after being named the Economic Development Agency of the Year at last year’s Go Global Awards, hosted in Estonia.
The first two days of the Go Global Awards will primarily take place at the Omni Providence and feature a diverse lineup of panel discussions and guest speakers, including welcome remarks from Rhode Island Governor  Dan McKee; a Q&A with U.S. Senators  Jack Reed  and  Sheldon Whitehouse  (Monday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m.), and a panel discussion focused on “Doing Business in the USA” featuring insights from both Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce  Liz Tanner  and Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development  Yvonne Hao  (Monday, November 6 at 10:45 a.m.).
Additional guest speakers on Monday and Tuesday include WaterFire Providence Founder & Executive Artistic Director  Barnaby Evans; former Estonian Ambassador to the United States  H.E. Sven Jurgenson; Colombian Ambassador to the United States  Luis Gilberto Murillo; Rhode Island Israel Collaborative Co-Founder & President  Avi Nevel; University of Rhode Island President  Marc Parlange; SelectUSA Executive Director  Jasjit Singh; Providence Mayor  Brett Smiley; UK Peer Viscount Lord  John Desmond Waverley, Canadian Senator  David Wells; and dozens more.
Special, after-hours events include a Welcome Reception hosted at  CIC Providence  on Monday evening, and a  WaterFire Basin Lighting  on Tuesday evening. The three-day event will conclude on Wednesday, November 8 with an Awards Dinner featuring remarks from former Providence Mayor and U.S. Ambassador  Joseph R. Paolino, Jr.  and U.S. Commerce Deputy Director General  James Golsen.
“The Go Global Awards stand as a catalyst, bringing together government and enterprises with global trade, procurement, and foreign direct investment ambitions. The State of Rhode Island, our gracious host this year, offers an exceptional backdrop for this convergence,” noted  Ranjani Rangan, Chairperson of the International Trade Council. “Here, amidst the vibrant economic landscape ripe with opportunities, attendees seek to unearth the synergies that help to propel our global economy forward, transforming aspirations into tangible accomplishments.”
Sponsors for the 2023 Go Global Awards, many of whom are hosting information tables on Monday and Tuesday, include Quonset Development Corporation, Bryant University, Adler Pollock & Sheehan, CIC Providence, Hope & Main, Rhode Island REALTORS, JF Moran, Unity Park and Green and Spiegel.
Additional supporters hosting information tables and/or site visits throughout the event include Blount Boats; Discover Newport; EDESIA, Inc.; the Governor’s Workforce Board; The Guild Brewing Company; JARC RI; Leadership Rhode Island; Polaris MEP; ProColombia; Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau; Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; RIHUB; the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation; and SelectUSA.
A full agenda for the three-day event is available at  www.GoGlobalAwards.org.