Strasbourg, France, April 14, 2004--A special seminar, "Doing Business in the USA," will be held April 27 during SPIE's new Photonics Europe symposium here April 26-30, 2004. Sponsored by Laser Focus World magazine, this half-day event will explore the opportunities, challenges, and pitfalls of entering the US optoelectronics and photonics marketplace.
The seminar will present a series of invited talks from industry veterans aimed at explaining key differences in US business practice as compared to Europe. Business success in the USA depends on understanding cultural, legal, regulatory, and other differences; case studies from companies that have made the transition will put this information into a "real world" perspective.
Specific presentations will include: US Channel Strategies for European Photonics Manufacturers (Phil Crowley, MarketTech); Intellectual Property Issues Facing European Photonics Manufacturers in the USA (Joseph Gortych Esq., PLLC); Presenting your Products to US Photonics Customers (Jean-Michel Pelaprat, Figulus Consulting); and Case Studies for Doing Business in the US Market (Michael Brownell, Powerlase).
The program is designed for investors, business leaders, marketers and others in the European optics and photonics industry who are considering whether or not to enter the US market--either by expansion of an existing business or by starting a new venture. The seminar is free to Photonics Europe attendees and 75¿ (US$92) for non-attendees. For more information about the seminar and other Photonics Europe special events, visit http://spie.org/Conferences/Programs/04/epe/specialevents.
Exhibits sold out
According to SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering (Bellingham, WA) participation in Photonics Europe is projected to include more than 150 exhibitors and 1600 attendees--in fact SPIE says exhibit space is already sold out. The conference program will include overviews of new and developing technologies, discussions on funding mechanisms, explanations of successful industry/research collaborations, and overviews on new product development with case studies.
"Photonics Europe is built around the most current topics related to optics and photonics worldwide," said Symposia Chair Hugo Thienpont of Vrije University Brussel. "Focused on the European Framework VI program, the issues and solutions to be presented will be the foundation for future innovation and product development. We are excited to introduce this meeting as the premier technical symposium in Europe." For more information about the Photonics Europe conference program, visit http://spie.org/conferences/programs/04/epe/.