On Monday, May 12, 2008 The Honorable Eduardo Aguirre, U.S. Ambassador to Spain, led a group of 20 Spanish companies to North Texas on a business mission targeting the IT, life sciences, energy, and food products sectors. The Greater Dallas Chamber was proud to welcome Texas Governor Rick Perry to the evening reception to meet Ambassador Aguirre and the Spanish delegation.

Greater Dallas Chamber Chairman of the Board, Robert A. Chereck introduced Governor Perry. The Governor encouraged the delegates and attendees to continue fostering business relationships between Spain and Texas.

Ambassador Aguirre addressed the audience on the growth of Spain and it’s involvement in the North Texas region. He felt that the two areas had many similarities and had great potential for growth.Earlier Monday morning, the Greater Dallas Chamber arranged business-to-business meetings between the Spanish business delegates and local business executives to spur commercialization and economic collaboration between the two regions. Members of the Chamber’s Technology Business Council’s Sustainable Technologies Committee met with Spanish delegates to discuss industry trends and opportunities for renewable energy, green building and energy efficiency. A number of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center representatives spoke to the university and life science-focused companies in the delegation about research partnerships between companies and institutions. The Spanish food and beverage companies took tours of local grocery stores to learn about product placement of Spanish wines and cheeses.  Mary Kay hosted the delegation for lunch, treating them to a tour of its headquarters and history. The MeadowsMuseum at Southern Methodist University welcomed Ambassador Aguirre and the delegation for breakfast and a tour of the current exhibit of Spanish art on display.

The reception was sponsored by: The American Chamber of Commerce in Spain, Chiang Patel & Yerby, Inc., Godwin Pappas & Ronquillo PC and Hudspeth & Associates.

A video of Monday evening’s reception will be available later this week at www.dallaschamber.org.

To learn more about the Chamber’s International Business Council and its initiatives and services, visit the Greater Dallas Chamber’s website at www.dallaschamber.org/global or contact JP Northern at 214-712-1930.

The Greater Dallas Chamber’s International Business Council’s mission is to unite and engage the international business community of North Texas and promote the region’s global growth.

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(Note to Editors: For photo/interview opportunities please contact Jo Trizila at 214-746-6690)