With the 2022 Winter Olympics set to take place in Beijing, AS/COA's Vice President Eric Farnsworth explained what it will mean for the Chinese and international markets. "Asia really is the growth market for winter sports as well as sports generally," Farnsworth told CCTV. "If China brings 300 million new entrants to winter sports as leisure participants, that's almost the entire population of the United States."

The legacy of the massive event will be another important aspect, Farnsworth added, and the $3.9 billion project will require the support and commitment of the overall community.

Speakers:

• Christine Zhenwei Qiang, Practice Manager, Investment Climate Unit, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank Group
• Roberto Echandi, Global Lead, Investment Policy, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank (via video)

Keynote speaker Roberto Echandi broke down how countries can strategize to attract and maintain foreign direct investment that creates the right jobs for an economy.

(Video starts at 11:11)

Keynote Speaker:

• Aníbal Gaviria, Mayor of Medellin, Colombia (Download his presentation)

Panel Discussion:

• Maria Elosua, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urban Planning, New York University
• Bryna Lipper, Vice President For Relationships, 100 Resilient Cities - Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation
• Carolina Barco, Senior Advisor, Emerging Sustainable Cities, Inter-American Development Bank (Moderator)

Americas Society/Council of the Americas launched its Latin American Mayors Series with Aníbal Gaviria, mayor of Medellin, Colombia. Mayor Gaviria gave a presentation on the state of the city of Medellin and the policies that have made it the most “Innovative City of the Year” according to the Citi/Urban Land Institute/Wall Street Journal contest in 2012. The presentation was followed by a panel with leaders from government, philanthropy, and urban planning to discuss how innovative interventions have transformed  Medellin's economic performance while also improving the quality of life of its citizens. Panelists also shared views on the challenges and priorities for cities in Latin America to become globally competitive.