Israel-America Chamber of Commerce

Happy Passover to all
The Chamber will be closed April 8-15. For urgent visa-related issues,
contact Ariela Hezi-Ashkenazi at 054-3020759.

Future Events

The Chamber's Annual Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony

The Chamber will hold its annual Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at the Herzliya residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The guest speaker will be MK Tzipi Livni, Chairwoman of Kadima and former Foreign Minister. Invitations will be mailed shortly to Members of the Chamber.

Seminar: Escaping the Crisis: Financing Projects and Equipment with Assistance from the U.S. Government

The Chamber, together with the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, The Israel Export Institute and Atrafin, a Member of the Chamber, will hold a seminar on Escaping the Crisis: Financing Projects and Equipment with Assistance from the U.S. Government.

The seminar will take place on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 8:30-11:15a.m., at the Federation, 84 HaHashmonaim St., 2^nd Floor.

The event will take place in both Hebrew and English. Participation is free but registration is required. An invitation is attached.

Seminar: Branding Israel

The Chamber will hold a seminar on the Branding of Israel, together with the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce on Thursday, April 23, 2009, 4-6p.m., at the Federation conference room, 84 Ha'Hashmonaim St. in Tel Aviv.

Mr. Ido Aharoni, Head of the Brand Management Team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will present the Branding Israel Project, an image and economic project designed to improve Israel’s public image around the world. The project is backed by seven years of research of an international study by the Israel Brand Project in North America, Europe and Asia. The seminar will take place in Hebrew.

To RSVP, contact the Chamber, Tel: 03-6952341, email: amcham@amcham.co.il.

Conference: Procedures for Obtaining Visas to the U.S.

The Chamber invites its Members to participate in a conference on the Procedures for Obtaining Visas to the U.S. The event will take place Wednesday-Friday, April 22-24, 2009 at Tel-Aviv Sheraton Hotel and the U.S. Embassy.

The conference will offer a close-up look at the procedures for obtaining visas to the United States. The Conference is being held with the assistance and participation of the U.S. Embassy in Tel-Aviv, and the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem.

The complete educational program, with registration details, can be found on the dedicated Conference website: http://eventact.arnon-paz.co.il/demo/aila/.

For further information, contact Attorney Liam Schwartz, chair of the Chamber Visa Committee: Liam@lsa-law.com

Past Events

Meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Hon. James B. Cunningham

" Israel will be able to recover relatively easy from the economic crisis, thanks to its emphasis on hi-tech and services," said the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Hon. James B. Cunningham, during his first meeting with Members of the Chamber on March 26, 2009. The event took place following the Annual General Meeting of the Chamber and the Annual General Meeting of its Zeev Grodecki Scholarship Fund.

APCAC Meeting

The Annual Conference of the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers (APCAC), which met in March in Singapore, hosted 250 guests from the region, including senior representatives from the U.S. government in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and more. 

The APCAC conference, in the wake of the global economic crisis, was aimed at creating a position paper, of all the Asian chambers, to be discussed during the Asian Economic Conference in October 2009, with the participation of U.S. President Barack Obama and the leaders of the Asian countries.

The Israeli Chamber, an Associate member of APCAC, was represented by Advocate Yossi Ben-Dror, Member of the Board of Directors, and Tamar Guy, Executive Director of the Chamber

Business Opportunities

To publish your own business opportunity in the U.S. and Israel, contact Amos Fabian, amos@amcham.co.il.

Business Opportunities from Israel

1. An Israeli company, developer of footwear that corrects flat-feet while getting rid of insoles and allowing freedom of movement at the ankle, is seeking a manufacturing agreement or a joint venture agreement.
2. An Israeli business development company would like to assist companies in penetrating the Israeli market or expanding its operations here (225).
3. A producer of red light phototherapy devices is seeking importers or distributors in the health care or cosmetic industries (226).

Business Opportunities from the U.S.

1. Florida provider of vitamins and food additives is seeking business relationships with importers and distributors to market its products under a private label and/or the manufacturer's commercial name. For information, contact Yael Torres at the Commercial Section of the U.S. Embassy,

Tel: 03-5197611.

1. Georgia manufacturer and marketer of jewelry is seeking representatives.
2. Pennsylvania manufacturer of tropical juices is seeking representatives.
3. Georgia manufacturer of pretzels and other snacks is seeking concessionaires willing to invest between $50,000 and $100,000.
4. Delaware manufacturer of Natural Gas Heat Pumps is seeking agents and distributors.
5. Georgia TexMex restaurant chain is seeking concessionaires.
6. Delaware provider of management and financial advisory services to businesses and organizations is seeking clients.
7. Georgia manufacturer of applications for treating severe wounds and injuries is seeking representatives.

Benefits for Members

English in your own free time – online!

The Chamber, with The Q Group, is offering members an online, low-intermediate-level English business course for all your international business and travel needs.

Q Business Traveler allows you to study the specific English you will need in 16 business and travel situations, including: travel, hotels, greetings, eating out, socializing, work, directions, and appointments.

The Q Business Traveler offers you the chance to improve your:

• reading, pronunciation, grammar, and speaking skills.
• overall vocabulary – including words and expressions.
• American and British spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

You can purchase the course only through the Chamber, at a special discount – NIS250 for Chamber Members, NIS350 for others. The number of licenses is limited. For more information, contact Amos: amos@amcham.co.il

Chamber Boardroom

The Chamber is providing its Members, at a symbolic price, its boardroom on the 8^th floor in the America House in Tel Aviv. Up to 18 people can be seated around the table, or up to 35 people in a theatre configuration. Services include a first-rate projector, a "barcode" for presentation purposes. To make use of the boardroom, contact the Chamber.

Fast-Track Visa to the U.S.

The Chamber assists its Members with a fast-track service for interviews for visas to the U.S. The service is designated only for business trips. The service includes a fee.

For information, contact the Chamber.

Make sure you renew your visa well before its expiration deadline.

Mandatory Registration Prior to Visa-Free Travel to the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the implementation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a Web-based system for the collection of information on Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nationals prior to boarding U.S.-bound air or sea carriers. Registration in ESTA is mandatory for citizens of all 34 VWP countries.
For information www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html

New Members

19 companies have joined the Chamber in 2009. The following companies have joined the Chamber in the last month: