The impact of trade missions – an attendee’s perspective

TO trade mission or not to trade mission?

This is the question.

Whether you are a business owner, corporate professional or solopreneur, attending a trade mission can be one of the best investments for your business and your professional repertoire. In an increasingly competitive landscape, differentiating oneself professionally/one’s business, is of paramount importance. This can be achieved with access to uniquely positioned trade missions from esteemed business service organisations such as the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TT Chamber). Consider the return on investment that can be gained from attending a trade mission overseas that positions you/your company for technological, operational, marketing and global business excellence.

The TT Chamber recently deployed its trade mission to the NAB Show, Las Vegas, Nevada, from April 6-9; the ultimate destination for media, entertainment and technology professionals, to explore innovations and connect with industry leaders. This was the first in its series of 2025 trade missions, an initiative of the Trade and Business Development Unit, with an objective to help businesses expand market reach, discover new technologies and poise themselves for growth.

As artificial intelligence (AI) vehemently impacts every industry with ongoing momentum, it is refreshing to access these trade missions that afford exposure to the latest AI advancements and technological trends, which affect every angle of a business’ cross function and throughput. Gaining exposure to enhancements in technology and how to leverage such, translate into improved business processes, efficiencies, streamlining, cost-savings and capacity building.

Technology aside, first-hand visibility of global industry trends and knowledge dissemination acquired from business-to-business meetings with professionals/leaders operating in a global space, serve to actively nudge a business owner’s understanding of two critical elements. Firstly, it aids businesses to actively identifying the opportunities that exist beyond our shores and realise more efficient export opportunities. Secondly, it facilitates a formidable line of sight for one’s business, to address the gaps between the local and export markets, to assess the propensity to navigate in the direction of global trends and to keep abreast of global perspectives as it relates to areas of significant business impact.

While TT is brimming with a diverse, talented and innovative skill force, trade missions facilitate networking on new global levels resulting in the formation of new business partnerships and alliances from international portfolios. Pre-arranged business-to-business mapping is done by the TT Chamber for attendees and this lends to curated business meetings on site at the trade mission. Visibility of the trade mission’s programming presented pre-deployment, by the TT Chamber, also lends to optimal use of an attendee’s schedule at the trade mission.

Of equal importance is the resultant hyper-targeted local networking, a much welcomed and direct result of being a part of a cohort of trade mission attendees. Key stakeholders dispersed throughout the geographic footprint of the country, coalesce into a business hub of thriving synergies, in one-to-one, many-to-one and one-to-many business support mapping frameworks. The dynamics of being a travelling team, serve as an impetus for local professionals with aligned needs and services, to enter into new local business partnerships.

Trade missions drive the currency of human relationships, business partnerships, supplier-client relationships, export-import relationships and ultimately, new friendships.

The trade mission’s anthem: opportunity, investment, value-adding returns.

The recipe for success has been clearly devised by the TT Chamber and is nourishing businesses locally in Trinidad and Tobago to achieve growth, realise potential, bridge gaps, build strategically, partner efficiently, network skillfully and adapt globally.

Krista-Lee Lookit, CEO and founder of That Lookit Brand, attended the TT Chamber’s trade mission to Las Vegas in April.