Request for Speaker to Address E-Commerce Entrepreneurship

UNCLAS AMMAN 002062 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/PPD - ZAIBACK; IIP/G/NEA - LECHTENBERG-KASTEN; NEA/ELA - RANA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO SCUL JO SUBJECT: Request for Speaker to Address E-Commerce Entrepreneurship ¶1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: U.S. Speaker program addressing E-commerce. ¶2. TIME FRAME: Fourth Quarter, FY-07; 3-day program. ¶3. PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: Amman requests a speaker to address the topic of E-commerce. Ideally, we would like a successful entrepreneur who has started or greatly expanded his or her business using the Internet. Jordanians are good businesspeople, but have just recently begun to get wired up with broadband connections. This is an area ripe for engagement and has the potential to boost bilateral trade as well as stimulate the local economy. The purpose of the program would be to explain how successful E-commerce is conducted in the U.S. and elsewhere, how to get started in E-commerce or else expand a business that way, and how to meet government requirements to protect data privacy and preserve financial security. ¶4. AUDIENCES: We request a speaker for three days to address young entrepreneurs, business school students, established but traditional business people, government regulators, and IT professionals, as well as the media. ¶5. PROPOSED TOPICS AND NATURE OF EVENTS: Lectures, discussion programs, media roundtables, and other representational events in which the speaker would describe and explain E-commerce strategies and opportunities. ¶6. TYPE OF SPECIALIST REQUIRED: A successful E-commerce entrepreneur. Ideally, this person would have some familiarity with the business environment of the Middle East, but this is not required. If an entrepreneur is not available, we would request a business school professor familiar with the topic. ¶7. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: Spoken Arabic language proficiency preferred, but not required. ¶8. REQUESTS FOR SUPPORTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIALS: Materials offering an overview or history of E-commerce. ¶9. POST CONTACT INFORMATION: Public Diplomacy Officer Cynthia Harvey (address: American Embassy Amman, Public Affairs Unit 70205, APO AE 09892; office: 962-6-590-6289; e-mail: harveycr@state.gov, and Cultural Affairs Assistant Tania Haddad, office tel. 962-6-590-6573; e-mail: haddadta@state.gov. ¶10. FUNDING: Post I-Bucks. ¶11. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Post's preferred time frame is between June 1 and August 30, 2007. We would welcome additional nearby posts' interest in picking up the speaker for additional programming. Hale