slideshow

Zions Bank will host its 11^th annual Trade and Business Conference on Wednesday, May 23, from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Downtown Marriott. 

Carly Fiorina, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005, will keynote the event with a presentation on global competitiveness and innovation.  During her tenure at HP, Fiorina doubled revenues to $88 billion and generated 11 patents a day, with significantly improved profitability and cash flow.  Despite controversy and opposition, she successfully acquired and integrated Compaq Computer, in what is now seen as one of the most successful high-tech mergers in history.

A promoter of global trade and business, Fiorina is co-chair of the U.S. Leadership in Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies as well as on the Leadership Council of the Initiative for Global Development. She is a founding supporter of the African Leadership Academy and a founder of the One Woman Initiative. She has also served on the Defense Business Board, as the chairman of the CIA’s External Advisory Board and on the Advisory Group for Transformational Diplomacy for the Department of State.

The half-day conference runs from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost of the event is $35 and includes lunch.  Register online at www.zionsbank.com/conference or by calling (801) 844-8573. Seating is limited, so early registration is recommended.

Additional speakers at this year’s event include: David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue and Brazil’s Azul airlines and Max Boot, a leading military historian and foreign-policy analyst who is a senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Stephen Moore, senior economics writer at the Wall Street Journal.

“We’ve designed this annual event to appeal to all leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises, not just those currently involved in trade,” said Zions Bank President and CEO Scott Anderson.  “Our goal is to feature top-notch speakers who can help local businesses think of new ways to innovate, compete and grow jobs in an increasingly global environment.”

During the event, Zions Bank will also honor Jas. D. Easton, Inc. as the recipient of the “Global Pacesetter” award — a distinction given annually to a Utah company demonstrating international success.  Jas D. Easton’s operating subsidiaries include Salt Lake City-based Hoyt Archery and Easton Technical Products, which designs, manufactures and markets arrows, arrow shafts and tent poles.

The conference comes at a time when companies based in the Intermountain West are growing overseas.  Utah merchandise exports increased 37 percent in 2011 compared to 2010, growing from $13.8 billion to $18.9 billion, according to the International Trade Administration.