The Mayor’s Office of
International Business hosted 34 foreign
delegations in Richardson in 2013. The delegations represented 30 different
countries and more than 75 foreign company executives, local foreign government
officials, investors and educational officials. In addition, three Ambassadors
to the U.S. visited Richardson representing Japan, Rwanda and Tanzania. Four Consul Generals to the State of Texas and their trade and investment staff also visited Richardson representing Japan, UK/Scotland, Canada and Indonesia. All visitors to the city received economic
development presentations and marketing materials for consideration of future
foreign direct investment in the city.

 Richardson City Council and officials with French visitors

Director of the Mayor’s
Office of International Business Mike Skelton conducted two overseas economic
development trips in 2013, including a combined trip to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress Conference and southern
France cities of Marseilles and Nice (the Telecom Valley of France). A second
trip was made to Brazil to attend the International Association of Science Parks (IASP)/Areas
of Innovation annual conference in Recife. He then visited the city of Rio de Janeiro as the guest of Rio City Council Member Mr. Eliseu
Kessler. Skelton also attended the Select USA Investment Summit in Washington DC and the Texas Secretary of State Consular Corp
Reception in Austin, Texas.