WTC New Orleans debuts new business expansion platform

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The World Trade Center New Orleans has unveiled a new platform developed for New Orleans and Gulf Coast businesses that will allow them to expand their enterprises. The platform debuted at the organization’s annual International Trade Day event on Wednesday.

The Business Expansion Platform uses Artificial Intelligence technology to connect businesses to other companies, resources and data relevant to each company’s business objectives. WTC officials said the platform, powered by tech firm Expandigo, will help alleviate some of these issues companies face and help fuel their growth.

Ed Webb, CEO of World Trade Center New Orleans, said many times companies will search for this assistance but find something that either is irrelevant or erroneous to their business. In the WTCNO platform, users start by describing their business, what industry and markets they serve and what they are trying to achieve. The platform then matches their company to relevant companies, prospective customers, suppliers and service providers.

Webb said this will allow smaller and mid-sized firms to compete with larger companies which typically already have this technology in place. There has been a gradual shift to a more global and digital economy in recent years, and Webb said the COVID-19 pandemic sped up this process and made the Business Expansion Platform even more necessary.

“As we set our sights on making 2021 a year of renewed growth for our members, the World Trade Center New Orleans recognizes that businesses need a better way to navigate a new normal,” Webb said. “Our members have an opportunity to preview a powerful new offering so they can build communities of companies aligned with their business goals.”

According to a news release, there will be a preview phase of the new platform, where WTCNO members will help develop additional features such as recommended connections to resources and data that are also tailored to individual business objectives. The A.I. technology will progressively grow over time as its functions get smarter and provide more value as more businesses use the platform. To learn more, visit the WTCNO website.

WTCNO is a nonprofit member organization, founded as the International House in 1944, and is currently comprised of more than 1,000 member representatives. The organization was the first of what are now more than 300 World Trade Center organizations in nearly 100 countries, all of which are members of the World Trade Centers Association, which was founded in New Orleans in 1968.