Business students invite community to International Trade Show

Planning a trip to Norway, Fiji, Australia, Italy or Thailand? Eager to know more about its customs, food, languages and transportation?

The Second Annual International Trade Show at the University of Maine is just the ticket to learn about these countries and 30 other global destinations.

UMaine students in Clint Relyea’s Introduction to International Business course invite people from campus and surrounding communities to the trade show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at the New Balance Student Recreation Center.

More than 100 student “economic development officers” will be discussing the exports, history, education and health care systems of the selected countries, said Relyea, a Maine Business School lecturer in management.

To prepare, students have corresponded with consulates and embassies from Barbados to Turkey to learn about U.S. businesses in the global economy. They’ve focused on world trade and investments, international economic relationships and understanding cultural diversities.

They also analyzed challenges and opportunities involved with establishing, conducting and maintaining business activities in worldwide markets, Relyea said.

The student exhibitions will be evaluated on content — including relevance and quality of information — as well as overall appearance and creativity. Judges will be: Jeffrey Porter, director of the U.S. Export Assistance Center of Maine; Jeffrey Bennett, senior trade specialist for the Maine International Trade Center; and Lucy Sommo, director of international recruitment at the University of Maine.

Relyea said last year’s well-attended show — intended to introduce the world to the Maine Business School and introduce the Maine Business School to the world — was a hit with students and attendees. In reflective papers, Relyea said students indicated they learned a great deal from the hands-on, experiential project.

One team was so inspired and curious, it visited Austria — the country it had researched.

To share the show’s academic successes with a wider audience, Relyea and Sarath Nonis from Arkansas State University will present a paper they authored at the June meeting of the Academy of International Business in New Orleans.

Contact:  Beth Staples, 207.581.3777