Approximately 40 government, economic development and business leaders from the state of Georgia will travel to Biloxi, Mississippi Nov. 17-19 seeking opportunities between the Southeast and Japan. The 36^th annual meeting of the Southeast U.S. /Japan Association (SEUS/Japan) is expected to draw more than 400 attendees from Japan and the U.S. This year’s theme is “Success through Harmony, Tradition and Innovation.”

The Georgia delegation will be led by Secretary of State Brian Kemp.

“I am deeply impressed at the caliber of the companies and organizations that have gathered to cultivate relationships, including our delegation of nearly 40 Georgians,” said Kemp. “I look forward to strengthening the bonds between our Japanese friends over conversations and connections during the conference.”

The SEUS/Japan conference serves both regions as an opportunity to foster strategic business partnerships and mutually beneficial relationships. This year’s conference will focus on the successes and challenges presented during the nearly four decades of the alliance, strategies for continuous success in new competitive global markets, and the joint development of energy alternatives and resources. The conference provides a global forum, partnering industry members with buyers, collaborators and investors, encouraging growth and prosperity for both Japan and the Southeast United States.

Georgia participants in SEUS/Japan 2013 are: Marsh USA Inc.; the Metro Atlanta Chamber; iiicareer interesse international; Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP; the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce; Plante & Moran, PLLC; Berman Fink Van Horn P.C.; the Cartersville-Bartow Department of Economic Development; Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Lippman & Company LLC; Forcum Lannom Contractors, LLC; the Griffin-Spalding Development Authority; the Development Authority of Polk County; the Bartow County Government; Kajima Building & Design Group, Inc.; KBD Group; Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP; the City of Cartersville; Kajima International Inc.; the Savannah Economic Development Authority; Alston & Bird LLP; the Macon Economic Development Authority; Georgia Power, InSpec Group; the Georgia Ports Authority; Fifth Third Bank; and the Coweta County Development Authority.

In addition to these Georgia companies, Consul General Kazuo Sunaga of the Japanese Consulate General in Atlanta will be attending, as well as Yumiko Nakazono, the managing director of the state’s economic development office in Tokyo. Paul Amos, president of one of Georgia’s 16 Fortune 500 headquartered companies, Aflac, will be speaking about the company’s success both in the Georgia and Japan markets. Aflac is the the fifth most profitable foreign company in Japan, insuring one in every four Japanese households.

The SEUS/Japan Association continues to strengthen the economic ties between Georgia and Japan. Japan is a leading investor nation in Georgia with approximately 400 facilities in the state that employ more than 20,000 Georgians. Georgia is home to the Japanese Consulate General for the Southeast, the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. The state of Georgia’s office in Japan is the state’s oldest international economic development office, and recently celebrated its 40 year anniversary.