San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed announced state and federal leaders who will serve as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Honorary Host Committee members, to include Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Governor Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, U.S Senator Alex Padilla, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, City Attorney David Chiu and Chairman and CEO of East West Bank and Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council, Dominic Ng.
APEC will be the largest convening of world leaders in San Francisco since the UN Charter was signed in 1945 during the UN Conference on International Organization, also called the San Francisco Conference.
Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis will serve as APEC Host Committee Finance Chair. APEC, established in 1989, is the leading forum in the Asia-Pacific to facilitate trade and investment, economic growth, and regional cooperation. Through APEC, the United States seeks to advance a free, fair, and open economic policy agenda that benefits U.S. workers, businesses, and families. The 21 APEC member economies account for nearly 40 percent of the global population, or nearly 3 billion people, and nearly 50 percent of global trade.
Last month the City kicked off its first official launch event to raise visibility and share plans about the opportunities APEC 2023 will bring to San Francisco. Leading up to November, Mayor Breed and the Office of Protocol will host events for civic and business leaders to support the City’s sponsorship goal, providing the necessary support for APEC 2023 that is expected to draw in approximately 500 global CEOs, 1000 media representatives, and nearly 30,000 delegates from across APEC’s member economies.
“San Francisco is fortunate to have strong leaders who advocate for us on both the state and federal levels,” said Mayor London Breed. “That is also why I am so grateful that they are taking their commitment one step further by serving on the Honorary Host Committee to work with us on making sure we succeed in hosting APEC 2023. I know that as we work together, San Francisco will shine on the global stage as the world is coming to us.”
"As the representative of San Francisco in the Congress, it is my high privilege to serve on the APEC Honorary Host Committee as we prepare to welcome distinguished global leaders to our beloved City,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said. “In selecting San Francisco to host APEC 2023, President Biden and Vice President Harris recognize our City’s status as a gateway to the Indo-Pacific, an economic engine and proud home to a vibrant AAPI community. We look forward to November’s Meeting, which we hope will be a meaningful step to strengthening the partnership among leaders for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
“There is no better place in the nation to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit than California,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “San Francisco is both the birthplace of the United Nations as well as a hub for innovation that boasts deep cultural and economic ties with the Asia-Pacific region. I’m looking forward to welcoming world leaders to the Golden State later this year with open arms.”
“As Lieutenant Governor and as a proud San Franciscan, I am thrilled to join my colleagues as a member of the Honorary Host Committee for the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in November 2023,” said Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. “San Francisco’s and California’s economic prowess, along with our deep and long-standing ties with the Indo-Pacific region, make our City and State a natural choice to host the 2023 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week. I look forward to supporting the Biden-Harris Administration and the City of San Francisco to make APEC a success.”
“I’m proud to join with many of San Francisco’s outstanding leaders to serve on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Honorary Host Committee. California has long been an economic and cultural bridge between the United States and Asia, making our city the perfect choice to welcome world leaders,” said U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.
“I’m honored to serve as a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Honorary Host Committee. California’s powerhouse economy and the Bay Area’s leading tourism and trade industries will be front and center as we welcome our partner APEC member economies to San Francisco this November. I’m looking forward to helping strengthen our Asia-Pacific economic coalition as we come together to work towards shared growth and prosperity, and to address today’s most pressing global challenges,” said U.S. Senator Padilla.
“As California’s Treasurer I am honored to welcome attendees of APEC’s CEO Summit to San Francisco and California. The Bay Area and California economies have long been intertwined with those of Asia-Pacific governments. Working together in a spirit of cooperation to discuss our shared challenges and opportunities, the 2023 summit can help us achieve sustained, equitable prosperity for all APEC member economies,” said State Treasurer Fiona Ma.
"San Francisco has been a historic, cultural, and economic gateway between the United States and the Asia Pacific Rim. I am thrilled that APEC attendees from all over the world will be able to see all that San Francisco has to offer,” said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. “As Honorary Host Committee members, we are ready to roll up our sleeves to ensure APEC is a resounding success and San Francisco’s light shines bright.”
“Since becoming Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council last summer, I have been working closely with my counterparts throughout the Asia-Pacific on issues impacting the region,” said Dominic Ng, Chairman and CEO of East West Bank and the presidentially appointed Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council. “I am honored to be a part of the APEC Honorary Host Committee and thrilled to welcome my fellow business leaders to the City and County of San Francisco and our great state of California this November.”
Throughout 2022, these leaders were instrumental in helping San Francisco secure its bid as the host City for the APEC Leaders’ Meeting and APEC CEO Summit through their leadership and advocacy. As part of their official responsibilities as APEC Honorary Host Committee members, they will work closely with the APEC Host Committee to create and strengthen critical community and business relationships for support APEC 2023, including:
- Highlighting San Francisco’s ongoing efforts to address complex challenges facing other major cities around the world;
- Sharing San Francisco happenings and announcements that help amplify the City’s unique offerings and advancements locally and internationally; and
- Engaging residents and business leaders with opportunities to get involved to showcase the City.
The work of the Honorary Host Committee Members is critical to securing long-term benefits such as strengthened international relations to increase trade, tourism, and cooperation among Member Economies, attracting investment in the region, and increased tourism and business travel experiences and exposure to San Francisco. Additionally, the economic, business, and reputational benefits are vital to the five key priorities of Mayor Breed’s Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco’s Future:
- An economically diverse and resilient job engine;
- A welcoming, clean, and safe environment;
- A dynamic destination active at all hours, every day;
- A world-class transportation experience; and
- An equitable economy that supports full participation by all
Earlier this month, San Francisco was honored to welcome First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the APEC Strategic Gathering of Women Leaders luncheon, hosted by San Francisco Chief of Protocol Maryam Muduroglu. The First Lady joined Mayor Breed, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and women leaders from across the City to share their perspective and vision for how San Francisco can best facilitate APEC 2023’s global agenda. As a result, their contributions will help support and garner sponsorship contributions that will fund anticipated expenses for major APEC 2023 events and other event-related expenses.
San Francisco As a City for Major Events
San Francisco is a major destination for business and tourism and leads the world in technology innovation. The City has a long history as a top destination for travel, conferences and seminars. In October, Salesforce brought Dreamforce back to San Francisco in person, attracting more than 40,000 people.
San Francisco is featured by Travel and Leisure magazine as one of the 50 best places to travel in 2023 and the Wall Street Journal named San Francisco International Airport (SFO) the best large airport of 2022 thanks in part to the upgrade of its Harvey Milk Terminal 1, reliable flights and top-notch amenities.
The San Francisco Bay Area has hosted major events in the recent past, including the United States Conference of Mayors in 2015, Super Bowl 50 in 2016, and the Global Climate Action Summit in 2019.
San Francisco will welcome thousands of local and international visitors from around the world to the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX and the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
For more information about the APEC 2023 Leaders’ Economic Week, visit www.apec2023sf.org
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