Surrey is set to absorb some Oval Office expertise next fall at its annual economic summit.
The city said Tuesday that former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will be the featured speakers at its fourth annual conference on October 20.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts said the political heavyweights will appear together to provide their perspectives on a broad range of economic, business and geopolitical trends.
The first Surrey Summit was held in 2008 as part of the city’s economic development strategy, and it has featured speakers such as former British prime minister Tony Blair, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and business magnate Steve Forbes.
Watts told Business in Vancouver the summit, although relatively small, is a chance for Surrey to improve trade and investment activity. “It’s business leaders, investors coming together and having those conversations in terms of what we need to do to position ourselves in the best economic climate,” Watts said. “For myself, when you have international leaders from that perspective coming to the city it certainly positions us as a leader for trade and investment and economic activity.”
She said the summit is expected to have about 500 participants.
Registration for the event will begin in the coming weeks.