Newsletter: Houston MOTIA March 2021 Highlights

Dear Friends of the Mayor’s Office of Trade and International Affairs (MOTIA),

Spring has arrived in Houston, and the City continues to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Now, Texas has expanded registration for vaccinations to everyone age 16 and older. We still have a long way to go, but opening vaccines to all adults helps build our path to further opening up businesses.

We encourage everyone to get vaccinated and continue to take necessary health precautions. There are numerous places you can register to get a vaccination appointment, and we have included below links to help get started. Your continued perseverance will help everyone in our continued recovery.

In March we welcomed the return of CERAWeek, which although virtual, the event continued to impress upon the world Houston’s leadership in the energy transition. We celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Consulate General of Japan in Houston and opened the work of the Urban20 global engagement group for 2021, bringing together the voices of the world’s urban centers to the G20.

The City of Houston remains at the forefront of the global dialogue on COVID-19, economic development, climate action and resilience, and will continue to work with our local and global partners to advance these agendas. As always, thank you for what you do to make Houston the great global city of the future.

Sincerely,

According to fDi Intelligence's newest ranking of global cities of the future for 2021/2022, Houston has moved up to Nr.19 overall (tier 1 and 2 cities), and Nr.2 in the United States behind only New York. This is a strong recognition of Houston's growing international reputation as a top destination for business and culture. While Houston ranked Nr.3 in the 2020/2021 for tier 2 cities, in 2021 Houston moved ahead of the former number one and two cities of San Francisco and Montreal in the new global rankings

Houston continues to showcase why it is a great place to work and live, and demonstrates the success of our global outreach efforts. Houston has one of the most welcoming international business environments in the world, an educated and diverse workforce, and a broad industry base that includes energy, life sciences, technology, advanced manufacturing, and logistics. These rankings are only the most recent recognition of Houston’s global reach. Congratulations to all of our partners in Houston who are making this possible!

View the report here.

On March 8, Mayor Sylvester Turner joined United Nation Association - Houston to celebrate International Women's Day in Houston. This year's virtual program was themed "Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World," and featured special remarks from members of the Houston Consular Corps, Aldine ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, and other community members from business, education, nonprofit, and emergency response fields. City Hall was once again illuminated in purple to uphold the tradition of honoring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, not just in our city but around the world. As Mayor Turner stated, "Together, we can further our journey towards a more equal and diverse world, starting with the City of Houston."
Missed the program? View the full recording here.

Houston joined Moscow and cities from around the world, including Seoul, Shanghai, Jakarta, Bangkok, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, San Francisco and Mexico City for a global forum on facing the challenges of COVID-19 and Economic Recovery. Houston's Chief Economic Development Officer, Andy Icken, provided insights on the impact of COVID-19 on Houston's economy, the City of Houston's response, and lessons learned. This conference was hosted by the City of Moscow, through the work of the the Complex of Economic Policy and Property and Land Relations, the Department for External Economic and International Relations, and the Moscow Center for International Cooperation. Thank you to the City of Moscow and all of the city participants that joined for a fantastic day of discussion.
View the full recording of the event here.

CERAWeek returned to Houston for their virtual 2021 event. As the energy industry’s preeminent gathering of senior executives, government officials, thought leaders, academics, technology innovators, and financial leaders, CERAWeek again provided an integrated framework for understanding what’s ahead for global energy markets, geopolitics, and technology. Mayor Turner joined CERAWeek founder Daniel Yergin for a one-on-one discussion on the energy transition in the Energy Capital of the World, as well as Mayor Turner's experience in handling the pandemic, leadership lessons during times of crisis, and Houston’s evolving role in the new map of the energy industry.

Take Your Best Shot! Get vaccinated so that we can continue moving Houston forward! Texas has expanded registration for vaccinations to everyone age 16 and older and there are numerous places to register and get a vaccination appointment. Below are a few links to help people get started:

Harris County Vaccine Waitlist
Houston Health Department Vaccine Information
Texas Public Health Vaccine Scheduler
Texas COVID-19 Vaccination Hub Providers List
Curative
Federal Retail Pharmacy Partners
Costco
CVS Pharmacy
H-E-B
Kroger
Randalls (Albertson’s)
Walgreens
Walmart

Houston Iftar | April 17
Celebrating the Annual Ramadan Dinner with Mayor Sylvester Turner. This year's event will feature a dinner pick-up (registration required) during the day and a free virtual program in the evening.
International Trade Month | May
In honor of International Trade Month, MOTIA will be offering programming through the month of May encouraging small and medium Houston enterprises to begin exporting.
Houston Africa Day Celebration | May 27
Houston Africa Day celebration recognizes and honors the important contributions of the African community in Houston.