Global trade veteran and one of our newest board members, Alexander Malaket (CITP), will soon be moderating our first #TradeElite discussion on Twitter (Twitter chat). This offers all participants a great opportunity to network with professionals and businesses in the international trade community.

It’s our pleasure to invite you to take part in this casual discussion on Risks and risk management in international business.

Topic: Risks and risk management in international business

Date: Feb 6th 2014

Time: 2.30 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. EST (you can jump in and out at any time during the chat)

Chief Moderator: @ARMalaket_OPUS

Alexander Malaket (CITP).

Alexander is a globally recognized specialist in international business, trade and trade finance. He is President of OPUS Advisory Services International Inc. (Canada), and the Founder/Managing Director of Trade Finance Associates Pte. Ltd (Singapore).

Supporting Moderators: @FITTNews
Your friendly FITT Twitter sidekicks Daniella and me.

Special Guests:

Sarah Cogliati, Account Manager at Export Development Canada @SarahCogliati

Sarah works with Canadian companies across Western Canada. EDC helps support Canadian exporters with Bonding guarantees, Financing programs and Risk Mitigation solutions (Accounts Receivable Insurance and Political Risk Insurance).

Doug Taylor (CITP). @globethoughts

Doug is a creative, results-driven lateral thinker with a wealth of international business experience. He’s the Managing Director of Pacific Business Intelligence Ltd. (Canada).

Craig Atkinson (CITP). @craigaatkinson

Craig is a rising star in international trade and development who has been living and working abroad for the past two years. He founded his own consultancy Lexmerca International Trade in 2010, and he is currently consulting in Geneva, Switzerland with the International Trade Centre (ITC).

Sarah Barnes (CITP). @icecorplog

Sarah has been in the logistics industry for over 17 years, and currently works as the Director of Marketing and Client Partnering at Icecorp Logistics. Through her extensive experience and knowledgeable insight into the movement of freight, customs clearance and warehousing, she is focused on helping her clients through the complexities of the industry.

How you can take part

Alexander will be posing a few questions and observations around the chat topic.

E.g.:

These will be discussed and answered by the international trade community, including our special guests and you.

E.g.:

Please do use this opportunity to provide your perspectives on questions, have your own doubts addressed, and engage with the moderator, special guests, and each other.

Find someone’s answer or perspective to be particularly helpful or insightful? Go ahead and retweet (RT) it! This is a common method of supporting other participants while sharing the value with your own networks.

You can also simply observe (lurk), but we’ll miss your participation. The idea is to get involved; learn and share valuable information with each other.

New to Twitter chats? What you should do:

Login to Twitter (www.Twitter.com) and follow these very simple rules.

1)   It is NOT OK to use the chat to blatantly promote your products. Instead, add value to the conversation and help others gain confidence in your knowledge.

If your product is highly relevant to the topic at hand you can position it as an option AFTER you provide other valuable tips.

Blatant promotion is often ignored and considered low in credibility.

2)   Always, always use the hashtag #TradeElite when you ask a question or reply to a tweet related to this Twitter chat. If you don’t, the other participants probably won’t know that you’re part of the conversation.

E.g.: If you’re asking a question.

Note: The special guests will prioritize replies to your questions after they answer the main moderator’s questions. Depending on the level of activity, your questions may remain unanswered. Don’t be discouraged, and continue to take part in the conversation.

TIP: Cut the #TradeElite hashtag into the clipboard or your notepad so you can easily insert it into relevant tweets.

3)   Track the conversation by using the ‘search’ option in Twitter to isolate tweets relevant to the chat. Use #TradeElite in your search box.

We recommend that you use a Twitter client like Hootsuite (free version available) to make it easy to track the chat in a dedicated area.

TIP: Refresh your browser often so you’ll see the latest tweets.

TIP: If you come in late, when you join the chat spend a few moments scanning the tweets around the hashtag (#TradeElite). Who’s talking? What are the hottest topics being discussed?

4)   If you’re answering a question posed by the moderator, preface the answer appropriately.

E.g.: A2 (Answer 2) to answer question Q2

There can be multiple answers and perspectives for the same questions. You’re encouraged to provide your own answers and insights or add value to the perspectives of our special guests and other participants.

5)   You can use other relevant hashtags along with the main chat hashtag

E.g.:

6)   DO NOT use the hashtag unless it’s relevant to the chat topic and the ongoing conversation.

7)   Do let your current Twitter followers know you’ll be participating in a Twitter chat about 2-5 minutes before the chat. This will warn your network to expect a high volume of tweets from you during that time.

8)   Participate with a positive attitude. Present your views, even if you dissent, in a respectable manner. Negativity will only isolate you from the community.

9)   The chat may extend past the designated time period. Feel free to continue with the conversation beyond the time when the moderators announce the end of the chat. After the chat, do follow up on the conversations by visiting and following Twitter profiles that can add value to your existing network and developmental goals.

As you may have deduced, this free-flowing chat will be held in the spirit of learning from each other, sharing valuable tips, and establishing valuable connections with our peers in the international trade community.

Let’s help each other thrive in global trade! We hope to see you there!

The post You’re invited to the #TradeElite Twitter discussion on global trade: Risks and risk management appeared first on Trade Ready.