In the last issue of Libero Professionista Reloaded, the digital monthly information and culture magazine of Confprofessioni Confederazione Libere Professioni, I recounted what was the experience of the last institutional mission promoted in collaboration with Apri International, to New York and Washington

I invite you to read what I wrote about traveling together on American soil 👉🏻 https://bit.ly/47hp4sW

“In New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York
New York, New York”

These words and notes of the song Empire state of mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys resounded continuously through the streets of New York City during the stay of more than 80 Italian professionals who landed at J. F. Kennedy Airport thanks to the institutional mission promoted by Confprofessioni and Aprinternational, last Oct. 16-22.

The navel of the world
The heart of Times Square was home to the first part of the mission: one only had to touch the urban asphalt with one's feet to feel alive those words of the song
that echoed in the air at every hour of the day and night, thus experiencing on one's own skin an incredible emotion simply by looking up to the horizon, characterized by boundless expanses of skyscrapers that reflect on their glass the colors of the sky and the green of the great urban parks, transforming the monochrome of the gray of iron and asphalt. New York City is considered the center of the world because of
because of its influence in finance, media, culture and international business, with one of the most powerful and diversified economies in the world.Also known as the "Big Apple," it sits on an area of about 800 square kilometers at the mouth of the Hudson River on the Atlantic Ocean, boasts a metropolitan area with about 8.8 million inhabitants, many of them from abroad, making it one of the most cosmopolitan and multiethnic cities in the world.

Being able to admire some of its most famous landmarks is priceless, to name but a few: the Statue of Liberty located on Liberty Island, an island at the mouth of the
Hudson; the Brooklyn Bridge, which crosses the East River to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn; the Empire State Building, a 443-meter-high art deco skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan; the High Line Park, an example of urban redevelopment, located along a 2.3-kilometer elevated rail line built in the 1930s and no longer in operation, which runs through several neighborhoods including the Meatpacking District and Chelsea,
culminating in The Edge skyline, a building regarded as the greenest in the world as it is powered by more than 4 thousand solar panels and has a large indoor water and waste recycling infrastructure. Lastly, the city is considered one of the most
important centers of world diplomacy: New York is home to the headquarters of one of the most important international organizations, namely the UN, an obligatory stop for the
Confprofessions' mission.

Business and history
New York City is one of the leading cities in the world economy: it alone produces a gross domestic product of $1.3 trillion, the highest among large cities in the United States. Banking, financial activities, insurance, accounting firms, real estate agencies and law firms are the main pillars of New York City's economy; the city's stock markets undoubtedly make it the most important financial center in the world; many of the world's largest investment banks are headquartered in the city, as are numerous multinational corporations operating in all manufacturing sectors. The chemical and metallurgical, food and furniture sectors are the main business drivers, while the
creative sectors, such as design, architecture, fashion, high tech and research, especially medical, constitute fast-growing market niches.
The second part of the mission was held in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America, a city diametrically opposed to NYC, with a population of about 800
thousand inhabitants, located on the coast about 50km from the sea and 374km south of New York City. The main institutions of government of the United States of America, such as the presidential seat at the White House, the houses of Congress, are based in Washington, of the Supreme Court, multiple ministries, federal agencies and some international organizations, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Washington has a growing, diverse economy with an increasing percentage of professional and business service jobs, tertiary sector. Here in Washington, the mission was able to admire and touch American history manifested through guided tours of Capitol Hill, George Washington and Lincoln Memorial, Korea and Vietnam
Memorial, White House and George Washington Monument.

The Mission Agenda.
Confprofessioni's U.S. trip was a succession of appointments and meetings in exclusive locations, corporate headquarters, but above all with first-rate speakers: the ITA, Italian Trade Agency, with the presence of Fabrizio Di Michele, Consul General of Italy in NYC; the law firm Fox Horan & Camerini LLP with the intervention of partner Annie Borello Fiorilla di Santa Croce; the Italy America Chamber of Commerce with President Alberto Milani; the networking lunch with the consulting firm Grassi Advisors & Accountants with Ceo Louis Grassi; the U.S. branch of Unicredit Group with speakers from Head of Americas Christian Steffens and Luca Balestra, Head of ECC,
of the Embassy of Italy in Washington with keynote speaker Emanuele Di Lorenzo Badia.

These were all top-level meetings that provided insight into how the country-system Italy should approach the U.S. market and what the obstacles are
pertaining to the entire American market. The opportunities related to the great unexpressed potential of Italian companies, the figure of the professional even more strategic in the U.S. due to existing regulations and contracts, the presence of large public investments and incentive measures on different business sectors were dissected. At the same time, critical issues related to the lack of corporate transparency and the changes that will take place in this area in the coming years, the importance of putting in place a thorough strategic export plan not only to get to the U.S. but consolidate its position over time also emerged. In conclusion, the institutional mission promoted by Confprofessioni and Aprinternational made it possible to create a dense and diversified network of relationships on American soil, currently the second largest importer of Made In Italy in the world, to increase one's professional skills and at the same time to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world, to appreciate its democratic culture and liberal traditions: all supported by the strong presence of local Italian institutions, which created the basis for returning to do business in America, accessing it through the front door. ■

Edited by: Mattia Christian Scioli, Chartered Accountant

For more information:

mattiascioli@valoreassociati.it