This issue is sponsored by Hilton Hotels

Inside This Issue

Spring 2016 Newsletter

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New Members

Members News

AmCham Annual General Assembly and Electoral Assembly

Amcham MENA Council Conference and Women in Business Awards

U.S. Trade Fairs

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Caravan Beirut in Washington, DC

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On April 8, over 2,000 guests gathered to celebrate the launch of Caravan Beirut, hosted by digital retail platform Bucolik and Mariana Wehbe Public Relations, in partnership with the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce. Featuring Lebanese fashion, accessories, jewelry, homeware, art and photography, Caravan Beirut invited visitors on a curated tour of Beirut, right in Washington, DC!

Thirty Lebanese designers gathered in the U.S. capital, setting up a luxurious 4 day pop-up store in Washington’s upscale Georgetown neighborhood. Guests were invited to see the creative side of Beirut in a contemporary warehouse transformed by architect Rabih Geha, with homemade delicacies prepared on-site by Tawlet.

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New Members

Ziad DalloulChairman & CEOAfricell Holding salTel: +961 1 966 777www.africell.com

American Lebanese Chamber of CommerceDirector Paola ChakhtouraAddress 1153 Foch Street Beirut Central DistrictP.O. Box 175093 Beirut, LebanonPhone/ Fax +961 1 985330-1Web www.amcham.org.lbE-mail info@amcham.org.lb

Board of Directors and Officers

Salim J. Zeenni ChairmanMaher Y. Beydoun VP for Public RelationsArslan M. Sinno VP for MembershipRichard A. Haykel VP for International AffairsWalid T. Assaf TreasurerNadim Kassar Secretary GeneralRabah Jaber Board MemberFadi Saab Board MemberNadim Romanos Board MemberHani Raad Board MemberBarbara Batlouni Board MemberGaby Tamer Board MemberBana Akkad Azhari Board MemberMichel Sawaya Board MemberJean Riachi Board MemberDoumit Raidy Board MemberSami Fahed Board Member

Victor PatatianDirector Global Specialty MarketsCH Toro International, LtdTel: 3059311732

Africell is one of the fastest-growing mobile telecommunications operators in Africa. We have established ourselves as the number one provider in Gambia and Sierra Leone and are rapidly growing our newer operations in DRC and Uganda. Africell Holding owns 100% of Africell’s operations in Gambia, Sierra Leone, DRC, and 98.99% of Africell Uganda. The total number of active subscribers reached 13 million in 2015. All four operations offer voice and 3G data services. Our portfolio now spans West, Central, and East Africa; and Africell Holding continues its ambitious expansion plans by targeting two additional operations, whether by acquisition or through a greenfield approach before 2018. Our nimble, streamlined organizational structure allows us to seize opportunities. We are determined to deploy our cumulative knowledge and experience to quickly replicate our past success as we enter new markets.

CH Toro International, Ltd serves a diverse clientele residing around the world, and has grown to become the largest independent

insurance provider of Capital Protection and Crisis Management in the US, developing strategic alliances with many of the most respected firms in the insurance industry, and creating custom-tailored solutions for clients worldwide. The company works closely with high net worth individuals, corporations, financial institutions and non-profit organizations across the globe, assisting them with the financial protection of their most valuable assets – their key executives and family members. C H Toro International (CHTI) helps you assess and reduce vulnerability, limit your financial risk, and guarantees immediate access to the best response consultants in the business.

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Continued from page1Caravan Beirut gave Lebanese designers the opportunity to break into a new exciting market, making it another testament for the ongoing cultural and economic exchange between the U.S. and Lebanon.

Caravan Beirut featured home furniture and accessories brands such as Bokja, Maison Tarazi, Nalbandian Carpets, Kanzaman, and Racha Ceramics; fashion designers Jessica K, Little Bluffers, Nour Hammour, Karoline Lang, Milia M, House of Paisley, Lala Rose lingerie, Mojo Beach, and Moon + Fable; accessories such as Sarah’s Bag, Madame Reve, Senteurs d’Orient, Choux à la Crème, and Lumalu lipsticks; as well as jewelry designers Selim Mouzannar, Nada Le

Cavelier, André Marcha, Rania Farsoun, Mukhi Sisters, and Bil Arabi. Exceptional artwork was also beautifully displayed throughout the venue by photographers Patrick Baz, Roger Moukarzel and Emile Issa; painters and artists Michel Karsouny, Amin Sammakiyeh, Hania Rayess, and Helen Zughaib.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed her full support at a welcome dinner held at the Lebanese Embassy in the U.S. in honor of the visiting designers and Lebanese delegation. Mayor Bowser said she hoped this would be the start of a long cultural relationship between the two countries.

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Caravan Beirut was made possible with the support of the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism as well as the Lebanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. and its distinguished Chargé D’affaires Carla Jazzar.

During the same week, the American Task Force for Lebanon hosted its 18th gala awards night at the Fairmont Hotel, with AmCham Lebanon as the Gibran Patron and supporter. The event honored three outstanding Lebanese-Americans who have made significant contributions in

their fields: “Good Morning America” weekend edition co-anchor and “The View” co-host, Paula Faris; Lebanese-American inventor, designer, entrepreneur and angel investor, Tony Fadell, the “father of the Ipod;” and attorney and co-founder of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Victoria Reggie Kennedy.

The event drew hundreds of guests, including members of Congress and such dignitaries as Charles Boustany, Darrell Issa, Ralph Nader, Edward Spencer Abraham and many more.

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VIDEOS

LBCIMTV

Al HurraATFL Dinner

ATFL Performance

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Member News

SETS Celebrates 25 Years of Success and Growth

SETS held its annual strategic dinner on January 10, 2016 at the Playroom, marking its 25th anniversary and gathering employees from Lebanon and the region under the theme, “Together Committed for a Brighter Future.”

The event included speeches and presentations by top management, which reflected the alignment in SETS’ strategy along with the huge success and expansion accomplished during the past years, through offering its customers best-of-breed brands, IT solutions and services. The presentations were followed by a lovely dinner and a hilarious comedy show.

Among its many achievements, SETS is proud to be the first HRMS vendor in terms of customer

acquisition and delivery, with the number one time attendance and payroll solutions in the market along with a leading HR solution. SETS has more than 1,000 references coming from primary companies in all sectors and has accumulated 25 years of in-depth expertise in HRMS offerings.

In addition, as a Dell exclusive agent in Lebanon for more than 20 years and having partnered with top international brands and vendors, SETS is a preferred partner in end-to-end IT solutions and services for primary enterprises and major financial institutions in the country.

SETS is very excited about the future as we continue to expand, driven by a team of professionals, dedicated to delivering an added value and competitive edge to our customers through service excellence.

Phillip Morris Supports the Tobacco Farmers’ Community

Lebanon is a tobacco growing country where approximately 24,000 farmers and their families rely on this crop for survival. Growing tobacco is highly labor intensive, and agricultural lands are located mainly in less developed regions where growers live in difficult conditions and lack educational opportunities for their children. As part of its charitable initiatives, Philip Morris Lebanon has been working hand in hand with the Lebanese Tobacco Growers’ Syndicate to support the tobacco farmers’ community and allow new opportunities for the development and growth of its youth. As a result, Philip Morris Lebanon developed a program aimed at providing tuition support to the children of tobacco growers who have successfully achieved their schooling in public schools in tobacco growing villages and

encourage them to continue their education. For the third consecutive year, and with the support of the Minister of Finance and the Regie Libanaise de Tabac et Tombacs, Philip Morris Lebanon made a financial contribution of $100,000 that was distributed among 150 students to help them pursue their university education.

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AMIDEAST Welcomes 500 to Its First Gala DinnerThe AMIDEAST/LEBANON Advisory Board hosted its first Fundraising Gala Dinner at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut on April 8, attended by 500 prominent business, political, and social figures. AMIDEAST’s education and development activities in 12 Arab countries touch the lives of half a million individuals a year. “I am so honored to head AMIDEAST, an organization that is doing so much to assist young people in this region to expand their opportunities,” noted Ambassador Theodore Kattouf, President and CEO of AMIDEAST.

Since 2010, the 28-member Board of Lebanese business and civic leaders has played a vital role in helping AMIDEAST/Lebanon launch the Entrepreneur Institute (300 entrepreneurs to date), a U.S.-accredited Professional Certificate in English Language Teaching program, and expand AMIDEAST’s impact in helping Lebanese and Palestinian students win scholarships to study in the USA (78 students have won scholarships totaling over $13 million to date).

The purpose of the event was to spread awareness about the organization’s wide range of services and impact in Lebanon, and to raise additional contributions to help even more students win scholarships at prestigious American universities to empower their lives and careers. A movie presenting testimonials of students whose lives have changed thanks to AMIDEAST was shown, contributions were raised, and those in attendance enjoyed the evening’s lively entertainment. Board Chair Mr. Anis Nassar noted during the dinner, “Our commitment to you is that we shall not leave any student behind.”

La Maison Du Café – Café Najjar

An elegant Lebanese bistro coupled with an aromatic coffee bar, where mood, savory food and the best coffee ever assembled satisfies clienteles

with a very affordable check. Hakini Lebneni - Coffee by Najjar is the perfect place for a mouth-watering Lebanese breakfast, or a consistent yet enjoyable Lebneni lunch and dinner made simply the best to ensure satisfaction.

La Maison Du Café – Café Najjar was founded in 1997, with the idea of creating an attractive point of sale serving as an outlet and a retail shop at once. This concept has succeeded over the past years, and has been franchised in Lebanon and other Arab countries.

Partners developed a clever strategic decision, a new concept that keeps the coffee from Café Najjar as a primary product. Café Najjar’s motto “Wein Fi Lebneni, Fi Najjar” has triggered an authentic Lebanese concept with a new experience that is simple and appealing at the same time. Hakini Lebneni - Coffee by Najjar is the brand; a perfect combination of two MADE IN LEBANON products.

Hakini Lebneni - Coffee by Najjar envisions a presence in any territory of the globe, where an elegant Lebanese bistro fits. We have the know-how and we can teach you our business. Our motto is: “A good dining experience becomes outstanding when combined with a great coffee.”

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AmCham Annual General Assembly and Electoral Assembly The American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce held its annual ordinary general assembly on March 30, 2016 at Le Vendome Hotel, followed by an electoral assembly.

After a welcome word from AmCham Chairman Salim Zeenni, Secretary General Nadim Kassar presented an overview of the 2015 activities. Treasurer Walid Assaf then reviewed the financial status of the Chamber, followed by Mr. Farid Daou from Ernst and Young, who presented the auditor’s report which was distributed to all attendees. The elections for a new board of directors followed the general assembly. The AmCham Lebanon Board of Directors is elected every 4 years and the board is comprised of 17 members.

This year the board members were elected by acclamation since the total number of candidates was 17. We congratulate them all!

New Board of Directors

Arslan Sinno Dora Flour MillsBana Akkad Azhari The Bank of New York MellonBarbara Batlouni AMIDEASTDoumit Raidy Raidy Printing Group S.A.L.Fadi Saab Top Capital FinanceGaby Tamer G. Tamer HoldingHani Raad Cisco SystemsJean Riachi FFA Private BankMaher Beydoun SOLIDEREMichel Sawaya CitibankNadim Kassar FransabankNadim Romanos Hermes for Marketing & DistributionRabah Jaber Almaz Jaber GroupRichard Haykel Haykel HospitalSalim Zeenni Zeenni Trading AgencySami Fahed Fahed GroupWalid Assaf SMLC – Pepsi Cola

Century 21 Launches New Department

Century 21 Lebanon is pleased to announce the launching of a new department for all real estate services and transactions. We provide real estate owners with all needed official documents and legal papers for their property: we have a specialized team that can act on behalf of the owners for all real estate form needs, including deeds, contracts, liens, contract for deed, and many other official forms as required.

We can save time by handling all the formalities in governmental departments and land registrars

to check for any disputes, clear problems, and get all the official forms and documentation needed to finalize any real estate transaction, or to solve any problem or dispute.

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AmCham MENA Council Conference

On March 22, AmCham Egypt recognized the local and regional winners of the MENA Council Women in Business Awards as part of a special ceremony held on the margins of the women’s summit, “Women in Business: The Key to Economic Growth,” (click for video) hosted by AmCham Egypt’s Women in Business Committee and featuring influential female leaders from across the MENA region and the United States. The Conference sessions addressed several issues, including ways to harness the economic power of women, the rise and growth of women entrepreneurs in the Arab region, addressing and defeating our unconscious bias, and ways to engage men in the gender discourse.

For the fourth year in a row, the AmCham MENA Council held a special ceremony honoring the notable achievements of female leaders around the MENA region.

The 2015 MENA Council Award Winners are as follows:

BEST WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR:HALA BEYDOUN, Founder, Cocoa & Co. (LEBANON)

BEST WOMAN in the CORPORATE SECTOR:IMAN MUTLAQ, CEO of Sigma Investments (JORDAN)

BEST WOMAN in the NON PROFIT SECTOR:YASMINE HELAL, Founder, EDUCATE ME (EGYPT)

BEST COMPANY for WOMEN to WORK for:FATTAL GROUP (LEBANON)Represented by Mr. Michel Fattal

and Women in Business Awards

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Listing for International Buyer Program (IBP) 2016http://www.export.gov/eac/show_short_trade_events.asp?CountryName=null&StateName=null&IndustryName=null&TypeNa

me=U.S.%20Trade%20Fair&StartDate=null&EndDate=null

BEST BANK SUPPORTING WOMEN OWNED and WOMEN LED BUSINESSES:BLC BANK (LEBANON)Represented by Ms. Karyl Akilian, Head of Brands Management

US Trade Fairs

Event Location From ToWasteExpo 2016 Las Vegas, NV 6/7/2016 6/9/2016

InfoComm International 2016 Las Vegas, NV 6/8/2016 6/10/2016

International Franchise Expo 2016 New York City, NY 6/16/2016 6/18/2016

Fancy Food Show 2016 New York City, NY 6/26/2016 6/28/2016

Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo ofthe American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) 2016Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2016 Salt Lake City, UT 8/3/2016 8/6/2016

International Woodworking Fair 2016 Atlanta, GA 8/24/2016 8/27/2016

Farm Progress Show 2016 Boone, IA 8/31/2016 9/1/2016

Solar Power International 2016 Las Vegas, NV 6/26/2016 6/28/2016

WEFTEC 2016 Water Environmental Federation Technical Exhibition and ConferenceMINExpo INTERNATIONAL 2016 Las Vegas, NV 9/26/2016 9/28/2016

Philadelphia, PA 7/24/2016 7/28/2016

New Orleans, LA 9/24/2016 9/28/2016

Congratulations to all winners, and especially to the LEBANESE WINNERS!

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