GlobalPhilly events to honor city's worldly links

Maybe you haven't heard, but Pope Francis is coming to Philadelphia.

And conveniently for the people organizing a two-month-long series of events designed to showcase Philadelphia as an international city, the pope's visit occurs in the midst of the 60-plus-day GlobalPhilly 2015.

"It's the global event par excellence," said Zabeth Teelucksingh, executive director of Global Philadelphia Association, the group producing GlobalPhilly, which will include 150 events from Sept. 10 through Nov. 19.

The pope's visit isn't officially related to GlobalPhilly15, nor is His Holiness the Dalai Lama's in October, but both contribute to Teelucksingh's hopes for the exposition.

"The goal" she said, "is to show that Philadelphia really is a global city."

Part of the point is to carry that message to local residents, who may not realize that the region hosts U.S. headquarters for the giant Swedish retail chain Ikea; for one of the world's largest building materials companies, Saint-Gobain; for an Italian-owned helicopter company, AgustaWestland N.V.; and for the international software giant SAP SE, in Germany.

"If Philadelphia is going to sell itself to the rest of the world as being a global city, we have to sell ourselves first," said lawyer John F. Smith 3d, a partner at Reed Smith LLP and the chairman of Global Philadelphia Association.

Events run the gamut from those focused on business to others reflecting the arts, sciences, education and advocacy.

The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and the World Trade Center of Philadelphia will host an Oct. 7 meeting to develop an export strategy for the metropolitan area.

The Delaware Regional Planning Commission plans an Oct. 16 seminar describing how immigrant small businesses help local economies.

And if all of that is too serious, the Young Caribbean Professionals Network will host a program that involves Caribbean cuisine.

Somehow, the Reading Terminal's annual ScrappleFest on Nov. 7 is also on the GlobalPhilly15 agenda.

Most of the programs occur in Philadelphia, but others are happening abroad. (For a full list, go to http://globalphiladelphia.org/events.)

On Nov. 3, Philadelphia officials will travel to a meeting of the World Heritage Cities Congress in Arequipa, Peru, where they will ask the organization to certify Philadelphia as a World Heritage city.

Founded in Philadelphia, the Global Philadelphia Association was created by nine local groups, including the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, the International House and the World Affairs Council to encourage cooperation among international groups and to raise the region's global profile, both at home and abroad.

The group's 190 members include businesses, organizations and individuals with a global focus.

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