The Chalkidiki Chamber of Commerce be the honored Region at Hermes Expo 2012

Thessaloniki, 7/18/2011

Press Release

The Chalkidiki CHAMBER OF COMMERCE be the honored Region at Hermes Expo on March 15-18, 2012

On Monday July 18th, 2011 the Chalkidiki Chamber of Commerce and its President Georgios Gilis welcomed to the chamber’s headquarters in Polygyros the founder and President of Hermes Expo Mr. Paul Kotrotsios who was accompanied by businessman and importer of Greek specialty products from the greater Philadelphia area Mr. Giorgos Degermentzidis as well as Mr. Dimitri Soultogiannis, a correspondent for the Hellenic News of America.

During the meeting President Gilis thanked Mr. Kotrotsios for the interest he has shown in the Chalkidiki region and the greater area and expressed his hope that local products will become known and popular in the American market.
“We want to see our local businessmen sell their products in the United States and of course we want to make sure that Chalkidi will become a popular tourist destination for Americans just like Athens and our beautiful Greek islands,” Gilis said. President Gilis also spoke about efforts in coordination with other Chambers of Commerce from Northern Greece to establish permanent Expos, similar to Hermes, in Germany and Russia. “The goal is to make Greek products marketable in those regions,” he said. Businessmen and Tour operators from Chalkidiki have expressed their interest in participating in “Hermes Expo 2012” at the food tasting at New York’s Radisson Hotel and of course at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City.

Paul Kotrotsios praised the chamber’s work, thanked the President for his hospitality and spoke about the two way business street that needs to be built between Greece and the United States, especially when it comes to trade an area on which Hermes Expo has shown its expertise over the past 21 years. “An important role in the American Market plays the Greek-American community which needs you as much as you need them,” Kotrotsios said. “There are 2,5 million Greeks and Greek-Americans and countless PhilHellenes in the United States and they can be a useful tool to every businessman from Chalkidiki who wants to come to the United States,” he said. Kotrotsios also said that many small businesses from Greece have used the Hermes expo as a medium to break through to the American market. “We want a long term business relationship with you, we should help each other and we do want to see Chalkidiki excel in America,” he said. In conclusion, Kotrotsios said he would love to see a city in Chalkidiki eventually becoming sister cities with an American city just like Thessaloniki and Philadelphia or Baltimore with Piraeus.
The 21st Hermes Expo will be held on March 15-18, 2012 in New York and in Atlantic City, NJ.