Today, ACE Ecuador started in the beautiful City of Quito, Ecuador’s capital, often called the “Middle of the World City.” The delegates were welcomed at the registration table, where they made first contact with other delegation members.

A short walk across the street, the ACE delegation had the opportunity to visit IMPAQTO Lab, a cutting edge co-working environment. In this space, they engaged with the ACE organizers and got to network amongst themselves and the co-working community, mingling over coffee and enjoying a taste for Ecuador.

Through a speed networking session, delegates identified key sectors and thematic areas of interest they shared and on which to start building partnerships.

With an initial understanding of the group, the ACE delegation moved to la Iglesia de la Compañía “La Compañia Church”, where they were welcomed by the Government of Ecuador and the Government of the City of Quito, introduced to the city and its business ecosystems.

Delegates got to know Quito further during their walk to the Presidential Palace, accompanied by the beautiful sound of the national ballet as they were immersed in the city’s crown jewel, or ‘Old Town,’ a UNESCO World Heritage Site with colonial monuments and architectural treasures, with influences from around the world, experiencing ‘More Ecuador in the World, and More of the World in Ecuador.’

At the Presidential Palace, ACE Delegates were received by authorities and officials of the government of Ecuador. `Welcome to ACE Ecuador’ messages were provided by Under Secretary General of the Cabinet at the Presidency of Ecuador, the Executive Secretary for Integral Development at the Organization of American States, the United States government represented by the State Department (Permanent Mission of the United States to the Organization of American States) and the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries from the Government of Ecuador.

Thank you, Government of Ecuador. Thank you, Government of Quito.