WORLD TRADE CENTERS ASSOCIATION TO BRING 
2007 GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO NEW ORLEANS

NEW ORLEANS, October 13, 2005 - World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Executive Vice President Robert DiChiara announced today at the World Trade Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, that the WTCA Board of Directors has approved a proposal to bring the WTCA's 2007 General Assembly to New Orleans.

This action is being taken to demonstrate the WTCA's support of New Orleans' recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the confidence all WTCs worldwide place in restoring longstanding trading ties with the city, the port, and business enterprises in New Orleans and the other affected areas in the Gulf South.

The WTCA, with 278 members in 78 countries, was founded in 1970 to promote trade through the establishment of World Trade Centers around the globe and to promote mutual assistance among its members.

Some of the world's most prominent trading organizations, such as the Korea International Trade Association in Seoul, TAITRA in Taipei, the China council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in Beijing, and the Russian Chamber of Commerce, are WTCA members and operate World Trade Centers of their own. Each WTCA member has a constituency of businesses clients, and the total number of these affiliated businesses worldwide now exceeds 750,000.

The General Assembly of the WTCA is the most important event on the Association's annual calendar. It is the one time each year when the entire membership is invited to come together with business delegates for four days of meetings, business appointments and tours. The WTCA recently completed its very successful 2005 General Assembly in Shanghai, China, that attracted over 650 World Trade Center delegates, including trade mission delegates. The WTCA will hold its 2006 General Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey in November 2006. The 2007 event in New Orleans will likely be held in November as well.

World Trade Center New Orleans, comprised of 2,000 corporate and individual members, is a founding member of the WTCA. Its predecessor organizations, International House and the International Trade Mart, date back to the early 1940s. As the host organization, World Trade Center New Orleans together with World Trade Centers Association would be handling the many programs and other arrangements related to the General Assembly.

About World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)
The World Trade Centers Association is an expanding not-for-profit, non-political membership organization consisting of World Trade Centers servicing more than 750,000 businesses in 78 countries. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in New York City, its mission is to support the establishment and successful operation of individual World Trade Centers as part of an extensive worldwide network to enhance trade, promote economic development and foster peace. World Trade Centers stimulate their regional economies through trade and business leads, research information, online and e-commerce services, accredited trade education programs and the power of reciprocity throughout the extensive WTCA network. Please visit the WTCA web site, www.wtca.org, for more information.

For more information on the World Trade Center New Orleans, please contact Eugene J. Schreiber at (504) 529-1601 ext. 227, email eschreiber@wtcno.org.