SALT LAKE CITY — Zions Bank and World Trade Center Utah hosted top international leaders and business minds to discuss the uncertainties, trends and opportunities shaping global commerce at the Crossroads of the World International Trade Summit. Over 1,000 people attended the two-day conference during World Trade Month, which concluded today in Salt Lake City.
Featured speakers at the conference included former prime ministers The Right Honourable Theresa May of the United Kingdom (2016–2019) and The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand (2017–2023). Additional perspectives were shared by former U.S. Secretaries of State Antony J. Blinken (2021–2025), Mike Pompeo (2018–2021) and Condoleezza Rice (2005–2009).
The conference also featured Utah leaders and executives, including Gov. Spencer Cox; Paul Burdiss, Zions Bank president and CEO and a World Trade Center Utah board director; Jeffry Flake, former U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and World Trade Center Utah board chair; Jonathan Freedman, World Trade Center Utah president and CEO; and executives from Utah’s Cotopaxi, PMI Foods, Skullcandy, Strider Technologies, Traeger Grills, Varex Imaging, and Wavetronix. Additionally, Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, previewed data from the 2024 Utah International Trade Report today.The conference comes at a time when companies in the Intermountain West are growing overseas. In 2024, Utah exported $18.2 billion in goods to the world and imported $21.9 billion from 154 countries, according to the Gardner report. International trade contributed nearly $8 billion to the state’s gross domestic product and supports more than 70,000 jobs in the state.
Notably, 85% of Utah’s 3,500-plus exporters are small- and medium-sized businesses according to the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity.
“We were honored to host distinguished world leaders Dame Ardern and former Prime Minister May, along with former U.S. Secretaries of State for insightful conversations about important global issues,” Burdiss said. “Today’s conversations were timely and relevant to the Utah business community. Even amid uncertainties, we want to help position local companies to be competitive in global commerce.”
“International trade is shifting, and Utah businesses need clarity and connection to stay ahead,” said Freedman. “By giving Utah companies access to global thought leadership, we’re helping them build stronger partnerships and strategies to grow, compete, and lead globally.”
During the event, Salt Lake City-based Varex Imaging Corporation was honored with Zions Bank’s “Global Pacesetter” award — a distinction given to a Utah company demonstrating international success. The company supplies medical X-ray tubes and image processing solutions used by X-ray imaging system manufacturers around the globe for a varied of uses — from medical imaging to cargo screening and border security.
About Zions Bank
Zions Bank is Utah’s oldest financial institution and is the only local bank with a statewide distribution of branches operating 92 full-service branches. Zions Bank also operates 26 branches in Idaho and Wyoming. In addition to offering a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions Bank is also a leader in small business lending. Founded in 1873, Zions Bank has been serving the communities of Utah for more than 150 years. Additional information is available at www.zionsbank.com. Zions Bank is a division of Zions Bancorporation N.A., Member FDIC.
About World Trade Center Utah
World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah) is a private, nonprofit organization that accelerates growth for Utah companies through its global networks, programs and services. Our WTC Utah team is located in Salt Lake City and South Korea (Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity Asia partnership in Seoul). WTC Utah administers the SBA’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant funding for Utah and has helped companies across the state actualize their global potential since 2007. For more information, visit wtcutah.com or follow @WTCUtah on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook.