WCF Americas Summit: Key takeaways 

Against a shifting geopolitical and economic landscape, the summit, hosted by the Chamber of Industry, Commerce, Services and Tourism of Santa Cruz (CAINCO) took place under the theme “Driving small business growth: Chambers in action” and showcased how chambers across the Americas are working to strengthen MSME competitiveness, and drive inclusive growth, including through deeper regional integration.

Here are our key summit takeaways.

1. Chambers are at the heart of resilience and growth

The Summit reinforced the critical role of chambers in helping businesses navigate global uncertainty and unlock new opportunities, acting as key connectors between business, government and institutions to support SMEs and drive regional prosperity.

In his opening keynote, ICC World Chambers Federation Chair Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said:

“Regional trade has become a key driver of economic growth. Digitalisation has changed the way we do business. It has created new opportunities, but also new challenges … Our federation supports businesses by sharing knowledge, experience and best practices. We believe chambers of commerce can create real impact when they work together.”

Addressing participants, ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said:

“Chambers are the arteries that keep commerce moving and they create opportunities for enterprises to engage in that wonderful experience of learning how to trade across borders and build truly sustainable businesses.”

World Chambers Federation Vice Chair Marie Christine Oghly said:

“Today, chambers of commerce are not only service providers. We are system leaders. We sit at the intersection of business, policy and society, connecting entrepreneurs to markets, ideas to capital, and local ambition to global opportunity.”

2. MSME support is becoming smarter, more targeted and action-oriented

Summit discussions highlighted a shift toward more targeted, data-driven and partnership-led services – moving beyond traditional models to deliver practical tools that enable MSMEs to internationalise and compete globally.

3. Access to finance remains one of the greatest barriers to SME growth in the region

Discussions reinforced that limited access to finance continues to constrain innovation, internationalisation and business growth across many economies, including across the Americas. In response, WCF’s Task Force on Policy and SMEs is developing a global policy brief that brings together practical, proven solutions from chambers worldwide to support stronger advocacy and scalable approaches that deliver real results across different contexts.
“What makes this work so powerful is its foundation: real experiences, tested approaches, and solutions that already deliver results in different contexts,” said Ms Oghly.

4. Collaboration and inclusion are driving sustainable growth

Strong emphasis was placed on building inclusive, digitally enabled and sustainable ecosystems – increasing SME access to finance, unlocking opportunities for women and youth led businesses while strengthening regional integration and cross-border cooperation.

“We must integrate intelligently, improve our ability to operate through shared goals, and strengthen connections between governments, businesses, universities, entrepreneurs and society. That is why this summit is fundamentally important. It brings together not only chambers of commerce and business representatives, but also a collective determination to build a new stage of economic cooperation for the Americas and the world,” said Fernando  Aramayo Carrasco, Bolivia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in a video address to participants.

Marie-Christine Oghly, WCF First Vice-chair said: “Inclusion is not just a social objective – it is a competitive advantage. Economies that empower women entrepreneurs, integrate smaller businesses into value chains, and expand access to opportunity are more dynamic and more resilient.”

Retired Colombian footballer Óscar Córdoba highlighted how when teams works together, when victory is built from the back line forward, success becomes possible.

Summit programme highlights

• A number of benchmarking labs were held to for chambers to share and exchange innovative approaches to service delivery, emphasising the need for more tailored, data-driven and partnership-based solutions to help MSMEs compete internationally.
• The Summit saw the launch of the ICC WCF 14th World Chambers Congress report and its Guide to Prosperity which stand as a testament to how WCF connects chambers, businesses and governments to drive partnership opportunities, setting the stage for continued engagement towards Toronto 2027.
• Focus sessions showcased how initiatives to drive SME internationalisation, such as the Digital Commerce Labs, ICC One Click and newly announced TradeRoots America translate into real impact for chambers and their members, while reinforcing the value of chambers in strengthening local ecosystems.

Local and regional impact

On the sidelines of the Summit, ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO, ICC Deputy Secretary General for Network Julian Kassum and World Chambers Federation First Vice-Chair Marie Christine Oghly underscored Bolivia’s economic potential and the central role of MSMEs in driving growth in a series of media interviews, including with La Razón, Red Uno and Unitel.

Described Santa Cruz as Bolivia’s economic engine Mr Denton stressed the need to reduce uncertainty, strengthen sustainability and expand access to artificial intelligence.

“One of the opportunities to increase economic activity is to help SMEs market across borders. In Latin America there are many SMEs, but very few participate in cross-border trade,” he told Red Uno.

Also speaking to Red Uno, Mr Kassum pointed to Bolivia’s opportunity to take on a regional leadership role while advancing SME digitalisation through new partnerships.

“The world is transforming with a speed that we have never seen in recent decades… I think it is possible for Bolivia to position itself as a leader, not only as another country, but as an engine,” he said.

Jean Pierre Antelo, Presidente of Cainco said: “The Americas are an unfinished hypothesis. We are not only geography. We are not simply a continent between two oceans. We are a project that we have still not fully completed. For 200 years we have tried again and again, often failing, sometimes stopping halfway, but always continuing to build.”