That would be the GOCA get-together at the Hilton Hotel Cartagena, Colombia that officially runs September 28th (yesterday) to October 1st but really only gets going today Monday 29th. It’s the first time GOCA has met in South America and that’s a….wait, who’s GOCA you ask?
Well that’s easy, here’s the explanation from its website:
The purpose of the Global Offset and Countertrade Association (G.O.C.A.) is to promote trade and commerce between companies around the world and their foreign customers through a greater understanding of countertrade and offset.
Got it? If not you can read the web page and see more bland pronouncements of the same shape and form. Still not sure who GOCA is? OK, try this explainer:
The organization, originally known as the American Countertrade Association (ACA) has a membership of over 100 international firms (including most of the the largest aerospace companies), who get together once or twice a year to discuss offset policy and counter-trade initiatives.According to the GOCA website, the definition of “countertrade” is defined as the “use of reciprocal trade tools, such as barter or other export activities to meet hard currency needs, primarily in commercial transactions.”
We’re getting closer now, I think. In fact GOCA is a Defence Trade Association, which is the nice way of saying arms dealers. In other words, all the aerospace and defence companies and military beaks you could shake a stick at (though it’s probably wise not to point anything at these shade-wearing dudes, not even a wooden stick, considering the bodyguard back-up they’ll have in tow) are gathered together with “customers” in Colombia this week. To quote the blurbs out from the Colombian Defence Ministry, “Private and State delegates from the UK, USA, Indonesia, India, Kuwait and Israel will participate in meetings and will share with colleagues aspects on the evolution of licencing systems, industrial co-operation and offset policies, among other things.”
So now you know. Mojitos served, the end.