Toronto, ON - May 3, 2010 - The 15 th Annual MRO Conference & Exhibition, the premier event for the commercial aviation, repair and overhaul industry took place in Phoenix followed by the Mobile Apps on Wheels in Palo Alto, the executive event of the networked vehicle ecosystems, these were backdrops to the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance's recent business sales trip to Arizona and California. The 10-day business trip first focused on targeting international and U.S.-based MRO companies, selling them on Greater Toronto Area's value proposition. Secondly it explored with international industry experts opportunities in the up-coming eco-friendly connected automotive sector.

Working with the Ontario Aerospace Council, the Province of Ontario and Canadian Government the GTMA held a number of face-to-face meetings with MRO related investors expressing strong interest in expanding into Ontario. The GTA has a rich history in aviation from the production of the Post WW II de Havilland Beaver, which has played a key role in developing the north to advancing space travel and research with the development of the Canadarm2. "We’re continuing to build on our well-trained and capable workforce that has made the GTA a centre for the aerospace industry” said Gerald Pisarzowski, Vice President, Business Development, Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance.

In addition to the pre-qualified meetings organized at the MRO Conference, additional meetings were held with companies in the Phoenix area focusing on clean-tech and green building systems. “The GTA with its deep talent pool, strong stable economy and generous R&D tax credits offers companies a compelling value proposition and this is the message that we’ve taken to investors,” added Mr. Pisarzowski.

As software is becoming the major contributor of value in cars the role of the automobile is being redefined into a communications and social networking platform. The Mobile Apps on Wheels Conference explored the future of the Networked Vehicle by bringing leading thinkers and developers together to jointly invent the future and create new bankable ideas. “One of the GTMA’s key roles is to identify new market opportunities and better understand the implication of key trends on Foreign Direct Investment” said Gerald Pisarzowski. “We need to determine where potential opportunities are likely to occur and how we can best position the GTA to take advantage of them”. The GTMA will begin to examine how pre-competitive research within the GTA might be enhanced through strategic partnerships.