This fall, the Global Philadelphia Association oversaw a major initiative to call attention to the global character and potential of the Philadelphia region. From September 15 through November 1, the Association and its network of over 120 members devoted a 47 day spotlight on the many international dimensions in the City of Brotherly Love featuring more than 100 events. The GlobalPhilly™ 2013 exposition was the first of its kind for Philadelphia and exemplified the global aspects of the city through seven different categories: advocacy, arts, commerce, cuisine, education, heritage and sports.
GPA Board Chair and President John F. Smith III summed up the month-and-a-half long exposition by saying, “GlobalPhilly™ 2013 (GP13) is about raising the awareness of this region as to its international past, present and future.”
Global Philadelphia Association Executive Director, Zabeth Teelucksingh, hoped that GP13 would show off the international character of Philadelphia, a city inextricably tied to the American narrative of the Constitution and the Founding Fathers. “I think GP13 really helps to brand Philadelphia. It certainly helps to push the city back out into the international realm,” she says. In Teelucksingh's view, Philadelphia is often tied to a small list of clichés, overshadowing the vast number of international assets of the city.
