{"id":251,"date":"2026-09-15T15:21:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T15:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/?p=251"},"modified":"2026-09-15T15:24:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T15:24:42","slug":"tides-tampa-2026-cross-border-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/tides-tampa-2026-cross-border-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Tampa Is Becoming a Global Business Hub \u2014 and TIDES Is Proof"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" data-id=\"253\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tides-tampa-2026-nextpay-global.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"TIDES Tampa 2026 cross-border business summit \u2014 Nextpay Global's Justine Assal MBE speaking November 16\u201317\" class=\"wp-image-253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tides-tampa-2026-nextpay-global.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tides-tampa-2026-nextpay-global.jpg-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tides-tampa-2026-nextpay-global.jpg-766x401.jpg 766w, https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tides-tampa-2026-nextpay-global.jpg-1024x536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nextpay Global President and Founder Justine Assal MBE speaks on the Trade track at TIDES Tampa, November 16\u201317, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\">\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Playfair+Display:ital,wght@0,700;0,900;1,700&#038;family=Source+Serif+4:ital,opsz,wght@0,8..60,400;0,8..60,600;1,8..60,400&#038;family=DM+Sans:wght@400;500;600&#038;display=swap\">\n\n<style>\n  :root {\n    --navy:      #002F6C;\n    --navy-deep: #001F4A;\n    --gold:      #C9A84C;\n    --gold-light:#E8C97A;\n    --grey-blue: #768692;\n    --bg:        #F5F7FA;\n    --surface:   #FFFFFF;\n    --text:      #0C1A2E;\n    --text-2:    #3A4A5C;\n    --text-3:    #6B7A8A;\n    --rule:      #D4DAE4;\n    --shadow:    rgba(0,47,108,0.08);\n  }\n  @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {\n    :root:not([data-theme=\"light\"]) {\n      --bg:        #080F1A;\n      --surface:   #0F1E33;\n      --text:      #EAF0FA;\n      --text-2:    #B4C2D4;\n      --text-3:    #768692;\n      --rule:      #1E3050;\n      --shadow:    rgba(0,0,0,0.35);\n      --navy:      #1A4A8A;\n      --navy-deep: #0D2A55;\n    }\n  }\n  :root[data-theme=\"dark\"] {\n    --bg:        #080F1A;\n    --surface:   #0F1E33;\n    --text:      #EAF0FA;\n    --text-2:    #B4C2D4;\n    --text-3:    #768692;\n    --rule:      #1E3050;\n    --shadow:    rgba(0,0,0,0.35);\n    --navy:      #1A4A8A;\n    --navy-deep: #0D2A55;\n  }\n\n  *, *::before, *::after { box-sizing: border-box; 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color: #001F4A; }\n\n  @media (max-width: 560px) {\n    .site-bar { padding-inline: 24px; }\n    .article-header { padding: 44px 24px 40px; }\n    .closing-cta { padding-inline: 24px; }\n    .pull-quote { padding: 20px; }\n    .event-card, .session-block { padding: 20px; }\n    .stats-strip { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }\n    .related-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<!-- Nav -->\n<nav class=\"site-bar\" aria-label=\"Site navigation\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/nextpayglobal.com\" class=\"site-bar__brand\">Nextpay Global<\/a>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/\" class=\"site-bar__link\">\u2190 All Posts<\/a>\n<\/nav>\n\n<!-- Header -->\n<header class=\"article-header\">\n  <p class=\"event-eyebrow\">International Business \u00b7 Tampa Bay<\/p>\n  <h1>Tampa Is Becoming a Global Business Hub \u2014 and TIDES Is Proof<\/h1>\n  <p class=\"deck\">Nextpay Global President and Founder Justine Assal MBE will speak at the Tampa International Diplomacy and Exchange Summit this November on what cross-border business really requires beneath the surface.<\/p>\n  <div class=\"article-meta\">\n    <span class=\"meta-tag\">Trade<\/span>\n    <span class=\"meta-item meta-divider\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00b7<\/span>\n    <span class=\"meta-item\">Nextpay Global Team<\/span>\n    <span class=\"meta-item meta-divider\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00b7<\/span>\n    <span class=\"meta-item\">September 15, 2026<\/span>\n  <\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n<!-- Body -->\n<main class=\"article-body\">\n\n  <p class=\"intro\">There is a city quietly rewriting its own story. Tampa \u2014 long celebrated for its port, its sports franchises, and its quality of life \u2014 is rapidly becoming something more: a genuine center for international commerce, diplomatic engagement, and cross-border enterprise. The proof is in the numbers, and in the kinds of conversations now taking place here.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"event-card\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Event details\">\n    <p class=\"event-card__label\">The Event<\/p>\n    <p class=\"event-card__name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tidestampa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:none;\">TIDES \u2014 Tampa International Diplomacy and Exchange Summit<\/a><\/p>\n    <div class=\"event-card__details\">\n      <div class=\"event-detail\">\n        <span class=\"event-detail__key\">Dates<\/span>\n        <span class=\"event-detail__val\">November 16\u201317, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"event-detail\">\n        <span class=\"event-detail__key\">Location<\/span>\n        <span class=\"event-detail__val\">Tampa Convention Center, FL<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"event-detail\">\n        <span class=\"event-detail__key\">Tracks<\/span>\n        <span class=\"event-detail__val\">Trade \u00b7 Innovation \u00b7 Diplomacy \u00b7 Education \u00b7 Sustainability<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"event-detail\">\n        <span class=\"event-detail__key\">Organizer<\/span>\n        <span class=\"event-detail__val\">501(c)(3) Nonprofit Initiative<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <p>This November 16\u201317, the Tampa Convention Center will host <a href=\"https:\/\/tidestampa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TIDES: the Tampa International Diplomacy and Exchange Summit<\/a> \u2014 a 501(c)(3) nonprofit initiative bringing together diplomats, entrepreneurs, academics, and trade specialists across five thematic tracks. This is not a networking luncheon. It is the kind of event that signals a city has stepped onto the international stage in a deliberate, organized way.<\/p>\n\n  <p>Nextpay Global President and Founder Justine Assal MBE will be one of the speakers. She will join Arthur Savage and Manny Mencia on the Trade track for a panel titled <em>The Invisible Infrastructure: What It Really Takes to Do Business Across Borders<\/em> \u2014 a session designed to move past the headline narrative of global growth and into the operational and financial reality behind it.<\/p>\n\n  <h2>Tampa Bay by the numbers: a region built for international business<\/h2>\n\n  <p>Tampa&#8217;s international business credentials are well established. The Tampa Bay region sits within reach of 34 million consumers within an eight-hour drive, is served by Tampa International Airport&#8217;s 100+ domestic and international destinations, and is anchored by Port Tampa Bay \u2014 the largest seaport in Florida by tonnage. These are not aspirational statistics. They are the infrastructure that makes Tampa a practical choice for companies with cross-border operations.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"stats-strip\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Florida international business statistics\">\n    <div class=\"stat-cell\">\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__num\">$72.2B<\/span>\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__label\">Florida goods exported to 200+ countries in 2024<\/span>\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__src\"><a href=\"https:\/\/selectflorida.org\/export-from-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">via Select Florida \u2197<\/a><\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"stat-cell\">\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__num\">#4<\/span>\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__label\">Florida&#8217;s national ranking for services exports<\/span>\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__src\"><a href=\"https:\/\/selectflorida.org\/export-from-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">via Select Florida \u2197<\/a><\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"stat-cell\">\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__num\">34M<\/span>\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__label\">Consumers accessible from Tampa Bay within an 8-hour drive<\/span>\n      <span class=\"stat-cell__src\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabayedc.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">via Tampa Bay EDC \u2197<\/a><\/span>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <p>At the state level, <a href=\"https:\/\/selectflorida.org\/export-from-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Select Florida<\/a> reports that Florida companies exported nearly $72.2 billion in goods in 2024 alone \u2014 making the state the sixth-largest exporting economy in the United States. Florida ranks fourth nationally for services exports, covering financial services, consulting, legal, and engineering sectors. The state&#8217;s businesses trade with more than 200 countries, supported by 16 deep-water seaports and access to the second-largest Foreign Trade Zone network in the country.<\/p>\n\n  <p>Tampa Bay is at the center of this activity. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabayedc.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tampa Bay EDC<\/a> positions the region as a gateway market with direct access to Latin America, Europe, and global supply chains through its port, airport, and logistics infrastructure. The region is actively attracting international companies, and its diplomatic and trade community is growing to match.<\/p>\n\n  <h2>The invisible infrastructure: what the panel will cover<\/h2>\n\n  <div class=\"session-block\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Session details\">\n    <p class=\"session-block__track\">Trade Track \u00b7 TIDES 2026 \u00b7 Tampa Convention Center<\/p>\n    <p class=\"session-block__title\">The Invisible Infrastructure: What It Really Takes to Do Business Across Borders<\/p>\n    <p class=\"session-block__desc\">This panel examines the behind-the-scenes systems that determine whether international business succeeds \u2014 foreign exchange management, regulatory compliance, multi-jurisdictional operations, and risk mitigation. Cross-border expansion is not just a market strategy; it is a coordinated system of financial, legal, and operational decisions that hold together or quietly unravel.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"session-block__panelists\">\n      <span class=\"panelist-chip is-speaker\">Justine Assal MBE \u2014 Nextpay Global<\/span>\n      <span class=\"panelist-chip\">Arthur Savage<\/span>\n      <span class=\"panelist-chip\">Manny Mencia<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/tidestampa.com\/sessions\/the-invisible-infrastructure-what-it-really-takes-to-do-business-across-borders\/\" class=\"session-cta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View full session details at tidestampa.com \u2192<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"pull-quote\" role=\"blockquote\">\n    <p>&#8220;The success of a cross-border business depends on a set of systems that are largely invisible \u2014 until they stop working.&#8221;<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <p>Foreign exchange exposure, multi-jurisdictional compliance, correspondent banking relationships, risk mitigation across currencies \u2014 these are not the headline attractions of a global growth story. They are the foundation underneath every one that works. The panel will address questions that mid-market businesses face regularly: What does FX risk actually look like for a manufacturer importing components from four countries? What compliance infrastructure does a professional services firm need when opening its second international office? What happens to margins when the currency moves and no hedge is in place?<\/p>\n\n  <p>These are the conversations that <a href=\"https:\/\/nextpayglobal.com\">Nextpay Global<\/a> has with clients every day. Powered by Corpay, Nextpay provides businesses with access to 145+ currencies for exchange, multi-currency accounts across 60+ currencies, and local payment rails covering 40+ currencies to 60+ countries \u2014 along with the FX risk management strategy to use those tools effectively. It is precisely this kind of infrastructure that the panel is built around.<\/p>\n\n  <h2>Why events like TIDES matter for Tampa&#8217;s international identity<\/h2>\n\n  <p>Events like TIDES matter because they name what is already happening and build the conditions for what comes next. Central Florida has long had the ingredients of an international business hub \u2014 the trade lanes, the diaspora communities, the institutions. What is happening now is a conscious articulation of that identity. Tampa and its surrounding region are positioning themselves not just as a place where global business happens incidentally, but as a place that builds the conditions for it intentionally.<\/p>\n\n  <p>That is a meaningful distinction. Cities that attract sustained international investment and trade do not do so because they are conveniently located or competitively priced alone. They do so because they develop ecosystems \u2014 of expertise, of relationship, of shared vocabulary around what cross-border business actually requires. TIDES is part of building that ecosystem here, and its <a href=\"https:\/\/tidestampa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">five thematic tracks<\/a> reflect a city that understands the full range of what international engagement involves: not just trade, but diplomacy, education, innovation, and sustainability working together.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"article-rule\">\n\n  <p>Justine brings to this panel more than two decades of experience driving international growth and market entry across fintech, real estate, and multinational consulting \u2014 as well as a perspective on UK-US trade that runs deeper than most. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/tidestampa.com\/speaker\/justine-assal-mbe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">view her full speaker profile<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/tidestampa.com\/sessions\/the-invisible-infrastructure-what-it-really-takes-to-do-business-across-borders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">complete session details<\/a> on the TIDES website.<\/p>\n\n  <p>If the cross-border financial side of your operations is something you want to think through, the team at <a href=\"https:\/\/nextpayglobal.com\">Nextpay Global<\/a> is glad to help. A free FX review is a practical place to start.<\/p>\n\n<\/main>\n\n<!-- Related posts -->\n<aside class=\"related-section\" aria-label=\"Further reading\">\n  <p class=\"related-section__heading\">Further Reading<\/p>\n  <div class=\"related-grid\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/fx-strategy-international-business\/\" class=\"related-card\">\n      <span class=\"related-card__cat\">FX Strategy<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__title\">FX Strategy for International Business: Managing Currency Risk Before It Manages You<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__arrow\">Read more \u2192<\/span>\n    <\/a>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/foreign-companies-expanding-to-usa\/\" class=\"related-card\">\n      <span class=\"related-card__cat\">Market Entry<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__title\">What Foreign Companies Need to Know When Expanding to the USA<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__arrow\">Read more \u2192<\/span>\n    <\/a>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/what-is-a-forward-contract\/\" class=\"related-card\">\n      <span class=\"related-card__cat\">Risk Management<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__title\">How Forward Contracts Protect Your Business from Currency Volatility<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__arrow\">Read more \u2192<\/span>\n    <\/a>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextpayglobal.com\/blog\/multi-currency-accounts\/\" class=\"related-card\">\n      <span class=\"related-card__cat\">International Payments<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__title\">Multi-Currency Accounts: What They Are and Why They Matter<\/span>\n      <span class=\"related-card__arrow\">Read more \u2192<\/span>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/aside>\n\n<!-- CTA -->\n<section class=\"closing-cta\" aria-labelledby=\"cta-heading\">\n  <p class=\"closing-cta__eyebrow\">Nextpay Global \u00b7 Powered by Corpay<\/p>\n  <h3 id=\"cta-heading\">Doing business across borders? Start with a free FX review.<\/h3>\n  <p>Nextpay Global helps companies manage currency exposure, streamline international payments, and build the financial infrastructure cross-border growth requires.<\/p>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/nextpayglobal.com\/consultation\/\" class=\"btn-gold\">Book Your Free FX Review<\/a>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nextpay Global \u2190 All Posts International Business \u00b7 Tampa Bay Tampa Is Becoming a Global Business Hub \u2014 and TIDES [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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