The Annual Georgia European Union Summit (AGEUS) is a yearly gathering of Georgian and international economic development leaders. It occurs on the first Thursday in November. During its first nine years the event was held in Macon

Macon, Georgia

Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. In 2010 the event moved to Athens, Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...

, home of the University of Georgia

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

.

Founded in 2001 by the Honorable Christopher N. Smith

Christopher N. Smith

Christopher N. Smith is an American attorney at law and an American foreign consul appointed by the ruling monarch Margrethe II of Denmark.- Biography :...

, attorney and Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 for Georgia, AGEUS serves to bring together select international leaders, both from European and non-European countries, with various Georgian economic, business, and governmental leaders.

The highlight of each year is the AGEUS awards dinner, which numbers about 200 participants. Dignitary guests include prominent Georgia Consular Corps

Consular corps

Consular corps is a concept analogous to diplomatic corps, but concerning the staff, estates and work of a consulate....

 members and Trade Commissioners. Table sponsors have included such companies as UBS AG

UBS AG

UBS AG is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zürich, Switzerland, which provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland...

, Georgia Power

Georgia Power

Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....

, and the Georgia Department of Economic Development

Georgia Department of Economic Development

The Georgia Department of Economic Development is a department of the State of Georgia . It serves as the state's sales and marketing arm and the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for...

 (GDEcD).

Each year a prominent person either from the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 or in the field of economic development presents the keynote speech.

The finale of the event is often the presentation of the AGEUS Award for Individual Contribution

AGEUS Award for Individual Contribution

The AGEUS Award for Individual Contribution began in 2006. It is presented annually during the meeting of the Annual Georgia European Union Summit, and goes to an individual who has shown exceptional success and dedication in fostering foreign economic development in the State of Georgia, USA.-...

 in the field of Georgia economic development, which was begun in 2006, and/or the presentation of the joint AGEUS/GDEcD awards known as the Georgia Featured Export Product Awards

Georgia Featured Export Product Awards

The annual Georgia Featured Export Product Awards are a collaborative presentation by the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Annual Georgia European Union Summit . The awards are presented in Macon, Georgia, USA at the yearly meeting of AGEUS. The awards began in 2007 with the...

, which began in 2007. These awards may or may not be presented each year at the discretion of the awards committee.

Keynote speakers

• 2001: Herve Goyens, Consul General of Belgium, Atlanta
• 2002: Kent Fallesen, Trade Commissioner of Denmark, Atlanta, and one of the first Europeans to become Honorary Georgia Citizen
• 2003: Brian Murphey, Director of the European Union Center, The University of Georgia
• 2004: Suzanne Kürstein, Executive Director, The Danish American Business Forum, Copenhagen Denmark
• 2005: Frank Baker, Deputy Chief of Mission, British Embassy, Washington
• 2006: Matti Anttonen, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Finland, Washington
• 2007: Heidi Green, Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development for Global Commerce
• 2008: Francois Rivasseau, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of France, Washington
• 2009: Claes Hammer, Minister of Economic and Foreign Affairs, Swedish Embassy, Washington
• 2010: Dr. Lutz Gorgens, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Atlanta, Georgia

AGEUS Award winners

• 2006: Christopher N. Smith for his work bringing Danish companies to Georgia.
• 2007: James Blair for his 19 years of ongoing work in Europe on behalf of Georgia business.
• 2008: Not awarded.
• 2009: Dr. Bruce S. Allen for his work in foreign relations and economic development.
• 2010: Not awarded.