DECA’s Intercity Trips offer members the opportunity to travel to exciting destinations, connect with industry leaders, and experience new cultures—all while building their professional network. In 2024, we explored Dublin, Ireland, and in August 2025, we’re heading to Seattle, Washington! Plus, stay tuned for a potential fall trip to South Korea. Don’t miss your chance to grow, learn, and make unforgettable memories with DECA.
Attendees will meet local civic and business leaders, learn about the Seattle economy, workforce, transportation, taxation and more to help you decide if you are ready to do business with, to, or from Seattle.
Seattle is a dynamic, LGBTQ+-friendly city that blends stunning natural beauty with a thriving business and innovation scene. From the iconic Pike Place Market to the vibrant Capitol Hill district, Seattle offers a progressive, welcoming atmosphere perfect for Austin LGBT business travelers looking to connect, collaborate, and explore.
With a strong tech and creative economy, inclusive corporate culture, and breathtaking waterfront views, Seattle is the perfect destination to mix business with adventure.
Austin and Seattle are both vibrant cities with thriving economies and diverse industries. This comparison highlights the economic strengths and housing market differences between Austin and Seattle, providing a snapshot of each city's unique characteristics.
Thank you all for making DECA’s Inaugural Intercity Trip so successful and rewarding.
DECA’s Intercity Trip to Dublin, Ireland in March of 2024 was nothing short of phenomenal, and it's all thanks to the unwavering commitment and stellar participation from our sponsors and attendees. The synergy in those sessions was electric – truly, a job well done to everyone involved. We held 16 learning sessions with a collective 23 speakers across 10 venues with 24 attendees.
Our attendees are now equipped with a treasure trove of knowledge about the Irish economy, and we're buzzing with anticipation to see the innovative ways they'll weave those learnings into their business strategies. The potential for future collaborations is as exciting as it is boundless.
Ireland continues to punch above its weight when it comes to attracting the capital of some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies. According to figures from the United Nations, Ireland remains a top destination for foreign capital this decade. In 2020, for instance, Ireland ranked among the top ten destinations for foreign direct investment, with the nation ranked fourth overall, attracting some 8.4% of all global inflows for the year. In 2021, however, inflows dropped sharply along with the depressing effects of the global pandemic.
In the case of Ireland, it’s not one factor but many that continue to draw FDI to its shores. One, US multinationals prefer to invest in markets and economies that are healthy and growing, and on this basis Ireland easily stands out from the rest of Europe and many emerging markets for that matter. Indeed, over 2021-22, Ireland emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with Ireland’s economy expanding 13.4% in 2021 and by another 10.1% last year, according to the latest figures/forecasts from the OECD. Growth is set to slow this year—to 3.8% according to the OECD—but that is well above the global average and well above expected growth in the EU (less than 1%).
Second, Ireland’s human talent—the nation’s young, educated labour force—remains a key attraction, notably among high-productivity sectors and innovation industries like pharmaceuticals and information technology. According to the OECD, Ireland has one of the most educated workforces in the world, with over 50% of workers between the age 25-34 having a third level education qualification, almost 10% higher than the OECD average.
In general, given Corporate America’s constant search for talent (notably with an unemployment rate in the US at just 3.5%), Ireland’s young, well-educated, English-speaking talent pool remains highly valued by US firms. To this point, an estimated 57,000 Irish workers were employed in manufacturing activities of US affiliates in 2020, the last year of available data, with another 90,000 workers employed in service activities. In the end, America’s extended workforce in Ireland is among the largest in all of Europe.
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