eBay launched an important campaign earlier this year based on economic research and a policy roadmap. Why? Because we see how the Internet and new technologies combined with commerce can bridge the online and physical worlds and connect the local and global opportunities. We call this transformation Commerce 3.0, and it is a powerful force for long-term, inclusive economic growth. Indeed, our research has proven what eBay Inc. has long instinctively known to be true: that technology empowers small businesses to participate in the global economy through cross-border trade and that, in turn, has significant benefits on individual entrepreneurs as well as the countries that cultivate and foster these new sources of growth.

With our Commerce 3.0 campaign, we want to spur debate on how to create a more inclusive economy by empowering individual entrepreneurs and small businesses, of all sizes and in countries at all stages of development—debate followed by concrete action. That is why, after successful discussions at the WTO 2012 Public Forum and the Think 3.0 seminar in Stockholm, we are excited to be taking Commerce 3.0 to the European Development Days in Brussels, Belgium this week.

Organized by the European Commission, the European Development Days is Europe’s premier forum on international affairs and development cooperation, bringing together development advocates, decision-makers, and practitioners. Last year’s gathering attracted more than 2,000 participants from over 139 countries, and since they started six years ago, each conference has featured Heads of State, Heads of Government or Ministers, and Nobel Prize laureates. eBay Inc. will be attending as part of the “Engaging the Private Sector for Development” organizing topic, and we’re excited by the opportunity to connect and collaborate with many of the leading experts from Europe and around the world.

As part of our involvement in the conference, we will be convening a panel session titled “Towards Commerce 3.0: Creating a More Inclusive Global Economy through Technology-Enabled Trade”.  The discussion will highlight our key Commerce 3.0 research and policy recommendations, as well as our broader commitments—through not only our core business activities, but also our strategic investments in new initiatives and disruptive social innovations—to enable individuals all over the world to build and grow successful small business enterprises. We’re pleased to have this opportunity to highlight our work and, even more importantly, to collaborate with others who can inform our thinking moving forward. You can learn more about our session here.

Whether you happen to be attending the event in Brussels or are just following along from the other side of the pond, we have a number of ways you can get involved:

• Attend: If you’ll be in Brussels for the conference, be sure to swing by our session on Wednesday, October 17 from 2:30-3:30pm CET (Tour & Taxis, Room 2). We’ve promised to give away an iPad to one lucky audience member, so be sure to mark your calendar!
• Follow: Tune in to everything that’s happening at the European Development days through their website (and you can livestream sessions here) or their Facebook and Twitter pages.
• Share: We’ll be posting content from the conference to ebaymainstreet.com/commerce3 and through our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Google+). Follow and join in the conversation using #EDD12.

In addition, we’ll be sure to share a recap of everything we did later this week. Stay tuned, and enjoy!