Automation Alley’s Trade Mission to Mexico

How many Michigan companies will participate?

Based on past trade missions, we expect 6-10 Michigan companies. The registration will remain
open until the mission is full or the September 15, 2026 deadline has passed.

What is the cost for my company to participate?

You must pay the trade mission participation fee of $2,500 for Members or $3500
for non-members ($500 for each additional traveler) to Automation Alley at the
time of registration. The participation fee includes the following: 

• Identifying, contacting and pre-qualifying local distributors, sales, representatives and/or partners and organization of your meetings with interested prospects
• Business Briefing on first morning of the trade mission to share opportunities and challenges of doing business in Mexico
• Our Automation Alley team and MEDC team lead and in-country consultant will be on hand during the week to ensure everything runs to plan
• Interpreter if needed

All travel expenses including airfare, hotels, meals, individual ground transportation to be paid directly by each participant. Additional costs you may incur include:

• Roundtrip airfare
• In country airfare
• Hotels (5 nights)
• Meals
• Transportation to meetings for 4 days (covered up to $280/day; additional costs are the responsibility of the company).

Financial Support: Eligible companies may qualify for partial reimbursement support for participation and travel expenses through the MI-STEP program. Reimbursement amounts and eligible expenses are determined by MEDC/MI-STEP guidelines and approvals. For details, visit International Trade services with MEDC  or contact your international trade manager.

How will I get to my meetings?

Our in-country specialists will coordinate transportation to your scheduled B2B meetings, as most appointments will take place at the companies’ locations. Please note that travel time and other logistics may impact the total number of meetings each delegate is able to attend each day of the trade mission. However, our goal is to arrange approximately 3–4 meetings per day for each participating company.

Transportation outside of scheduled B2B meetings will be the responsibility of each company. Uber is widely available, easy to use, and generally very inexpensive.

Will I need an interpreter?

If needed, interpreters will be provided for meetings and are included with your registration fee.

How are airline and hotel reservations handled?

Airline tickets: You book (and pay for) your own airline ticket via local travel agent or online air travel website.

Hotels: Automation Alley will choose the hotel(s) and make reservations at a pre-negotiated rate for each delegate. However, delegates will be responsible for their own hotel charges throughout the mission. All delegates will stay at the same hotel to facilitate logistics as well as to encourage interaction and networking that is always a collateral benefit of traveling with a group. You will pay all hotel room charges directly to the hotel via a payment code provided by the hotel.

How can I verify that these are good markets for my company before registering?

Before registering, you can verify whether these markets are a good fit for your company by completing our Trade Mission Application form. This helps us better understand your products, services, and target customers.

Once your application is submitted, we will coordinate a virtual meeting with the MEDC Mexico Office, our in-country trade specialists. During this consultation, they will provide an initial assessment of your market fit and highlight potential opportunities.

They will also be responsible for organizing your pre-vetted, pre-arranged B2B meetings, ensuring that any connections made during the mission are relevant and aligned with your business goals.