Preparations Underway For APEC Meeting

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, referred to as APEC, are taking place this week. For the first time, Palm Springs will play host to a portion of the events. Meaning some high profile visitors will be in our valley. APEC was established in 1989, their goal is to promote economic growth, trade, and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. With the United States as the host for this year’s APEC convention, hundreds of delegates from around the world will begin arriving in the Coachella Valley tomorrow. They have a long list of items to talk about, which include helping feed the poor, providing health care to those who need it, and fighting government corruption. The Palm Springs Convention Center will be ground zero for the gathering which runs through February 28th. Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage will host a special reception for dignitaries on February 26th. We reached out to the Palm Springs Police Department which issued a statement, which said, "PSPD is aware of the meeting and as with any high profile group visiting our city, we have met with the state department and our countywide partners. We are prepared, in the event any issues should arise." From here delegates will meet in Detroit in May, then Seattle in September, and San Francisco in November. The theme for these meetings, "Creating a resilient and sustainable future for all." This story has been updated with additional developments.