The two-day U.S.-Africa Business Conference, which took place at the Westin Cincinnati Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, wraps up today, concluding a summit congregating business experts from across the world to discuss business concerns related to energy, transportation, water and sanitation.  The conference, organized by the U.S. State Department, is intended to serve as a forum for Cincinnati area companies to connect with African business leaders in hopes of creating longstanding partnerships while helping African nations improve economy and infrastructure. It follows the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum which took place in Washington, D.C. June 14-15. The U.S.-Africa Business Conference is intended as a way to expand on the AGOA, offering U.S. businesses a platform to showcase business expertise to potential African clients and highlight investment opportunities in Africa for U.S. exporters and investors, according to the U.S. Department of State. Federal agencies that have participated in the conference include the Departments of State, Transportation, Energy and Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Commercial Service-Cincinnati and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the U.S. State Department, Cincinnati was selected as the 2012 conference location due to its "potential to increase commercial partnerships with Africa at local, state and regional levels." The conference includes site visits to GE Aviation, CVG International Airport, EPA Testing and Evaluation Facility, Cincinnati State Renewable Energy Labs, Duke Energy Envision Center and others.