In a bid to boost exports and nurture international connections, state economic development leaders on Thursday took 32 trade commissioners from 23 countries on a daylong bus tour designed to show Wisconsin makes more than beer and cheese.

"We saw an opportunity to educate them," said Lora Klenke, vice president of international business development for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., during a midday break in the tour. "We have a lot of assets we want to show them. They are really the key (information conduit) for companies in their countries looking to get into the U.S."

The first-of-its-kind event was hosted by the WEDC for members of the Chicago-based International Trade Commissioner's Association. It started in Madison and ended in Milwaukee, with stops at the state Capitol, UW-Madison, GE Healthcare Design Center, the Global Water Center and the Discovery World Museum.

At UW-Madison, the attendees heard a presentation about the commercialization of university research discoveries and public-private partnerships over lunch at the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery.

At the museum, a closing reception was to be held for the trade commissioners featuring networking opportunities with 20 or so business leaders from key Wisconsin industry clusters, including water technology, aerospace/aviation, energy and controls, food and beverages, and biotech and medical devices.

State goals for the tour were to expand exporting opportunities for Wisconsin companies and to start talks aimed at helping overseas companies establish operations here or invest in Wisconsin companies. The trade commissioners, meanwhile, also were looking to promote their own countries' exports and investment opportunities, even as they listened to state pitches.

Zuzana Pittnerova, who heads the trade office of the Czech Republic, said the tour was a "unique opportunity" to develop closer one-on-one relationships with Wisconsin business people and state economic development officials.

"It's very useful to see something with my own eyes," she said. "Everybody is so helpful."

The Czech Republic, with 10.5 million people, isn't a major export destination now for Wisconsin companies, but that could change. The country's economy is growing rapidly, creating a growing market for goods, while Czech businesses are very interested in investing in U.S. companies, Pittnerova said.

Another commissioner, Dejan Velickov of Macedonia, said he was on the lookout for new U.S. clients for the growing information-technology sector in his country. Macedonia's 2 million residents last year bought $1.2 million worth of Wisconsin exports, and the country also provides a good strategic location for state companies including Johnson Controls, which has two plants there to serve the European market.