Asheville made international headlines last week when its Omni Grove Park Inn hosted the Group of 20 finance track summit.
The summit is an annual global forum aimed at securing financial stability and consensus. It consists of delegates from 20 nations representing roughly 85% of the world’s population. Leadership is designated by country on a rotating annual basis, and the United States, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as finance track leader, chose Asheville in part for what it represents to senior officials nearly two years after Hurricane Helene devastated the region.
“With its local inspiration leading to global innovation, Asheville stands as a hub for corporate innovation and growth, making it ideal for a G20 focused on driving economic growth and prosperity,” the G20 website stated.
President Trump’s administration during the G20 looked chiefly to the Western North Carolina city’s entrepreneurial outlook as proof it had made what one senior Treasury official called a “comeback.” For what had previously been conversations among government representatives, this year’s G20 summit brought in private executives to talk about deregulation for the sake of corporate interests.
