Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are beginning a five-day series of engagements in the United States.
They will meet an influential group of business leaders at the New York Stock Exchange and later in the week will have discussions with President George W Bush at The White House.
This week the powerful Irish-American lobby will have a chance to assess the Paisley-McGuinness team on US soil.
The purpose of the trip is to signal that Northern Ireland wants US investment. That will be the message at a business breakfast on Wall Street later today, hosted by the American-Ireland Fund.
On Wednesday the delegation will move to Washington where a series of meetings is planned.
