Latin Asia Business Forum 2015

FOSTERING INVESTMENT, TRADE AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

BETWEEN ASIA AND LATIN AMERICA

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Despite the physical distance, economic ties between Asia and Latin America  prove strong, with bilateral trade growing at a CAGR of 21.3% in the last decade to US$446.2 billion in 2013. This exceeds the cumulative trade between Latin America and Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and signals enormous potential for deeper engagement between both regions.

Hosted in Singapore since 2004, the Latin Asia Business Forum (LAB) is a premier platform for business and government leaders to foster investment, trade and thought leadership between Latin America and Asia. Since its inauguration, LAB has brought together close to 3,000 business and government leaders from 50 countries in robust discussion.

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WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND

• Engage in open dialogue and exchange insights with key Asian and Latin American business and government leaders
• Gather business leads and meet with prospective business partners
• Expand your business network

PROGRAMME

9:30 – 10:15	Registration and Networking Breakfast
10:15 – 10:30	Welcome Address by Teo Eng Cheong, CEO, IE Singapore
10:30 – 11:30	Keynote Panel – The dawn of the new economic normal: Where does the Latin America and Asia partnership stand?
	Economic transformation in Asia in the 2000s has paved the way for Asia to become a key driver of the global economy while Latin America’s economic resilience and strong growth in the past decade has fuelled bullish attitudes towards the region. In an era of weakening commodity prices and slowing global growth, the existing inter-regional trade and investment linkages between Latin America and Asia will necessarily be more crucial for both regions. Will political transition in Latin America and/or Asia bode well for economic relationships between the regions? What are the implications for ongoing trade negotiations, protectionism, and sustainable economic growth? Moderator: Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society and Council of the Americas Speakers:  1.    Enrique Garcia, President and CEO, CAF, Development Bank of Latin America 2.    Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, Singapore
11:30 – 12:30	Panel 2 – Urbanising Latin America: What must be done to bridge the infrastructure gap? Latin America is the most urbanised region in the world, where 80% of the population – or 485 million – reside in metropolitan areas. While rapid urban growth has followed from Latin America’s rise in the last decades, it has also put a strain on housing, transportation, water and waste management.   To bridge the region’s infrastructure gap, Latin American countries will need to double current levels of investment in infrastructure. Over the next decade, the potential project pipeline is estimated to be US$1.5 trillion.  However, the lack of continuity in local policies and interests from one administration to the next has been a key impediment for long-term, government-sponsored infrastructure projects.   What are local companies and governments doing to mitigate the impact of such transitions, if at all?  What are the best practices, technologies, and financing options or models to optimise returns in infrastructure investments in Latin America? Moderator: Julian Goh, Director, Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore  Speakers: 1.    Alfonso Vegara, President, Fundacion Metropoli 2.    Eduardo Santoyo, CEO, Interacciones Infrastructure Fund   3.    Paulo Cesena, President, Odebrecht Transport 4.    Renato Mazzola, Head of Infrastructure, BTG Pactual 5.    Wong Heang Fine, Group CEO, Surbana Jurong
12:30 – 14:00	Networking Lunch
14:00 – 15:00	Panel 3 – Living with creative disruption:  How will Latin American and Asian business leaders innovate for the future?
	In the last decade, Latin America and Asia have undergone transformational growth and emerged as important drivers of the global economy. Businesses, both large and small, have played a key role in catalysing this development. While large conglomerates control market share across many industries in both regions, many small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) still form the base of these economies.   The advent of digitisation, which has resulted in the convergence of content, channels, and commerce, has transformed and redefined the global competitive landscape. New enterprises with new business models are sprouting up, disrupting, and quickly overtaking the more established and traditional companies.   How are entrepreneurship and innovation changing the business landscape in Latin America and Asia today? How are businesses in Latin America and Asia continuously evolving and innovating to stay ahead of the game? Moderator: Arnaud Frade, CEO, Asia-Pacific of Ipsos Interactive Services Speakers: 1.    Ailtom Nascimento, Executive Vice President (Global Business), Stefanini 2.    Ho Kwon Ping, Exec Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings 3.    Marcos Jank, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Business Development, BRF Asia-Pacific 4.    Michael Harari, CEO, Regency Group  5.    William Edwards, CEO (Attractions), Themed Attractions & Hotels
15:00 – 15:30	Networking Break
15:30 – 16:30	Panel 4 – Will oil fuel the Latin-Asia relationship for the long haul?
	Despite the changing economics of oil, Latin America continues to be a major player on the world energy stage. The region’s vast oil and gas resources continue to play a critical role in supplying Asia’s energy needs and attracting Asian investors to the region.   While collaboration between Latin America and Asia in this sector has been strong, the road ahead is not without challenges. Much remains uncertain in the oil & gas industry in Latin America despite the region’s still enormous potential. In light of the global energy outlook, what are some new windows of opportunity in the energy sector and how can Latin America-Asia partnerships tap on these to grow? Moderator: Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Americas Society and Council of the Americas  Speakers: 1.    James Pang, Managing Director, Pacific Radiance 2.    Kong Yen Sin, Director of Oil Trading (Asia), BG Group  3.    Michael Chia, Managing Director (Marine & Technology), Keppel Offshore & Marine
16:30 – 16:45	Closing Remarks by LAB 2015 Advisory Board Chairperson, Jennie Chua, Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to Mexico
16:45	One-to-one Business Meetings and Networking Cocktail

 Join in the discussion at Latin Asia Business Forum 2015.
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