19th ASIAN Corporate Conference: Redefining Asia’s Challenges and the New Role for Vietnam

Posted date: April 24, 2009

With leading investors optimistic about Vietnam’s unique prospects for long-term growth, Asia Society has held its 2009 signature business conference in Ho Chi Minh City, April 22-24, 2009, at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers. Co-organized by the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and The Wall Street Journal Asia, “Redefining Asia’s Challenges and the New Role for Vietnam” will bring together senior government and business leaders from around the world to explore the impact of the global financial crisis on Asian economies and examine the opportunities and challenges in Vietnam’s development and its global integration.

 “Given Vietnam’s vast economic strides over the past few years, the time has come to bring the Asian Corporate Conference back to Vietnam to examine its current developments and business forecast,” notes Asia Society President Vishakha N. Desai. “We are pleased to hold the 2009 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s vibrant business capital.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Nguyen Thien Nhan is slated to give the opening keynote address, with participation of other senior Vietnamese government and corporate leaders. The Asian Corporate Conference was last held in Vietnam in Hanoi in 2003 and opened with a keynote address from then-Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. The Ho Chi Minh City conference capitalizes on the momentum started in 2003 and highlights Vietnam’s fascinating development since that time, particularly during this global economic crisis.

Confirmed international speakers include: Charlene Barshefsky, Partner, Wilmerhale, and Former USTR; John Negroponte, Vice Chairman, McLarty Associates, and Former US Deputy Secretary of State; Henry B. Nguyen, Managing General Partner, IDG Ventures; Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President, Founding Committee, Tri Viet University Project, and Former Vice Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, National Assembly; Mari E. Pangestu, Minister of Trade, Indonesia; Tadakatsu Sano, Partner Jones Day, and Former Vice Minister of International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan; Tran Dac Sinh, President and CEO, HCM Stock Exchange; Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, Singapore; Michael Tay, Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation; Albert Ting, Director, Lawrence S. Ting Memorial Foundation; Ly Qui Trung, Founder & CEO, Pho 24; and Michael Yeoh, CEO, Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, Malaysia. 

            Conference sessions explores topics such as the long term implications of the global financial crisis on Asia; the impact of new US economic and trade policies on the region; improving urban infrastructure, particularly in cities facing rapid industrialization; and education and capacity building.

            Leading up to the conference, Asia Society collaborator VietAbroader partnered with Yola, an edutainment technology platform, to launch the Asia Society Contest (http://asiasoc.vietabroader.org) to recruit three winning bloggers to join the conference and report on the issues online.

The conference agenda and list of confirmed speakers is available on the conference website at: http://www.asiasociety.org/conference09.

  The conference is held with generous support from numerous corporations (list in formation) including Phu My Hung, IDG Ventures Vietnam, Philip Morris, Lotte Mart and Lotte Engineering & Construction, Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, T&A Communications, United Airlines, IBM, Financial News and Business Channel, McLarty Associates, Prudential PLC, VDC, and VILAF. Collaborating organizations include the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the US-ASEAN Business Council, Vietabroaders, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Saigon Times, Vietnamnet, and Asian Business Leaders will participate as media partners.

            Asia Society's business conferences provide a leading forum for executives to meet the policy-makers and business leaders who shape the Asia Pacific business environment. The Society annually presents a high-profile Corporate Conference in a selected city in Asia to examine the implications of macroeconomic trends and geopolitical developments for the region and the world. Through keynote addresses by heads of Asian governments and other key decision-makers, as well as roundtable discussions with business and policy leaders from around the world, this unique series highlights developments in the conference site country, while examining the cutting-edge issues shaping important trends in Asia's dynamic markets and in the global economy.

Since 1989, the Asian Corporate Conference has attracted a combined audience of more than 16,000 participants from around the world. The 18th Asian Corporate Conference held in Tianjin, China in May 2008 drew more than 1000 delegates from 20 countries. Recent conferences have been held in Tokyo, Mumbai, Bangkok and Seoul.

About the Asia Society

Asia Society is the leading global organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States. The Society seeks to enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of policy, business, education, arts, and culture. Founded in 1956, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Seoul, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.AsiaSociety.org.

Email this page Bookmark this page