Highlighting cutting-edge economic issues and how they affect and shape Hong Kong's banking industry has made the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers' (HKIB) annual conference one of the most significant events on the local banking calendar.
Patrick Fung, HKIB executive committee chairman, says the annual event - this year under the theme of "The Year of Transformation - Heading into a New Era" - brings together eminent banking executives, practitioners, government officials, regulators and delegates from business and finance-related fields to discuss the latest industry issues. It will be held this year on September 13 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai.
"The conference, which is organised for the benefit of our members and the industry as a whole, is just one example of how HKIB acts as a bridge between the industry, government, regulators and other relevant parties," Fung says. "It provides networking opportunities for banking and finance executives who are looking for a platform to exchange ideas and expand their contact networks."
He adds that delegates will also have access to the timely information they need for aligning and planning their businesses for 2013. For instance, as Hong Kong continues to develop as an offshore yuan centre, delegates will learn about the growth drivers and opportunities in diversifying the range of yuan products, deepening the yuan market and making the best use of Hong Kong as the leading offshore centre for yuan-denominated business.
The role that Hong Kong and Shanghai can play in this internationalisation will be covered in a keynote presentation by Wu Xiaoling, vice-chairwoman of the financial and economic affairs committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.
Other headline topics will include the changing landscape of banking, challenges under the current uncertain global environment, the impact and cost of new regulations, and the latest trends in commercial, retail and private banking.
Fung says delegates attending the conference will also learn how sovereign debt concerns in Europe, credit and liquidity issues, and a slowdown in global demand for products made in China are having an impact on Hong Kong banking and the wider economic landscape. "While Hong Kong's banking sector is performing fairly well, we cannot escape the fact that as an international finance centre, we are not immune from what is happening elsewhere in the world," Fung says.
Underlining Hong Kong's important relationship with the mainland's banking sector, a group of mainland bankers from various provinces will attend the event. "The conference will provide a unique opportunity for two-way interaction between delegates to talk about mainland and Hong Kong banking topics," Fung says.
Local delegates attending the HKIB annual banking conference can use the experience as part of their annual continuous professional development requirement.
HKIB Annual Banking Conference Highlights
Theme The Year of Transformation – Heading into a New Era
Date and time September 13, 2012 (Thursday), 9am-5pm
Venue N201, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai
Topics include:
Keynote Speech RMB Internationalisation – Roles and Opportunities for Hong Kong
Panel Discussion RMB Business and the New Growth Drivers
Corporate and Commercial Banking Stream Changing Business Practises in Commercial and Corporate Banking
Personal Banking and Private Banking Stream Private Banking and Wealth Management in Asia
Risk Management and Compliance Stream Creating an Effective Framework to Control Financial Crime
Website www.hkib.org
