The popular AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session, jointly organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, will provide investment matching services in hybrid format. The first two days of matchmaking meetings (11 and 12 January) will allow participants to meet at the physical Forum venue and will continue online until 17 January, offering investors and project owners a prolonged period to connect and explore collaboration opportunities.
The investment projects covered will span diverse sectors, such as deep tech, digital technology and media, healthtech, education, infrastructure and real estate services, with an eye towards facilitating connections between investors and project managers. More than 600 Deal Flow matchmaking meetings are expected to be held.17 business delegations, with more than 200 representatives, will attend AFF in person, including from Mainland China, Australia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. These also include delegations led by the World Federation of International Financial Centers, Beijing Financial Bureau, Tianjin Commission of Commerce, Shenzhen Financial Bureau, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, Riyadh Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and other organisations. More international business representatives are expected to confirm their in-person participation at the Forum in the coming days.
The HKTDC is organising a series of travel experiences, food and accommodation discounts and other opportunities for overseas guests to make the most of their stay in Hong Kong during the AFF and International Financial Week and enjoy the vibrancy of Asia’s World City.The 16th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will once again be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on 11 and 12 January to bring together global financial leaders in person. The event will also be accessible virtually. The first large-scale business exchange event of 2023 comes on the heels of the reopening of the Hong Kong-Mainland China border and the resumption of quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the mainland since the start of the pandemic.
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With the current year’s subject being Speeding up Change: Effect – Consideration – Advancement, AFF will inspect the present status of the worldwide economy and investigate significant issues, like exchange and feasible improvement across in excess of 40 board conversations and studios. Given the interest in controversial social issues connected with worldwide money and subjects, for example, environmental change, wellbeing strategy, energy and ecological security, food and farming, notwithstanding the rise of new financial models from fast fintech improvements like Web 3.0 and the Metaverse, the current year’s Gathering will send off the Worldwide Range series, while proceeding to coordinate Fireside Talks, to assist members with remaining current on a more extensive extent of issues influencing what is going on.
There will also be featured exhibition zones – both physical and online. These are Fintech Showcase, the InnoVenture Salon, FintechHK Startup Salon and the Global Investment Zone, which will showcase various innovative technologies. More than 120 local and international financial institutions, tech companies, start-ups, investment agencies and sponsors – including PwC, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of China, HSBC, UBS, China International Capital Corporation, Huatai International, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, as well as Cyberport – will gather at the Forum to showcase technologies of tomorrow and global investment opportunities. To encourage overseas AFF delegates to make the most of their stay and experience the vitality of Hong Kong outside the Forum, the HKTDC has for the first time partnered with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Klook, the Lan Kwai Fong Group and hotels to offer travel experiences, food and accommodation discounts, coupled with other special offers to showcase Hong Kong as a popular tourist, conference and exhibitions destination. As the HKSAR Government announced the resumption of quarantine-free travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong in a gradual and orderly manner last month, the HKTDC extends the special offer for an admission pass to 8 January, on top of the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme, in the hope of driving more participation.
Mary Huen, Chairperson of the AFF Steering Committee and Cluster CEO, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, at Standard Chartered, said: “For Hong Kong, 2023 will be a year of recovery and the return to normalcy. The imminent and orderly resumption of travel with the Mainland will help stimulate our economy, improve market sentiment, and consolidate Hong Kong’s role as a super connector – bridging the Mainland and the international market. We are glad that this year’s Asian Financial Forum will see global leaders gathering here physically to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the financial industry, reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre.” Dr Patrick Lau, the HKTDC’s Deputy Executive Director said: “Firstly, given last year’s volatile financial markets and fragile economy globally, transformation is key, as the world in 2023 needs new insights, solutions and opportunities, which the more than 100 global political and business leaders, financial experts, investors, entrepreneurs, tech giants and economists we engaged as our speakers will share with our distinguished AFF participants. Secondly, with the resumption of quarantine-free travel between the mainland and Hong Kong and the lifting of international travel restrictions in Hong Kong, we are pleased to see huge interest to join AFF, including attending in-person in Hong Kong. We believe that the AFF platform enables all participants to have closer interactions and create more business opportunities. Another big attraction is, of course, that the participants will introduce their projects at AFF to secure partners or investors.
AFF will attract global financial leaders and professionals to participate in person as well as online, and will once again showcase Hong Kong as a vibrant international business centre.”Other distinguished guest speakers include Valerie Baudson, Chief Executive Officer of Amundi; Gu Shu, Chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China; Takeshi Kunibe, Chairman of the Board of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation; Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners; Dr Ridha Wirakusumah, Chief Executive Officer of the Indonesia Investment Authority; Mark Tucker, Group Chairman of HSBC; Dr Jose Vinals, Group Chairman of Standard Chartered; and Liu Jin, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and President, Bank of China.
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