This year marks a milestone for Thailand as Chairman of ASEAN 2019. The ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) has been mandated by ASEAN Leaders to organize the ASEAN BAC meetings and related events, parallel activities, and many key seminars and conferences. More importantly, ASEAN BAC will be organizing the upcoming ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2019 in conjunction with the 35th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Thailand.
The ABIS 2019, ASEAN’s premier annual business and investment event, will be held on 2-3 November 2019 at IMPACT Exhibition Center (Hall 6), Muang Thong Thani. This event is jointly organized by the ASEAN BAC, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, and the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking (JSCCIB) which comprises the Board of Trade of Thailand, the Federation of Thai Industries, and the Thai Banker’s Association. The event is expected to attract over 1,000 participants worldwide.
ABIS 2019 will be held under the theme “Empowering ASEAN 4.0,” with special focus on digital infrastructure, digital connectivity, ASEAN Human Empowerment and Development (AHEAD), and MSME.
This event comprises of three main components, namely; keynote addresses by the Heads of State and/or Government, special address by global CEOs and business leaders, and panel discussions on various topics. The Prime Minister of Thailand will preside over the Opening Ceremony of the event followed by keynote addresses by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, State Counsellor of Myanmar, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister of Russia, and Prime Minister of Viet Nam. This year’s event will be honored by the presence of His Royal Highness the Duke of York to deliver the keynote address. Furthermore, Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mr. Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia, Master Femi Owolade-Coombes, the 13-year-old young coding ambassador, global CEOs and business leaders will also speak and share their visions at the event.
Other highlights of ABIS 2019 include the Panel Discussions by business leaders and experts, on key topics including (i) Advancing ASEAN 4.0 in the Global Value Chain, (ii) Sustainable ASEAN 4.0: Circular Economy, (iii) Next Generation MSME Access to Finance, (iv) ASEAN Digital Transformation and Connectivity, (v) ASEAN Human Empowerment and Development, and (vi) ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network for MSMEs.
Parallel activities at ABIS 2019 include business exhibitions, business - matching, business dialogues, networking and meetings. ABIS 2019 will complement the public sector’s efforts to prioritize digitalization, to promote digitalization in ASEAN countries, and to maintain an ASEAN community that is prosperous, embraces sustainable growth, leaves no one behind and is forward - looking.
The annual ABIS is a unique platform in facilitating knowledge exchange among state leaders, business leaders, opinion leaders, and policy makers, enabling participants for collective exploration of issues, new ideas, and the preparation of practical solutions.
As a yearly event organized back-to-back with the ASEAN Summit, ABIS 2019 is the premier platform for interaction for the business communities within ASEAN and beyond. Moreover, ABIS 2019 also provides a venue for discussions between the private sector and the government to further facilitate ASEAN’s deepened economic integration through trade and investment opportunities. It is believed that the deliberations at this event will lead to viable solutions on pressing issues that affect the investment attractiveness and business potential, and deeper business-to-business connectivity within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the rest of the world. ABIS also aims to foster the development of a competitive ASEAN business region. All participants will be able to benefit greatly from the visions, insights, opportunities and shared possibilities.
ASEAN Business Advisory Council, Thailand