AGENDA: 2010 Latin American Cities Conferences - "Panama: It's Happening Now"

Conference Date: March 24, 2010
Conference Location: Panama Marriott Hotel, Panama City

In Collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Panama; the Government of the Republic of Panama; and The World Bank

Panama’s prospects for economic growth are strong as the global economic recovery takes hold in 2010 and the country doubles its commitment to increasing productive infrastructure. As a share of GDP, Panama’s current and planned public investment in productive infrastructure is one of the highest in the region and is on par with East Asian economies. Logistical advantages and the Canal that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans create a natural hub for business between North and South America as well as between Asia and Europe with direct maritime access to over 80 countries and 3.5 billion people.

The Americas Society/Council of the Americas, together with the World Bank and the Government of Panama, are organizing a conference to provide an in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities for investing in Panama. Speakers will discuss global economic and sector-specific prospects, particularly those identified by the government as critical for deepening future growth—logistics, tourism, finance, and agro-business industries. The discussion will analyze Panama’s comparative advantages in these sectors as well as infrastructure projects underway to position Panama as a growth leader. The conference will evaluate Panama’s prospects in the context of the global economic recovery and trends for 2010 and beyond. Please join us as we address these issues with a group of internationally recognized senior business executives, government officials, economists and investment analysts.

8:30 – 8:50 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks
H.E. Demetrio Papadimitriu, Minister of the Presidency of Panama
H.E. Roberto Henriquez, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Panama
Laura Frigenti, Central America Director, The World Bank
Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

9:00 – 9:30 a.m.:Agriculture - Unique Investment Opportunities
•Is there growth potential in Panama’s agriculture sector?
•What makes Panama attractive for agro-business?
•What public policies have helped this sector and what else needs to be done by the government to attract more investment?

David McCann, Executive Chairman, Fyffes
Interviewer: David Gould, Lead Economist, The World Bank

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.: Panama Economic Outlook - Investment Grade and Beyond
•What is Panama’s economic outlook for 2010 and beyond?
•Investment grade? What next?
•Challenges posed by international tax and regulatory reforms

H.E. Alberto Vallarino, Minister of Finance and Economy
Roberto Sifón Arevalo, Director Latin America Sovereign Ratings Group, Standard & Poor’s
Sergio Martín, Head of Research and Chief Economist Mexico, Global Research, HSBC
Moderator: Ragnhild Melzi, Senior Director, Public Policy Programs, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

10:30 – 11:00 a.m.: Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:00 p.m.: Tourism - Development Prospects
•Why should tourism be considered one of the main pillars for growth?
•What are the major projects underway?
•How to balance the industry’s growth with the protection of the environment?

H.E. Salomon Shamah, Director of Panama’s Tourism Agency
Pedro Heilbron, CEO, Copa Holdings S.A.
Osvaldo Librizzi, President, Latin America, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide
Pieter Elbers, SVP Network & Alliances, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Moderator: Roberto Albisetti, Senior Manager for Mexico, Central America and Panama, International Finance Corporation

12:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Lunch
Keynote Speaker: Augusto de la Torre, Chief Economist for Latin America, The World Bank

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.: Logistics, Technology andPanama as a Regional Hub?
•What do companies look for in a regional hub?
•What incentives does Panama offer as a regional hub?
•What role does technology play in improving Panama’s logistic structure?
•What does Panama need to do to become the Singapore of the Americas?

H.E. Roberto Henriquez, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Panama
Jorge Uribe, President of Latin America, Procter & Gamble
Hans Toggweiler, CEO, The Americas, DHL Global Forwarding
Alvaro Celis, Gerente General, Multi Country Americas, Microsoft
Moderator: Susan Segal, President & CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

3:00 – 3:30 p.m.: Closing Remarks
•What are the key sectors that will drive growth and attract more FDI?
•Why Panama is happening now

H.E. Ricardo Martinelli, President of Panama

3:45 – 4:30 p.m.:Transfer to: Miraflores Locks - Panama Canal

4:30 – 6:00 p.m.: Panama Canal Overview and Closing Cocktail

José Barrios Ng, Deputy Administrator, Panama Canal Authority

•What role does the expansion of the Panama Canal play in the country’s economic prospects?
•Status of the expansion