BVI Launches Inaugural Conference, Business BVI Asia, in Hong Kong

September 11, 2014, Hong Kong - Built around the theme, “Pivoting to Asia – The Pathway to New Opportunities”, Business BVI successfully launched its inaugural Regional Business BVI Asia Conference in Hong Kong on September 11, 2014.

The conference is Asia’s first specialist conference dedicated to the BVI Asia offshore finance and business community.

A diverse and high-level group of 120 leading industry executives and practitioners gathered to discuss the evolving global financial landscape and share insights into the challenges and opportunities for the future growth of the BVI’s share of offshore business in Asia.

The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Ms. Caroline Wilson, British Consul General of Hong Kong and Macau, followed by The Keynote Address by Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE, Premier and Minister of Finance of the British Virgin Islands.

Other leading speakers included Robert Mathavious, Managing Director and CEO of the BVI Financial Services Commission; Justice Edward Bannister QC, Commercial Court Judge of the BVI; and Elise Donovan, Director of BVI House Asia.

Setting the stage for the day’s discussion and a highlight of the conference was a presentation on – The Growth of Wealth In Asia by Robyn Meredith, the New York Times Best Selling Author of – The Elephant and the Dragon – The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us. The full day conference also featured an extensive roster of leading industry experts from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore and the BVI.

The day’s programme was designed to foster thought provoking and solutions oriented discussions on a wide range of presentations and panel discussions.

Presentations included; Navigating the Global Regulatory Landscape, The BVI Advantage – ‘I want my BVI’ – How to remain the gold standard in Asia, Going Deeper into the Toolkit – Advanced BVI Company Law, The BVI Commercial Court – A Solid Foundation, OIL 2020 Report 2014 First Look – Areas of Opportunity for the BVI and panel discussions on; The BVI Hong Kong Connection – The Next Level, Growing BVI Brand In Asia, Emerging Opportunities – Focus on Wealth Management, Funds, Intellectual Property, Arbitration, Aircraft and Ship Registrations and Deepening our ties with China.

The conference convened by Business BVI Asia was a successful collaboration of the public and private sectors including; BVI House Asia, HARNEYS, Mourant Ozannes, MAPLES, OIL, the BVI International Financial Centre and WALKERS. We wish to express our most sincere appreciation to all of our conference sponsors and media partners.

Reflecting on the success of the conference, Russell Harrigan, Managing Editor of Business BVI stated that “Business BVI was pleased to convene this conference which we see as a much needed opportunity for the leading decision makers of the BVI financial services sector, both public and private, to meet and discuss the key challenges and opportunities facing the future of this vital sector of the BVI economy.

The idea is to gather annually, the best minds in the offshore industry in what is the BVI’s dominant market, Asia, to discuss and strategize on how to ensure that the BVI retains its position as a leading global financial services centre.”