Registrations are now officially open for the 2021 Business Advantage Papua New Guinea Investment Conference and the provisional program has been released. The digital conference will take place from 7 to 9 September 2021.

The conference, hosted online this year to avoid COVID-19 disruptions, will feature keynote addresses from highly respected economist Saul Eslake, Queensland’s new Chief Entrepreneur, Wayne Gerard, and KPMG Australia’s Partner for Energy & Natural Resources Technology, Barbara-Anne Bensted.

Curated program

Economist Saul Eslake

Eslake, former Economist at ANZ and Bank of America, will outline the prevailing trends in global trade and investment, and consider what opportunities these present to PNG.

Wayne Gerard, co-founder and CEO of technology success story RedEye, will present with KPMG Australia’s Barbara-Anne Bensted, on how large corporates and SMEs in PNG can work successfully together to generate economic growth.

They will be joined by a range of experts on business from PNG and the region, including Oil Search Ltd’s CEO, Dr Kieran Wulff, PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Ian Tarutia, and BSP Financial Group CEO, Robin Fleming.

The program, spread over three consecutive mornings, will feature a wide variety of different formats: interactive panel discussions, interviews, case studies, videos and individual presentations.

Included on the program will be a detailed economic update, sessions on PNG’s business and investment climate, updates on new developments in telecommunications, mining and petroleum, energy and infrastructure, as well as a spotlight on the low carbon economy of the future and digital innovation.

Alongside the digital program, the conference will feature bonus in-person networking events in both Port Moresby and Brisbane.

New wave

RedEye’s Wayne Gerard, Chief Entrepreneur for Queensland

Organiser Business Advantage International has hosted eight investment events on Papua New Guinea since 2011, most recently the 2019 PNG Investment Conference in Sydney.

‘As an economy, PNG is on the cusp of a new wave of investment and growth. This time, that growth will be coming not just from mining and petroleum, but infrastructure, renewables, technology, agribusiness and more,’ says Andrew Wilkins, Publishing Director at Business Advantage International.

‘We are curating the conference to focus on the opportunities to come, with the aim of giving senior executives the insights they need to take advantage of those opportunities.’

KPMG has been announced as the conference’s major sponsor.

‘We’re delighted to put the power of KPMG’s global brand behind this important and timely event,’ says Zanie Theron, Managing Partner at KPMG’s Port Moresby office. ‘With patterns of global investment disrupted by COVID-19, this conference represents a unique opportunity to start a new conversation about PNG as a business destination.’

Event partners include the Asian Development Bank, the IFC and the PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Registrations can now be made online at www.pnginvestmentconference.com. A special ‘early bird’ rate applies to all registrations made up until 6 August, with Business Advantage PNG‘s Corporate Partners eligible for a further discount.

Confirmed participants include:

• Saul Eslake, Economist, Corinna Economic Advisory
• Wayne Gerard, Chief Entrepreneur for Queensland and CEO of RedEye
• Barbara-Anne Bensted, Partner – Digital Delta, KPMG Australia
• Ian Tarutia, President, Papua New Guinea Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Dr Kieran Wulff, CEO, Oil Search Ltd
• Robin Fleming, CEO, BSP Financial Group
• David Hill, Country Director—PNG, Asian Development Bank
• Craig Jones, Chief Operating Officer PNG, Newcrest Mining
• Paul Komboi, Managing Director, PNG Dataco
• Fego Ota Kiniafa, Managing Director, PNG Ports Corporation
• Julinette Bayking, Senior PPP/Project Finance Advisor, USAID-Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership
• Brian Tarmey, Lead Finance Specialist and Transaction Advisor, USAID-Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership
• Stan Joyce, Chairman, S P Brewery
• Syd Yates, Managing Director, Kina Asset Management Ltd
• Michael Uiari, Managing Director, Niupower Ltd