Harbus

Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: News

More than 600 students, faculty, and invited business leaders from around the world attended the 2009 Harvard Asia Business Conference, the largest annual conference Harvard University has to offer. With large delegations flying over from all across Asia and especially entire student delegations and faculty from Chinese universities, this is a conference that embodies much more than simply regional business issues.

This year has been a bad year overall for organizing conferences. With the external market the way it's been for the past few months, outside sponsors contributing to less than 1/3 of the amount from last year, and overall traveling either domestic or international at a low point in time, many conferences have been forced to downsize or incur budget cuts. For the Asia Business conference, an annual conference organized by 9 co-chairs and a staff of approximately 50 students from HBS, KSG, and HLS, the situation was further worsened by the 4 day long weekend that coincided with Valentine's Day on conference day 1. Nevertheless, when conference day finally arrived, all those involved were very happy with the volume of attendees and the quality of the speakers despite these numerous external factors, which shows the increasing interest in Asia in the current global context and the increasing potential role it may play.

This year's conference theme was Asia in a Whole New World, a theme that we thought fitting due to the recent events that have embroiled the global markets and have left the business communities in Asia struggling to find their new found role and sense of direction. Notable keynotes included: Nam Young Chan, Executive Vice President of SK Telecom, and Chair of the Executive Committee on Corporate Ethics of the Federation of Korean Industries; Takatoshi Kato, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, and Former Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs of Japan; Jeffrey Shafer, Vice Chairman of Citigroup, and Former Undersecretary of the US Treasury for International Affairs under President Clinton and Thierry Porte, Research Associate, Program on US-Japan Relations of the Weatherhead Center and the Reischauer Institute, Harvard University, and Former President and Chief Executive Officer of Shinsei Bank, Japan.

Unlike most conferences, the ABC conference included 2 days and attendees received complimentary breakfasts, lunch and the option to join the formal cocktail reception at the Charles hotel on the first evening to meet and discuss issues with the day's speakers and to just generally socialize with their fellow attendees. Attendance for the cocktail reception was at its highest this year with more the 300 members attending. Afterwards members had the option to stay and register for 50 seats available and join the invited speakers and their guests for a formal dinner in one of the Charles hotel ball rooms.

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