Investment in the Caribbean region is bringing together a unique coalition for Caribbean American Heritage Month this June, as the United States, China and the Caribbean unite for Invest Caribbean Now 2013.
The sold out Forum on June 5th at the Radisson Martinique Hotel in New York City, comes on the heels of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Caribbean trip on May 28th for the signing of the United States – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, (TIFA) and the first visit to Trinidad & Tobago by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, which will take place from May 31 to June 2.
Xiaoguang Liu, consul in charge of economic & commercial affairs at the Consulate of China in New York will headline a panel on China’s growing interests in the Caribbean. Other panellists will include Jianxin Lin, chairman of the American Chinese Commerce Development Association, (ACCDA); and Li Li, managing director of the Chinese American Business Development Center, (CABDC). The Sino-American Friendship Association (SAFA) will present the panel, which will be supported by ACCDA and the CABDC and moderated by Martin Mohabeer, managing director of Spackman Group, a Hong-Kong based venture capital firm.
As well, Anthony Eterno, of the Office of Caribbean Affairs in the Western Hemisphere Division in the U.S. State Department, will discuss key issues regarding American investment in the Caribbean Additionally, US-based; Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd will discuss its investments in the Caribbean region before an audience that will include over a dozen Caribbean premiers and ministers of government.
In 2012, U.S. imports from Caribbean countries under the Caribbean Basin Initiative totaled more than $11 billion, representing a 178 percent increase over the past decade. U.S. exports equaled nearly $12 billion, representing a 133 percent increase over the past decade.
In 2011, China announced it would lend $6.3 billion to Caribbean governments, adding considerably to the hundreds of millions of dollars in loans, grants and other forms of economic assistance it has already channelled in the past decade.
Invest Caribbean Now is organized annually by The Caribbean Tourism Organization and digital media solutions company, Hard Beat Communications, during Caribbean Week in New York.
ICN 2013 is sponsored by marquee sponsor Avalon Partners; gold sponsors, The Turks & Caicos Islands Investment Agency and Royal Caribbean Cruise, Ltd; bronze sponsor, One Caribbean Television and supporting sponsors, The Chinese American Business Development Center, the American Chinese Commerce Development Association and No-Jet-Lag.
Speakers and panelists confirmed for ICN 2013 are:
Anthony Eterno, U.S. State Department, Office of Caribbean Affairs, Western Hemisphere;
Dr. Rufus Ewing, Premier Turks & Caicos Islands, (TCI);
Washington Misick, Finance Minister, Turks & Caicos Islands;
Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Chairman, Caribbean Tourism Organization, (CTO) and Commissioner Tourism, USVI;
Alan Lowenstein, managing director, Wedgewood Investment Group;
E. Jay Saunders, CEO, Digicel TCI;
Heather Floissac, managing director, Belle Vue Properties, Ltd;
Brian Lilly, CEO, Lilly Broadcasting and One Caribbean Television;
Adam Goldstein, president, Royal Caribbean International;
Miguel Reyna, director, port business development and asset management, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.;
Dr. Grace Lappin, managing director, Avalon Partners;
Xiaoguang Liu, consul in charge of economic & commercial affairs of the Consulate General of China in New York;
Jianxin Lin, chairman of the American Chinese Commerce Development Association, (ACCDA);
Li Li, managing director of the Chinese American Business Development Center, (CABDC);
Ganesh Ramanathan, creative director, Hard Beat Communications;
Felicia Persaud, CMO, Hard Beat Communications.
Other government attendees will include:
Premier Dr. Orlando Smith of the British Virgin Islands;
John Percy de Jongh, Jr, Governor, US Virgin Islands;
Chief Minister Hubert Hughes of Anguilla;
Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister Tourism & International Transport, International Trade, Industry, Commerce & Consumer Affairs, St. Kitts;
Lorne Theophilus, Minister Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries, St. Lucia;
Stephen Cadiz, Minister Tourism, Trinidad & Tobago;
Assemblyman Tracy Davidson-Celestine, Deputy Chief Secretary and Secretary, Division of Tourism and Transportation of Tobago;
Mark Brantley, Minister Tourism, Nevis;
Nicolaas Sneek, Commissioner St. Eustatius;
John Maginley, tourism minister of Antigua & Barbuda;
Damion Crawford, minister of state, Jamaica;
Maryse Noel of Haiti
and Hugh Riley, secretary general, Caribbean Tourism Organization, (CTO).
Private sector representatives will include senior executives fromJP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Nomura, CIBC World Capital, Ibis Investments, Aegis Capital, Portfolio Credit Management Limited, DHL, Marriott International, Spackman Capital, Royal Caribbean Cruise, Ltd., One Caribbean Television, Avalon Partners, Digicel, TCI, Scotiabank TCI and Sun Realty among others.
2013 media partners include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, News Americas Now, WINN FM of St. Kitts, South Florida Caribbean, Caribseek, Antigua Tribune, Bahamas Spectator, Barbados Gazette, British Caribbean News, Caribbean ET Roundup, Caribbean Financials, Cuba Chronicle,Dominica Gazette,Dominican Republic Post, Dutch Caribbean News, French Caribbean News, Grenada Chronicle, Guyana Inquirer, Haiti Gazette, Jamaica Inquirer, Puerto Rico Tribune, St. Kitts Gazette, St. Lucia Chronicle, St. Vincent Tribune, Trinidad Tribune, the Bajan Reporter, The Bahamas Weekly and Bahamas Local.
For more, log on to InvestCaribbeanNow.com.
