Biggest business meet set in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu is hosting the biggest business conference in Visayas this year.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Melanie Ng announced the chamber is host of the 26th Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC).

“We shall be hosting for the 26th Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC) on September 28-29 in Cebu,” Ng said.

The VABC is an event by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) that brings together all chambers from the Visayas region to tackle business and development agenda.

This year, VABC is happening in Cebu and hosted by CCCI in tandem with PCCI. It will focus on inclusive growth and greater collaboration to create a business-friendly climate.

Delegates from at least 17 business chambers in the Visayas region are expected to attend the conference.

By September this year also, CCCI is sending a delegation for an outbound trade mission the 14th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) to Nanning, China on September 13-18.

Ng said this one of the top trade expos in China, thus making it the best platform for Chinese and ASEAN entrepreneurs to meet and build business partnerships.

Ng said over 30 members of the chamber had already confirmed to join the expo.

She earlier said that Cebu participants seek to explore economic possibilities with their traders in China and among member economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“Our priority is for our members to explore all opportunities with other foreign countries with regards to services and products,” she noted.

Based on its website, CAEXPO is co-sponsored by ministries/department of commerce or industry and trade of China and the 10 ASEAN member states as well as the ASEAN Secretariat, and is organized by the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Having been successfully concluded for 13 sessions so far, the CAEXPO has grown into an event of special international influence and plays an important role in promoting the China-ASEAN friendly cooperation and building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The 14th CAEXPO will highlight innovation-driven development, promoting export of high-end equipment with advanced technology and high added value and relevant services, to upgrade industrial capacity cooperation between China and ASEAN countries and achieve coordinated development among countries along the Belt and Road routes.

The CAEXPO highlights China's import and focus on opening the market to ASEAN.

It provides an effective bridge for ASEAN products to enter the Chinese market.

During the second quarter CCCI also had the following inbound missions: Fujian Business Matching; Belgian Business Matching; Chinese Business Delegation from Xiamen; Business Matching with Macau ASEAN Int’l Chamber of Commerce Members; Business Meeting with Small Enterprise Assistance Funds; and with the US Commercial Service Senior Commercial Officer Diane Jones to bring in American business SMEs to meet and network with the Cebu business community. (FREEMAN)