THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION IN LONDON

The event, held in early December 2005, was judged to be a huge success by all those involved. Particular thanks go to the sponsors, the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne and Integration Point Inc.

We should also like to mention those who made Investors’ Day presentations: Sociedad de Promocion de Gran Canaria, Spain, Gambia Investment & Free Zones Agency, SUFRAMA, Brazil, Togo Free Zone Authority – SAZOF, AQABA Special Economic Zone Authority, Jordan and SBT Juul Africa, Johannesburg.

     NEW IN 2005 - INVESTORS' DAY
Throughout this day Zones, IPAs and other organisation presented their projects, region or country in 30 minutes slots. WFZC invited guests with a professional interest in corporate location, site selection and foreign direct investment.

FUTURE EVENTS - SPONSORSHIP and INVESTORS' DAY OPPORTUNITIES
PLEASE CONTACT THE ORGANISERS FOR MORE DETAILS   info@freezones.org

Silver Sponsor         

Shedule FIFTH ANNIVERSARY WORLD FREE ZONE CONVENTION
    Monday 5th December 2005
 
FULL DAY OPTIONAL TRAINING COURSES
09.30 - 17.00
COURSE A - Investment Promotion
To promote your zones you must first understand what international investors are looking for. Find out about investors. priorities and how to improve your zones. promotion strategy and techniques to target their needs.
                 Mr. Roel Spee & Ms. Amaya Manrique
                 IBM Business Consulting Services, Plant Location International, Belgium
09.30 - 17.00
COURSE B - Investor Retention & Aftercare
Retaining investors is crucial to your zones. long-term success. Learn how to develop and deliver the first-class service and quality aftercare that will ensure you retain your valued investors.
                 Dr. Em. Marcel De Meirleir & Mr. Walter De Roo
                 Business Location International, Belgium
09.30 - 17.00
COURSE C - Operations Masterclass
Free zones need strong foundations on which to build success. Discover how to develop operating guidelines that ensure a properly functioning infrastructure that will be attractive to investors.
                 Mr. Martin Norman
                 Hub Manager, Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub Gaborone, Botswana
                 & The Services Group Inc., Arlington, Virginia, USA
 
    Monday 6th December 2005
 
INVESTORS' DAY
09.00 - 17.00
Half hour sessions for Zones and Regions to showcase the opportunities they have to offer
 
HALF DAY OPTIONAL TRAINING COURSES
14.00 - 17.30
COURSE D - Outsourcing Opportunities
The explosion in global outsourcing provides fantastic opportunities to free zones. Find out what's happening in cross-border activity and how you can maximise the possibilities this offers to your zones.
                 Dr. Em. Marcel De Meirleir & Mr. Walter De Roo
                 Business Location International, Belgium
14.00 - 17.30
COURSE E - Zone Oversight Reviews
How to benefit from new methodologies and improve relations with government departments such as customs.
                 Mr. Randy Campbell
                 President, Campbell Trade Group Inc York, Pennsylvania, USA
14.00 - 17.30
COURSE F - Marketing & Public Relations Masterclass
Without effective marketing, no-one will know you are there! Discover how to develop successful marketing and communication strategies to enhance your zones. visibility and prosperity.
                 To be advised
18.00 - 20.00
WEBSITE MASTERCLASS
                 Mr. Richard Sarlin
                 Chairman, Wonderworks Inc. New York City, USA
 
Two Day International Conference
INVESTING IN FREE ZONES AS WORLD TRADE OPENS UP

    Wednesday 7th December 2005

DAY ONE - POLICY DEVELOPMENT FOR THE WORLD's FREE ZONES

09.30
Chairman's Introduction and Welcome- Key lessons from the past five years
                 Mr. Graham Mather President, European Policy Forum, London, UK & Brussels, Belgium
                                                       Chairman, World Free Zone Convention, London, UK
SESSION ONE The International Stage
09.35
THE PROSPECTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GLOBALLY, REGIONALLY AND IN COMING TRADE ROUNDS AND HOW FREE ZONES FIT INTO THIS EMERGING PATTERN
                 Mr. Kishore Rao Managing Director, Barents Group, Bearing Point, USA
10.05
HOW FOREIGN INVESTORS AND PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVES ARE INFLUENCING DECISION MAKING - FISCAL INCENTIVES/COMPETITION AND DEREGULATION
                 Dr. Gokhan Akinci Regional Program Coordinator for Central Asia, CIS and Turkey
            &  Mr. Jean-Paul Gauthier Member SEZ Team, Foreign Investment Advisory Services,
                 World Bank Group, Washington DC, USA
10.40
LABOUR MARKETS AND BEST PRACTICE POLICIES TO FULFILL THE EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYERS AND THEIR SHAREHOLDERS
                 Mr. Paul Bailey Senior Technical Specialist, International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland
11.10
Coffee / Tea Break
11.40
THE CHALLENGE OF THE ASIAN AND INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT ECONOMIC TIGERS
                 Mr. Zhao Xinxin Deputy Director, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area Administration Commission, Beijing, China
                 Mr. Zhang Yanjie Managing Director, Investment Promotion Bureau, Chief Head, Foreign Investment Agency (Europe) BDA Administrative Commission, Beijing, China
                 Dr. Lilia De Lima Director General, Philippine Economic Zones Authority, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
                 Mr. Roel Spe Director, IBM Business Consulting Services, Plant Location International, Brussels, Belgium
12.40
PANEL DISCUSSION
13.00
Lunch
SESSION TWO National and Regional Issues
14.15
THE NEW 2005 FRAMEWORK OF STANDARDS APPROVED BY THE HEADS OF CUSTOMS COUNCIL OF THE WCO
                 Mr. Ray McDonag Deputy Director, World Customs Organisation, Brussels, Belgium
14.45
SHARING LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION AND HARMONISATION OF REGULATIONS - A BLUEPRINT FOR ZONE DEVELOPMENT?
                 Dr. Francesca Trampus Director of International Relations, Port of Trieste, Italy
15.15
KNOW YOUR MINISTERS AND IPAS - WHY DO ZONES SUCCEED IN CERTAIN TERRITORIES BUT NOT OTHERS?
                 The. Hon Manzoor Nadir Minister of Tourism, Industry & Commerce, Guyana
                 Mr. Milan Parivodic Minister of International Economic Relations, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
                 Mrs. Vesna Arsic Deputy Minister of Finance, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
16.00
Coffee / Tea Break
16.30
IMPORTANCE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND AN OPEN CULTURE FOR DEVELOPMENT
                 Mr. Dezider Stefunko Programme Coordinator, EMPRETEC Programme, UNCTAD, Geneva, Switzerland
19.30
Fifth Anniversary Cocktails and Dinner (Parliament Chamber & Inner Temple Hall)
Guest Speaker:
                 The Rt. Hon. Lord Howell of Guildford
                 Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Spokesman on Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
sponsored by     
    Thursday 8th December 2005

DAY TWO - PRACTICAL ISSUES FOR FREE ZONES
SESSION ONE Trends and Tips in Operating Free Zones
09.30
PORTS, AIRPORTS AND THE 'MEGA DISTRIBUTION PARK' (TECHNOLOGY STANDARD ADAPTATION, TRADING PLATFORMS, TRADE HUBS, AFTER SALE SERVICES, WAREHOUSING, RELOADING AND PARCELING ETC.)
                 Dr Peter Morrell Director of Research, Department of Air Transport, Cranfield University, UK
                 Professor Mario Pines Professor of Banking, University of Trieste, Italy
10.20
OIL & GAS FREE ZONES
                 Dr. Noble Abe Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Onne Oil & Gas Free Zone Authority, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
10.45
Coffee / Tea Break
11.15
E-ZONES AND OTHER SERVICE ZONES
                 To be advised 
11.45
INCLUDING ZONES IN NEW INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND FUNDS AND RISK ASSESSMENT
                 Dr. John McPherson Principal and Chief Economist,CPCS Transcom, Ottawa, Canada
                 Dr. Michael Likosky School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London - Author, The Silicon Empire: Law, Culture and Commerce
                 Mr. Rodrigo Ortiz Senior Investment Promotion Manager, Multilaterial Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) World Bank Group, Washington DC, USA
12.45
Lunch
Presentation of 2005 Website Awards sponsored by
SESSION TWO Working to attract and retain the Investor
13.15
CREATING AN EXCELLENT ENVIRONMENT AND TELLING THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS
                 Mr. Roger Haywood Chief Executive, Issues Managers, former President, Institute of Public Relations & author, Corporate Reputation, the Brand and The Bottom Line
14.15
MARKET ANALYSIS - PICKING THE WINNING SECTORS
                 Mr. Rene Buck President, Buck Consultants International, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
14.45
BENCHMARKING AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION WITHIN THE ORGANISATION
                 Mrs. Christina Knutsson former Chief of London Bureau of Invest in Sweden, Director, GDP Global Development, London, UK
15.15
Coffee / Tea Break
15.45
BUILDING THE TALENT POOL - TECHNOLOGICAL EXCELLENCE AND LANGUAGE SKILLS
                 Mr. Martin Norman Hub Manager, Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub Gaborone, Botswana
                 & The Services Group Inc., Arlington, Virginia, USA
16.15
ZONES AS REAL ESTATE - BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS
                 Mr. Jean-Claude Goldenstein Managing Director, Global Solutions, NAI Global, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
17.00
CHAIRMAN'S CLOSING REMARKS
& CLOSE OF 2005 CONVENTION & EXHIBITION