WFZC are pleased to welcome the following additional speakers not included in the marketing programme:
Prof. Sudi Sudarsanam, Professor of Finance & Corporate Control & Director, MSc in Finance & Management, School of Management, Cranfield University, UK
Ms. Valentina Siclovan, Vice President Operations, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, Thessaloniki, Greece
Mr. Adrian Quayle, Vice-President, Strategic Sourcing, Gartner Consulting, and Research Director, National Outsourcing Association, London, UK
Mr. Anthony Bouthelier, Executive Director, CIAN, French Council of Investors in Africa, Paris, France
INVESTORS' DAY PRESENTATIONS
Gran Canaria and
Jordan are amongst the Investors' Day presentations booked so far. Participants from more than 20 countries are already confirmed and this year's Convention is attracting a great deal of interest.
African Free Zones Association meeting
It has been confirmed that a meeting will be chaired by Mr. Oche Obe, designated by the 2005 ad hoc committee as Chairman of the Association. It is planned that the new constitution will be presented and ratified at a meeting to be held at 17.30 on Investors' Day, Monday 11th December. The meeting will be open to all registered participants to the 2006 WFZC Conventon.
Update June 2006
JUST FOUR WEEKS UNTIL GENEVA !
WFZC are pleased to announce the participation of
Mrs. Flávia Skrobot Barbosa Grosso
Superintendent of Manaus Free Trade Zone - Suframa Manaus - Amazonas, Brazil who will speak on the morning of the 25th July
We are also pleased to welcome a new
Media Partner for future events - Site Selection magazine of the United States, a leader in corporate relocation issues.
Participants and delegations from more than 30 countries have already registered and represent a good cross-section from Zones Authorities, Government, Corporates and their advisers.
We look forward to welcoming all who are able to join us for this unique meeting.
Update April 2006
Zones continue to support World Free Zone Convention
101 Countries have now participed at WFZC Events.
Update February 2006
World Free Zone Convention continues to support Zones
WAIPA (8th - 10th March 2006)
At the Annual Conference of WAIPA (World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies) in Geneva
we will be in a prominent position running the CyberCafe.
The WAIPA meeting is held in the Palais des Nations and is attended by 250 to 300 influencial
decision makers from nations around the world. These participants are responsible for the
development of inward investment in their respective countries and the WFZC effort helps to
ensure that Zones benefit from their investment promotion activities.
The full programme including speakers can be found on www.waipa.org . This year's theme is particularly
appropriate for Free Zones - WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS : THE RISE OF NEW PLAYERS - NEW FORMS OF FDI.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, now Secretary General of UNCTAD. During his
time as Secretary General Designate of WTO he spoke at the inaugural and second WFZC International
Conferences so he is familiar with our mission.
MIPIM (14th - 17th March 2006)
This annual event is considered the premier global meeting point of real estate developers and
investors. It is attended by the public and private sector - national, regional and city
governments, developers, investors as well as end users including transnational corporations.
Just under 20,000 participants are expected this year in the French city of Cannes on the Cote
D'Azur. More information is available on www.mipim.com
As last year WFZC is arranging a short seminar open to all participants free of charge. We have
invited a number of speakers who will brief those attending on MAXIMISING BUSINESS/TOURISM
OPPORTUNITIES IN FREE ZONES/PORTS AND SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES. The seminar will be held in the
Palais des Festivals on Wednesday 15th March at 17.30 hrs. Full details of our speakers can be
obtained from the WFZC office by email info@freezones.org or by telephone +44 207 839 1334.
Update December 2005
Association of African Free Zones meeting
An open meeting was held after Day One of the London Convention in December. During this, and after much lively discussion, a small committee was formed from a number of countries. A Secretary was appointed to handle communications and drive the Association forward. Full details from
Mr. Chris Ndibe, General Manager, Calabar Free Trade Zone,
chrisndibe@yahoo.com, Tel: +(234) 87 210 012 or 014, Fax: +(234) 87 210 010
Update June 2005
IZMIR is the second largest port in Turkey, with a
population of more than 3 million, strategically situated
at the eastern seabord of the Mediterranean. Turkey is now
on the road to becoming a full member of the European Union
along with other countries in the region. Its highly
successful Free Zone programme has contributed greatly to
the national economy since its inception just over 15 years
ago. It has brought in up to date manufacturing and
assembly methods as well as logistics and supply chain
know-how.
Free Zones and Ports in the European Union and the
surrounding countries are in a state of continuous
development. Mr. Kursad Tuzmen, Minister of State in the
Turkish government, who was responsible for the
implementation of the Free Zone programme, joined
colleagues from neighbouring countries to discuss how these
special economic zones can be supported and encouraged.
Issues such as state aid, tax breaks and incentive
programmes are making headlines globally and it is
appropriate that this discussion was moderated by the World
Trade Editor of the Financial Times. ( See his report )
This panel included Government officials from the
Ministries of Economy of the region and further afield:
Russian Federation, Nigeria, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia
& Montenegro and Syria.
WFZC Chairman, Graham Mather, in his closing remarks after
two remarkable days of high level discussion at the Aegean
Free Zone, warmly thanked Kaya Tuncer, its Founder and
Chairman on behalf of the delegates and speakers:
" You and your colleagues at ESBAS provided a
marvellous venue and atmosphere for the first World Free
Zone Convention event to held in a free zone itself. The
efficiency and professionalism of your team was outstanding
and the generosity of your hospitality much
appreciated.
Delegates were extremely impressed with the success of the
Aegean Free Zone and I am sure that the event will do much
to promote the attractions of Turkey, and ESBAS in
particular, as an ideal location for inward investment.
At WFZC we monitor Special Economic Zones around the
world and more than more than 120 countries now have some
form of zone development programmes. Of these more than 95
have now participated in our meetings. It is clear to us
that sharing knowledge is a positive force which encourages
those entrusted with this responsibility to achieve
measurable and enduring success. "
Update April 2005
Training and Information on Free Zones
- Two high-level Training Courses
are taking place in the run-up to Izmir 2005. Participants from countries including Morocco, Tanzania, Finland, South Africa, Bulgaria, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Djibouti etc. are taking up the challenge of INVESTMENT PROMOTION STRATEGIES and STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANS FOR FREE ZONES.
Either of these two programmes can be run 'in house'. See the Training Course pages for the full syllabuses or write for more information to info@freezones.org
- New books on Free Zones and Infrastructure
See tab on left for information on two new books of considerable value to those involved with Free Zones.
Update February 2005
The programme for IZMIR 2005 has now been mailed - please contact us by email if you have not received yours and we will send you a .pdf file.
We are eagerly looking forward to our first major International Conference of 2005. However two other opportunities to air the benefits of Free Zones will occur early on the same day in March.
- On Wednesday 9th March Graham Mather will host a morning Seminar during MIPIM in Cannes. MIPIM is the premier world commercial real estate meeting and we are delighted to have the opportunity to be there. If you are registered to attend look out for details of the seminar venue on the MIPIM website www.mipim.com or in the programme which will be amongst the hand-outs on arrival.
- In the evening WFZC is sponsoring the evening Reception at WAIPA X at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. This event is attended by delegates from throughout the world and WAIPA is expecting a large group from China this year.
Once again WORLD FREE ZONE CONVENTION is spreading the word about Zones at key gatherings of influential corporate executives and government officials.
Update November 2004
Please see the Review of Cape Town in our History pages. You can also view details of other meetings held since 2001. We are proud of the fact that of the 120 countries with Zone programmes 90 have now participated at WFZC events.
Update September 2004
We are pleased to be able to offer the following tours for delegates to Cape Town
HALF DAY TOURS
- Morning Cape Town City and Table Mountain
- Afternoon Cape Town City and Table Mountain
- Morning Cultural Township Tour
- Winelands Morning or Afternoon Tour
FULL DAY TOURS
- Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope
- Cape Grand Slam Tour
- Hermanus (famous for whale watching) Tour
PRE AND POST CONVENTION LEISURE TOURS
- Luxury Kruger National Park Tour
- Garden Route Tour
Bookings for half-day and one-day tours may be made at the Convention. Pre and Post Convention Tours should be booked with the WFZC office in advance.
Update July 2004
fDi (Foreign Direct Investment) magazine
To coincide with the IV Annual Convention in Cape Town in October, FT Business will be publishing the 2005 Guide to Free Zones. Click here for full details(PDF=217ko). We should be pleased to pass on your details to fDi staff if you send us an email to info@freezones.org
Free Zones Associations in Cape Town
The IV Annual Convention in South Africa is pleased to welcome members of the World Economic Processing Zones Association (WEPZA) to Cape Town in October. On Sunday 31st October they will hold their Annual General Meeting. During the Convention there will be a meeting of African Zones with a view to establishing a Pan African Free Trade Zone Association and Hector Vargas will be attending as a representative of the Comite de las Zonas Francas de las Americas.
We are much looking forward to visiting Cape Town. The South African stakeholders are planning a magnificent event and we expect a record turn out. Names of additional speakers will be posted from time to time on the welcome and news update pages of our website. We shall also post information about planned tours and visits.
In view of demand the number of one-day training courses to be held before the Convention has been increased to six. For more information or any queries contact info@freezones.org
Early signs are that many countries will be sending several people in their delegations. Remember that names can be confirmed after the initial registration. The Earlybird cut-off date is the 31st August 2004.
Review CAIRO 2004
The hugely successful CAIRO 2004 International Conference took up much of the time of the WFZC Secretariat during the early part of the year. Our first excursion into the African continent was enjoyed by all concerned. One of the most interesting features was the choice of speakers from Egypt including hands-on managers from several of the Zones there. The post-conference visit organised by GAFI was particularly useful and provided a glimpse of how the Zones work in practice.
The following extract appeared in the June/July issue of fDi magazine:
FREE ZONE FAMILIARISATION VISIT
Some 30 participants to CAIRO 2004 organised by WORLD FREE ZONE CONVENTION spent a day touring some of the factories in Egypt's Free Zones. First on the Agenda at the Nasr City Public Free Zone just outside Cairo was Leoni Wiring Systems (formerly Lucas) who make all the tresses for the UK manufactured Range Rover Freelander vehicles. All components, other than cables which are sourced locally, are imported before the wiring systems are assembled in Egypt - the final product being re-exported to Newcastle. Delta Textile Egypt is another local manufacturer whose output is also destined for the export market. Moving on to 10th Ramadan City the group visited Swiss Garments Co. a ready to wear specialist group whose range of products are mainly destined for Marks & Spencer also in the UK.
The final tour was of the fully integrated and vast site of Oriental Weavers International whose share of the American market for machine-made area rugs is 30%. The visitors were hosted by the Chairman and CEO Mr. Mohamed Farid Khamis and were able to see the full process from polyproplyene to subtly coloured rugs with a wide variety of design and sizes. The group also make more traditional carpets woven from wool and silk but it was the powerful image of the raw by-product of the petroleum industry being transformed into a work of art which fascinated the visitors who compared notes over lunch before returning to the city centre.
Participants to CAIRO 2004, including Mrs. Ama Pepple, Permanent Secretary to the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Commerce, after the visit to Swiss Garments Co.
Update February 2004
CAIRO 2004 International Conference launched in Geneva
|
Plans are well under way for the next event to be held in Cairo in late April. WFZC was pleased to host a cocktail party at the WORLD ASSOCIATION OF INVESTMENT PROMOTION AGENCIES (WAIPA) Executive Meeting in Geneva in January. This event was attended by more than 250 participants from throughout the world. The event served as a launch for Cairo 2004 and was attended by a number of delegates from Egypt including the Chairman of the host country co-ordinators the General Authority for Investment & Free Zones (GAFI) Dr. Mohamed Ghamrawy. The decision to have a regular presence at the Geneva Meeting is part of the ongoing effort to bridge the gap between national Investment Promotion Agencies and Free Zone Authorities and Operators (see Chairman's Message). |
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT signed with MIGA 
WFZC have recently signed a partnership agreement with the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency based at the World Bank in Washington, DC, USA. The agreement is to provide content for their online services including FDI Xchange and Investment Promotion Network (IPAnet) as one of their network of marketing partners by assisting to build a knowledge bank on Free Zones through an exchange of relevant information. Some 5,000 investors worldwide have already subscribed to these services and the number is increasingly rapidly.
To receive regular e-mail updates on investment opportunities and business environment conditions, countries, sectors and topics of your interest, register in the FDI Xchange visit www.fdixchange.com
See a sample e-mail at www.fdixchange.com/fdixdox/fdix.htm
For more information on IPAnet and MIGA's other online services, go to www.ipanet.net
Please address your comments, feedback, news items of interest and enquiries regarding political risk guarantee products to ipanetbriefing@worldbank.org
fDi February/March issue
The Free Zone pages in the current issue of Foreign Direct Investment magazine have a new format. In additional to international developments we are including News from the Zones. If you have an item you would like to be included in a future issue please inform us at info@freezones.org
Update January 2004
A VERY SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR TO ALL FREE ZONES WORLDWIDE!
Thursday 4th December 2003
A One-Day OPEN FORUM met to discuss the implications of the WTO meeting in Cancun and how to solve the issues of
INTERNATIONAL LAW ON INCENTIVES, BENEFITS, COMPETITION AND STATE AID
This event was open to all Free Zone and Industrial/Science Park Authorities and Operators, Investment Promotion Agencies and Regional Authorities. A key feature of the Conference was the opportunity to examine various options for creating exceptions and legal protections to facilitate the work of Zones and Parks throughout the world.
It was agreed by all to be a resounding success giving those present the opportunity of making their voice, and that of their country, region or zone, heard by those who are taking policy decisions now which will affect their future prosperity.
WFZC thanks JEBEL ALI FREE ZONE AUTHORITY for its
support at this event.
Update August 2003
The 2003 Convention was indeed the No. 1 Meeting Place for the world's Free Zones
for participants from every continent and region. A warm thank you to all our Speakers, Sponsors and Delegates!
Dr. Francesca Trampus's special Report Challenges, Threats & New Opportunities is now available to purchase - see Library pages for full details of how to order this and other 2003 available texts.
2003 Website Awards
Category One - Joint Winners!
Category Two - Winner
See Website Awards page for more information and photographs.
VISITS TO THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS
Immediately after the Brussels Convention delegates were offered a rare insight into the workings of three of the Institutions of the European Union: The Commission itself, the European Parliament and the Economic and
Social Committee.
Those who attended had an opportunity to question senior officials on Trade and Development Issues as well as to visit the impressive Parliament building which is at the heart of Europe.
WFZC hopes to make Visits to local institutions a feature of future Annual Conventions.