Gathering Places
Gathering Places
For one week in May, Asian business leaders, investment decision-makers, government ministers and international contractors from throughout Asia will gather in Honolulu for the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which should be seen as an invitation to island business executives. ADB offers
opportunities
for HawaiiNot many businesses in Hawaii can afford to make development visits to capitals in the Asia-Pacific region. Neither can many get the latest trade information or make the necessary contacts with potential customers without resorting to expensive and time-consuming research. The ADB meeting at the convention center will provide the best opportunity in recent years for local business executives to establish or strengthen ties with the Asia-Pacific region.
The ADB provides loans and technical assistance, worth $5 billion last year alone, to governments and businesses in 40 member countries. Its goal is the reduction of poverty in developing countries.
But the bank realizes that to achieve this goal, it must undertake projects in urban and rural development, natural resource management, environmental protection, housing and social services, health and medical facilities and small and medium-size business enterprises. A significant portion of ADB funds is spent on technical assistance in planning, design and implementing those projects.
It is here that Hawaii's businesses have an opportunity. We have the expertise and experience in competitive firms that specialize in energy, engineering, architecture, health care and environmental management. Yet not many of Hawaii's firms participate in ADB-funded projects because most are unaware of the possibilities. Moreover, our firms are often too small to have offices in Asia and therefore miss such opportunities.
To take advantage of the opportunity that the ADB meeting presents, a half-day Hawaii Business Forum (HBF) is being organized. The HBF offers business executives a chance to promote and market their products, services and expertise to the Asian leaders here for the meeting and can assist local firms in doing business in Asia and with the ADB itself.
The convention center will provide a Global Pavilion in which exhibitors from Hawaii can display their goods and services, thus informing a highly qualified audience of buyers and decision makers. All of this should demonstrate that Hawaii means business and is not just a leisure destination. It will help establish Hawaii as a meeting point for commercial and political discussions and to assert its role as a "Geneva of the Pacific."
The ADB meeting will be important for all of us. In short, the ADB annual meeting, the Hawaii Business Forum and the Global Pavilion, along with international media attention, offer a chance to showcase Hawaii. Those serious about doing business in the Asia-Pacific region should participate.
Information about the Hawaii Business Forum will be available until Friday at www.hawaiibusinessforum.org.
Seiji F. Naya is director of the state Department of
Business, Economic Development and Tourism.