IBDE

Where: Cass Business School, 106 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y

When: 24 June 2013, from 08:00 – 13:00, followed by a Networking Lunch

Photos available here (Credit: Alban Bytyci)

More than 200 delegates attended the Global Economic Forum: Best Practices in Trade and Investment Promotion organised on Wednesday 3 April 2013 in London by the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange (IBDE) and the London Academy of Diplomacy (University of East Anglia, London). The forum was followed by a gala networking reception at the US Embassy in London

Speakers included senior policy-makers, executives from investment promotion agencies across the globe, diplomats, business leaders, economists as well as academic experts from participating sectors and institutions. The Forum sought to explore best practices in trade and investment promotion to enhance and encourage worldwide FDI. In addition, the Forum offered a gateway for prospective investors interested in exploring the global FDI climate and its opportunities with the added bonus of direct contact with worldwide policy-makers and business people.

The event was particularly important given the on-going global economic stasis - a consequence of the recent financial and economic crisis and the subsequent Eurozone crisis. London has a strategically important position in international trade and commerce and the sharing of best practices by representatives from the widest spectrum of nations provides strong support in the quest to set  global economic growth back on track. The event brought together agencies from the UK and Germany to Croatia plus Hong Kong, China, and Latin America as well as Commonwealth Countries who shared with participants their practices in trade and investment promotion.

The forum contributed to a better understanding of the different viewpoints and investment promotion practices that would hopefully have an impact on other countries’ promotional policies and went some way to further identifying the role of business, diplomatic missions and investment promotion agencies in supporting the much needed global economic growth.

Of a special significance was the presentation of the International Festival for Business 2014

Participants had also the opportunity to enjoy a Networking Reception kindly hosted by the US Embassy in London.

Photos available here Credit: Besim Gerguri

IBDE launched the First International Forum on Responsible Banking and Finance on Tuesday 19 March 2013. The forum was kindly hosted by KPMG in London.

This high level event, with speakers including members of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, industry practitioners and diplomats, sought to provide constructive informed input on the banking reforms in the quest for improving conduct and standards - key to restoring confidence and trust in financial services. It is encouraging that both the banking sector and the policy-makers identified some of the failings in banking standards and ethics and it seems that they are determined to address these failing and improve the banking culture. These goals are of particular importance given the crucial role of the financial industry in support of much needed global economic growth. However, as was stated at the Forum, this will be a long process and therefore it will take time before we will see any significant improvement in conduct and standards within the global banking sector. IBDE in partnership with industry practitioners, policy-makers and diplomatic representatives will strive to make a contribution to this process.

However, as was stated at the Forum, it will take time before we will see any significant improvement of conducts and standards in the banking sector given the irresponsible lending culture that had been embedded for so many years. Full Report of the meeting will be available soon.

The 2^nd International Forum on Responsible Banking and Finance will take place at the Cass business School. For more information please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Brochure available here

Events in this series are open to policy-makers, regulators, industry practitioners (CEOs, CFOs EDs, MDs, managers, directors and board members, decision-makers and strategists), diplomats, economists as well as experts from participating sectors and institutions and the media.

Photos of the Conference available here. Photo credit Alban Bytyqi

IBDE and South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), University of Oxford hosted the first Southeast European Ministerial Conference "Assessing the EU's Enlargement in the Western Balkans: Progress and Challenges" on Thursday 14 February 2013, in London. The conference was held at Europe House, in London and brought together some 170 participants from government, business academia and other relevant institutions.

This high level event, with speakers including senior ministers from the Western Balkans countries, international business leaders and experts from the University of Oxford, sought to provide constructive informed input to political and economic reforms in the region - key to the region’s accession process. In addition, the Forum served as the gateway for prospective investors interested in the region to explore the FDI climate and opportunities in Southeast Europe with the added bonus of direct contact with regional policymakers and businesspeople. Participants had also the opportunity to enjoy a selection of regional wines, at a South East Europe Wine Tasting Networking Reception that followed the Forum. Presentations and the conference summary will be disseminated in due course. Click here to view the attendee list You can read a brief summary here