HPAIR 2009 Business Conference

Introduction

Dates: August 6-9, 2009
Venue: Mori Tower
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Conference Description

The HPAIR Business Conference is an annual event in which hundreds of international undergraduate and MBA students and young professionals worldwide come together to interact and learn about most dynamic areas of Asian business from the most prominent industry leaders. With "Braving New Frontiers: Tomorrow's Ventures Today"as the theme, our 2009 Business Conference seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current economic trends in Asia and create a forum for discussion of new developments in the region.
For more information, see our brochure.

Conference Program

Plenary Sessions

• The U.S. Financial Crisis and Long-term Effects on Asia

  As severe as it was sudden, the tremendous financial calamity that began in the U.S. financial sector was soon felt around the world. The powerful ties the Japanese, Korean and Chinese markets have with the U.S. are evidenced in the substantial losses they have all faced during the recent hardship. But it is often during the hardest times that the greatest strides can be made. This is an opportunity for everyone, from policy makers to corporate heads to individual entrepreneurs, to reevaluate the paradigms that have defined modern markets. Certainly changing the way financial institutions are regulated will be of the first and foremost importance. However, many other topics will be discussed in order to ensure sustainable economic growth for years to come.

• Monetary Policy: Macroeconomic Trends

  The rapid growth of Asian economies in the last decade has been attributed to wise monetary and trade policies. However, the recent downturns of markets all over the world have led many to question its impending effects on Asia's economic growth. The fall in stock markets due to credit market failures, as well as ever-increasing commodity prices, have led many to cast a negative outlook on Asia's immediate financial future. The panel will focus on the following issues: China's monetary policies in regards to its control over the value of the yuan, Asia's continuing urban develop- ment in light of the economic downturn, and Asia's ability to continue its export-led growth.

Panel Topics

The 2009 HPAIR Business Conference will be framed around 8 panel topics, each offering a unique perspective on the Asian business landscape.

• The New Relationship Between The West and East

  Since the end of the Second World War, Western nations have played a substantial role in the political economies of many Asian countries. Security pacts between Korea, Japan, and Taiwan are often cited as a basis for the highly beneficial trade agreements that have played a role in the growth of the powerful Asian economies. Recently, however, China's fast-paced growth in the global economic market is causing many Asian nations (as well as others around the world) to redirect their respective economies and trade policy. Many of the security pacts with the U.S. are being eased and this change comes with Europe's slow decline as well. As the EU is no longer repairing the damage of war or dealing with the literal divide due to Soviet-U.S. tension, the twenty-seven nations of the EU have an even greater influence on international affairs. With these broad areas of change it is clear that Asian policies will have a whole new set of variables to consider.

• The Free Market in Asia: Government Control and Regulations

  In Asian economies, it is common to see a contradictory force between government control and the supposed free market economy that the country supports. This tension between government regulations and the freedom of businesses to explore and fully develop into full-fledged industries is present in almost all Asian countries. Questions arise as to how both domestic industries and international businesses should react to the very non-Western way of doing business in Asia and who exactly should change their habits. This panel will explore what is the best way for companies to respond to governmental regulations.

• Securing Asia's Energy Future

  Asia's booming economy and quickly increasing need for more energy and natural resources is liable to sap the world's supply of natural resources. China is leading the pack with its desire for natural resources, but other developing Asian economies are finding themselves needing much more energy than before.. yet in a world of limited supply, the question asked is how businesses will adapt to the ever increasing cost of transportation and ever shrinking supply of resources.

• ASEAN: Following In The EU's Footsteps

  As the first decade of the 21st century nears its end, there is much evidence suggesting that the global economic structure is poised to take another substantial evolutionary step. The European Union's growth from a simple trade agreement between six countries to a political and economic pact of 27 was a defining feature of the latter half of this past century. And while its ability to weather the current financial crisis is still unknown, its current position as the world's largest economy is an indication that economic conglomerates, rather than individual powers, may be the new dominant paradigm for success. With ASEAN already in existence, the question is whether Asia as a whole can tap into the ingenuity of its former 'economic tigers'to emerge as a collective and influential member of the world economy.

• Private Equity in Asia; Institutional Investment For The West

  In the past, Asian companies looked towards international companies and private equity institutions in Western nations to provide support for their quickly growing companies and prop up startup companies in these developing nations. yet recently, with the downturn on Wall Street, we have seen large Western banks turn to Asian investors for a new input of cash flow. This past year alone, Asian investors have spent $13.5 billion, which merely represents the growing importance of Asian financiers in the world economy. What does this mean for Asian companies and more importantly, how does this tip the balance between Asian and Western companies? Can Asian government-backed investors use this moment in time to leverage their power? What role can Asian private equity firms play in this field?

• Technology and Innovation: Increasing The Role of Research & Development In Asia

  Asian markets are seeing home-grown businesses boom at home and abroad. yet Asian companies are still only minor players on the world stage, with a few selective companies able to claim a wide international presence. Innovation can help improve this phenomenon. Companies with consistent research and development can spearhead change, making progress towards becoming a worldwide leader in their respective industries. Currently, with their sights focused only on the consistent stream of revenue, many Asian companies are not taking the necessary risks to explore new technologies, business models, corporate governance structures, or products. Innovation, the key ingredient for productivity leaps and market appeal, is shortchanged as a result. On the other hand, how should companies balance the need for innovation with that for constant revenue generation? Caught up in the slowdown of today's economies, just how much resources can Asian businesses afford to dedicate to innovation?

• Entrepreneurship and Microfinance in Asia

  Entrepreneurship is a growing concept in many Asian countries. Over the last few decades, in government-regulated markets such as China, Singapore, and Malaysia, most Asian civil- ians did not see entrepreneurship as the way to generate income - it flowed against the tradition and culture of the area's business establishment. How did previous Asian entrepreneurs find ways to succeed in this type of environ- ment? Also, in today's times, with loosening restrictions and encouragement for independent business ventures in these previously handcuffed markets, how will Asian societies adapt and respond? Will entrepreneurship blossom to the level of Western societies? This panel will feature successful entrepreneurs in Asia who've struggled past former restrictions, and flourished independently in a market that is gradually opening up. They will share their insights on how they reached their accomplishments, and what how they view as the role of entrepreneurship in Asia's growing business world.

• The Importance of Brand Recognition and Loyalty

  Brand loyalty has created some of the most long-lasting brands in America and Europe and this battle can be seen in the PC - Mac battles to the continuous debate in heavily branded industries, such as fashion or the restaurant world. All companies have built up a consumer base that is partially dependent upon the quality of their product, but also more than minimally involved with the loyalty that the company inspires in its consumers. How do companies build such intense build loyalty in their customers though? What role does marketing play and how do these traditional strategies need to change when placed within the scope of the Asian market?

Workshops

Four case study workshops will analyze the realities of complex business issues, providing the opportunity to synthesize conflicting data and points of view and make tough decisions with uncertain information.

• Building a Brand

  Although the more developed nations of Asia, Japan and Korea, already have many companies with worldwide recognition, such as Sony, Panasonic, and Nissan, developing nations in Asia have many worthwhile companies that simply have never managed to become multinational companies. Brand management is a large part of this failure to make companies more international, as well as the unique difficulty of building consumer trust in products from Asian countries. This case study will discuss one company's successes and failures in the world of marketing and how to overcome the challenges of marketing both to an Asian audience as well as to a global audience.

• The Development of Young Professionals in the Modern Business World

  In Asia, the number of young professionals who work abroad and contribute to the ground level cooperation in developing countries is starting to grow. International organizations such as the U.N. and the World Bank have noted this trend, and are now supporting their activities all over the world. This workshop introduces some cases of youth cooperation that took place in Asia in recent years, and examines how young professionals living in Asia have participated in these activities. In this workshop, we will contemplate the ways in which young professionals can both achieve their business goals and pursue projects assisting people of their same generation. Furthermore, we will explore the opportunities for building a stronger link between groups of motivated young professionals and private business sectors in the field of development and international cooperation.

• Corporate Social Responsibility

  To be successful in today's markets means more than just profit genera- tion. It inevitably includes a discussion on what the business can contribute to improve the quality of life in society. Many leaders in the industry, including the speakers for this panel, are seeking ways to better inte- grate economic progress and social development to ensure a better quality of life for present and future gen- erations. Corporate social responsibility covers a wide range of topics spanning from product safety respon- sibility, ethical responsibility in the field of engineering and pharmaceuticals, environmental concerns, local community service, as well as the social well-being of employees within the company.

• People and Culture Issues in a Global Transaction

  With the trends of globalization and Asian's emerging market growth, there are more and more instances of collaboration between the Western world and Asian countries. One way organizations are capitalizing on the emerging Asian market is through acquisitions. To manage the risks associated with a deal between the Western world and Asian organizations', the focus on culture, ethics, and people issues in the due diligence and integration efforts becomes substantially more complex and integral to the deals success. So, how do organizations accustomed to Western business cultures and practices address the diverse cultures and business practices of Asian-Pacific constituencies?

Business Competition

Are you interested in participating in the Business Strategy Competition, a new feature of the Business Conference? (Groups of 5-10 students are given the case below and will present their innovative solutions to the business issue on the last day of the conference, prior to the Gala Dinner. The winning team will receive awards, official recognition, as well as recommendation from HPAIR for future related endeavors.) Interested delegates should form groups of 5-15 and send in an email to xinzhou@hpair.org stating their intention to participate and provide a list of all team members.

HPAIR 2009 Business Conference Business Competition Case: The weak global economy has resulted in poor conditions for the automotive industry. Consequently, the need for luxury cars may be seen as just that: a luxury. Mercedes-Benz', a subsidiary of Daimler, total revenue for 2008 decreased 9 percent to 47.7 billion euros, compared to 52.4 billion euros in 2007. Its number of units sold in 2008 totaled 1,273,013, a 2 percent decrease from the previous year. How might a company like Daimler, which mainly produces luxury vehicles (Mercedes-Benz Cars), adapt their marketing strategy to stay afloat and keep car sales up in an era of economic turmoil and increasing environmental awareness? In addition, Daimler has a particular focus to increase sales in Asia - how can Daimler market themselves in this region?

Fact Sheet

Please click here for an informational PDF file.

More information will be made available shortly.