SINGAPORE In a further sign that Asian economies are racing ahead of the rest of the world, both Deutsche Bank (DB) and Bank of America Merrill Lynch drew big numbers at their annual investor conferences in May.
The 2nd Annual DB Access Asia Conference, at the Marina Bay Sands, recorded 2,484 conference delegates in total, including 473 Deutsche Bank employees, from May 23-26. A total of 202 companies attended, up from 185 last year. The number of investor-delegates also increased from 1,355 to 1,373 – the largest number ever hosted at a DB conference anywhere in the world.
Kai Kaufmann, head of corporate access at DB, Asia, said: “The success of the conference reflects Deutsche Bank’s growing franchise value in Asia, the quality of corporate and institutional buy-side relationships and the increasing importance of the region to investors around the world.” Themed “Opening Doors, Unlocking Value”, the conference featured 75 industry experts and macroeconomic speakers, supported by DB’s economics and strategy team.
Just a few days earlier, Bank of America Merrill Lynch held its 2011 Asian Stars Conference at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore from 18 - 20 May. For its fifth staging in Singapore, the conference attracted a total of 1,262 participants, up from 1,106 on last year. This year’s conference offered sector tracks on consumer, resources, financials and property, with a macro track to tie everything together.
Both banks’ events utilised similar formats and comprised plenary sessions, panel discussions, investor meetings from one-on-one to small-group and large-group presentations. After events concluded each day a wide range of off-site tours and social events were also offered.