The 4th ASEAN Business and Investment Summit will be held in Cebu City, the Philippines from December 7-10.

The event is considered as one of the premier business events for companies who are headquartered in the ASEAN region and are looking to other regional as well as global markets to drive growth.

Also global companies that understand the importance of the Asian market will gain valuable insight into their global strategic planning.

The ASEAN region has more than half a billion affluent consumers of goods and services which companies can tap into.

Companies which are looking to establish a regional headquarters in the Asia Pacific are encouraged to attend this event to see the opportunities that will see this region be the hub of growth in the 21st Century.

The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit will assist delegates in linking with more than 10,000 Filippino companies and more than 50,000 in the ASEAN region.

Among the opportunities available as part of the official trade and investment mission team from Australia, delegates will be able to meet with our Filipino business and trade affiliates who will organize business matching sessions with companies in your industry; travel to Manila for a two-day business visit and meetings with key affiliate members; take part in exclusive briefings and networking with ASEAN business partners as well as Australian and Philippine government representatives at a ministerial level; network with hundreds of leaders in business, trade and investment.

The session topics include: looking at developments in the global economy as a scene-setter for considering the implications of global developments for the ASEAN countries; looking at how the ASEAN countries are coordinating their own macro-economic programs and policies to create a common competitive market through harmonization and integration at both government and private sector levels; looking at the promise of ASEAN's integration with dialogue partners, particularly China, Japan, Korea and India - the challenges that must be addressed and the opportunities that the business community can capitalize on if ASEAN and its dialogue partners are to realise the full potential of economic cooperation and integration. This session will also look at how ASEAN and its partners can complement and leverage on each other's comparative advantages as they integrate their economies and develop new products and services for the global market; another session will look at how the continuing integration of the different ASEAN economies is increasingly opening up more opportunities for businessmen, within and outside their national borders.

On the second day of the talks sessions will provide specific case studies of ASEAN companies that have succeeded globally and the factors involved in achieving success. Other sessions will be "strictly business" delving into the global and regional issues for growing corporations to consider and how companies are adapting in order to grow in an environment driven increasingly by globalization.

Also under the microscope will be issues surrounding corporate governance -to what extent are western models of governance and social responsibility applicable outside the West and to what extent does success in Asia depend on adaptation to local cultural norms without sacrificing business integrity.

On day four, ASEAN leaders will communicate to their stakeholders on the vision they hold for the future of ASEAN. The leaders are expected to create certainty and build a sense of belonging where the private sector participation in the building up of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) can be assembled.

More information is available at http://www.aseanbi2006.com/