Recapping Milken Asia 2023: A Front Row Seat to the Insights from the World’s Leaders
When I received an email from our Head of HR with the subject line “An Exciting Opportunity,” I have to admit my first thought was that it was a phishing scam. Oh was I wrong…
The “exciting opportunity” turned out to be an invitation to attend the 10th annual Milken Asia Summit, Milken’s flagship event in Singapore that brings together business leaders, senior government officials, policymakers and academic experts from more than 20 countries to discuss trends, issues and challenges shaping the Asia-Pacific region.
The theme of this year’s Summit was “Bridging Complexity and Opportunity.” Held at the Four Seasons Singapore Hotel, the event was buzzing with attendees from across the broader APAC region and some who flew from nations across the world to speak or attend. The global makeup of the attendees leant itself to lively discussion on topics ranging from investment opportunities and the innovation economy in Asia Pacific, to the philanthropic landscape and role of sports and entertainment in driving change. The high-profile lineup of speakers attracted over 90 reporters to cover the three-day event, including broadcast crews from CNBC, Bloomberg and Channel NewsAsia.
I had the pleasure of working on social content, which gave me a front row seat to the insights shared from government officials, investors and business leaders. To summarize some of the highlights:
- The first day of the conference featured three heads of state from the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. All three discussed the different policies and programs they have in place to attract foreign investment and how their respective countries are contributing to the broader Asia Pacific and global economy.
- A theme that underpinned many panel discussions was the investment opportunity in Asia-Pacific. Featuring executives from PGIM Investments, TPG, Vista Equity Partners, PIMCO, Temasek, CPP Investments, Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association, and other managers and allocators, discussions centered around the investment landscape across various asset classes including private equity and real estate. A common theme that rang supreme—investors should have their eye on Asia.
- In addition to the investment opportunity in Asia, regardless of geography, investors and allocators are interested in private credit, with many sessions talking about the rise of the asset class against current macro conditions.
- ESG continues to be top of mind for businesses, investors and policymakers in Asia. While we are seeing ESG come under increased scrutiny in the U.S. and companies are toning down their narrative, many sessions throughout the Summit touched on the region’s efforts to address ESG, and the energy transition, in particular.
September is a busy month for Singapore with the conference circuit in full force. In addition to Milken, Token2049, one of the preeminent crypto conferences, was in Singapore that week, as well as Formula 1, which brough Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, to the Asia Summit, and me to the Singapore Grand Prix! A perfect way to close out an action-packed, fruitful week in Singapore.
With conferences continuing to ramp up, clients are increasingly overwhelmed by options and look to us to determine what events bring the best ROI, aligning with business priorities. When thinking through your conference strategy, if building or increasing brand awareness and relationships in Asia is a priority, the Milken Asia Summit should be on your list. If you’re looking for further detail on the Asian conference market, Prosek’s Conference Concierge team would be delighted to talk. They can be reached at Pro-ConferenceConcierge@prosek.com. 