Auckland, New Zealand (ANTARA) - New Zealand is planning to host the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) CEO Summit 2021 in November, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed at a business event held in Auckland on Thursday.
Held annually, the summit is among the region’s premier business forums and attracts CEOs from some of the largest companies in the world.
Speaking at a business event on Thursday, Prime Minister Ardern touched on the importance of the APEC CEO Summit and described it as an exciting chance for business executives and thought leaders to engage with each other and with APEC leaders on the most pressing issues of the day, according to a press release from the APEC Secretariat received here on Friday.
Ardern said hosting the summit would be an opportunity to showcase New Zealand as a safe, inclusive, digitally creative, and easy place to do business.
The APEC CEO Summit will be hosted as a hybrid event, for the first time ever, in November, 2021, she informed. Attendees in Auckland will join virtual participants from around the world in a rolling format over several days just prior to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
Speaking at the APEC 2021 LIVE with Business event on Thursday, CEO Summit 2021 chair Barbara Chapman confirmed that this year’s summit will be held from November 11th to 12th when New Zealand hosts the APEC Leaders week in November.
"The APEC CEO Summit only comes to New Zealand once every 21 years so this is New Zealand’s opportunity to engage with world leaders, to engage with others around the APEC region, and to engage with top tier CEOs on matters that are important to the world, to the Asia-Pacific region, and to New Zealand," Chapman said.
"Attending the events in person will mean that business leaders can have an experience communicating with live speakers on stage, but also interact with other speakers around the world on screen through the virtual platform," she stated.
"The event will run across two days, but the platform will be live for a much longer period. Attendees will not only be able to access the plenary sessions but a full suite of on-demand video presentations. There will also be a connection zone where delegates can share thoughts and arrange meetings with other delegates," she added.
Chapman also confirmed that the APEC CEO Summit 2021 will be preceded by a five-part APEC 2021 LIVE with Business series of panel events, hosted live from New Zealand and available to global audiences online.
Starting in August, APEC 2021 LIVE with Business will look at the future of business and the way that businesses can work with the government, she said. Discussions will focus on recovering sustainably, food safety, renewable energy transfer, inclusive business, and digital future of work, she added.
"As we stare down one of the biggest economic challenges of our generation, business has an opportunity to reset and do things differently. APEC 2021 LIVE with Business will bring together leading business figures and thought leaders as we navigate a recovery from COVID-19, and ask ... where to from here?" Chapman said.
"This series will help set the business agenda for the big conversations at this year’s CEO Summit," she added.
The APEC CEO Summit provides an opportunity for governments, chief executives, and world business leaders to engage with each other and with the leaders of the APEC economies.
Each year, the summit draws the region’s top business leaders, intellectuals, and media personalities for interactive discussions with APEC leaders on key trade and economic issues facing the Asia-Pacific region. (INE)
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