The annual APEC CEO Summit will take place November 15-17 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The APEC CEO Summit is one of the most influential gatherings of business and government representatives in the Asia-Pacific. The Summit provides opportunities for top business executives to engage in dialogue with Leaders and Ministers from 21 APEC economies, and to forge connections with other business leaders from around the world.
In past years world leaders including President Trump, President Xi, Prime Minister Abe, and others have spoken at the Summit. This year’s agenda is still being finalized, but an overarching theme for the Summit and its speakers has now been chosen: “Inclusion in the Age of Disruption; Charting a Common Future.” A tentative program can be found here.
Papua New Guinea has taken up the role of host for the first time after a quarter century of APEC membership. Papua New Guinea is rich in mineral, agricultural, forestry, and fisheries resources. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the people, and mineral deposits, including copper, gold, and oil, account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. During their host year, Papua New Guinea has been especially active in issues related to Small and Medium Enterprises, Mining, and the Digital Economy, reflecting their current and future economic objectives.
The event itself will take place aboard P&O’s luxury cruise liner, Pacific Explorer, which will be docked in Port Moresby’s harbor. The organizers plan to welcome over 500 delegates to the Summit from across the Asia-Pacific region, including a select group of 50-60 U.S. participants. Support from corporate and media sponsors has also been extremely strong. NCAPEC is serving as the Strategic Partner to the Summit and is supporting organizers in their marketing and program development efforts.
In addition to supporting the Summit, NCAPEC is working with other U.S.-based business associations to organize a series of side meetings with APEC Leaders and Ministers under the auspices of the U.S. APEC Business Coalition. The goal of the Coalition is to maximize opportunities for dialogue between business and government officials on APEC-related topics, both at the APEC CEO Summit and official APEC meetings throughout the year.