MEFX Summit to focus on real opportunities for finance industry

The inaugural SUMMIT will form part of the exhibition that is a joint initiative between the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The agenda will host a series of strategic sessions that will assist every senior banker and investment banker in the region to develop a strategy that will empower their institution for the years ahead.

Top industry figures will engage the audience with progressive forums designed to address a range of critical topics within the region's evolving financial services community, sharing invaluable knowledge about the most important needs of the industry.

DWTC is working closely with Summit partner, CPI Financial, the region's leading financial media house to attract experts on a range of subjects to address the summit. CPI Financial, established in Dubai in 1999, was born to meet the needs of an ever expanding, increasingly sophisticated financial community, offering a comprehensive portfolio of market-leading products and services tailor-made for the banking & financial sector.

"MEFX Summit Future Proofing Your Bank will help senior banker and investment bankers from across the region develop a coherent strategy for their institutions. They will be able better to plan a course through the new challenges posed by compliance, governance and technology adoption, as well as develop strategies to remain competitive in the years to come. MEFX will provide participants with the rare opportunity to learn from, and exchange views with, some of the leading experts within the finance industry" said Trixee Loh, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions and Events Management, DWTC.

Kicking off the programme is a keynote address by a respected industry authority that will provide a high-level perspective of the key issues within the financial industry.

Following on from the keynote address, a series of thought-provoking streams have been designed to identify critical issues and offer peer-level networking opportunities. Industry-specific sessions will cover various priorities such as: Hunter and the Hunted: discussions on the inexorable pressure towards consolidation, Islamic Banking: product development, innovation and the importance of staying ahead of the competition, technology: integration decisions, delivering IT solutions and improving business processes. The Summit will also focus on the issues surrounding human resources within a business and the region's burgeoning demand for talent.

Paul McNamara, managing editor of CPI Financial, said, "This is the first time that a summit has been organised in the region specifically aimed at helping banks and other financial institutions capitalise on their current strength to invest in the future. Attendees at the conference should leave with fresh ideas on their roadmap for the future of their company."

Key segments of the summit will look at M&A within banks, technology, Islamic finance, human resources and much more. The summit attendees will find that the quality of the audience provides an unparalleled networking opportunity with thought leaders and decision makers across the region.

This targeted programme further strengthens MEFX's position to become the regions leading Middle East banking and finance trade event and to further establish itself within the industry as a knowledge platform for key players in the growing sector.

MEFX is presented by DIFC and organised by DWTC, the region's leading exhibition organiser, along with Summit Partners CPI Financial. MEFX Summit is being held in conjunction with the MEFX exhibition, which will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 1-3 June 2008.