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Long Line of Talent for Brisbane’s Showcase Summit

Mediacom

Friday 13 July 2007, 2:06PM

By Mediacom

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HUMAN Rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC will spearhead a long list of

international speakers at the Asia Pacific Cities Summit in Brisbane later this

year.


Mr Robertson, a top British silk best known for his Hypothetical television

series, will be among 100 internationally recognised speakers at the summit, to

be held in Brisbane from Friday 31 August to Monday 3 September.


He will conduct a special Hypothetical as part of the event.


Brisbane Lord Mayor, the Right Honourable Campbell Newman, said the Brisbane

City Council had invited some of the world’s leading speakers on urban renewal,

sustainable tourism, and trends affecting Asian cities’ economic development.


“This four-day summit is all about bringing the region together,” Lord Mayor

Campbell Newman said.


“Mayors and senior civic representatives from across Asia will hold

presentations about off-shore trade, as well as investment and business

opportunities.


“We are working hard to ensure the event is entertaining as well as

informative,” he said.


“Asia Pacific Cities Summit organisers have retained a world-class line-up of

internationally-recognised speakers. I encourage any business interested in

expanding into Asia to register for this summit.”


Some of the speakers at the Asia Pacific Cities Summit include:


*Geoffrey Robertson QC (London, England) – one of the world’s leading human

rights lawyers, Geoffrey will host his famous Hypothetical on ‘Asia Pacific

Cities in 2026’, with a number of hand-picked panellists from the Asia Pacific

region.


*Andrew Low (Hong Kong) – Asia head of corporate finance and global head of

telecom, media, entertainment and technology, with Macquarie Bank. He will

offer an overview of the investment climate in Asian markets.


*Tim Harcourt (Sydney, Australia) – as Chief Economist at the Australian Trade

Commission (Austrade), Tim is an active commentator on economic and trade

issues. He is a regular columnist with BRW, the Australian Financial Review,

The Age, The Australian, and The OECD Observer.


*Dr Jane Murray (Hong Kong) –Asia Pacific head of research for Jones Lang

LaSalle in Hong Kong, part of a network of 250 researchers in 36 countries

around the world.


*Peter Dogse (Paris, France) - Programme Specialist in UNESCO’s division of

Ecological and Earth Sciences, Peter focuses on urban ecosystems, biodiversity

and climate change mitigation and adaptation.



*Dr Mulguetta Birru (Detroit, U.S.A) – as CEO of Greater Wayne County Economic

Development Corporation, Dr Birru oversees a 1,200 acre mixed-use development

near Detroit Metro Airport and the development of a brand new "airport city".


*Bernard Salt (Melbourne, Australia) – Director of Property at KPMG, Bernard is

best known for his commentary in the media on the business impact of

demographic, social and economic trends and changing market demand.


*Rod Oram (Auckland, New Zealand) – award-winning international finance

journalist, Rod Oram is Adjunct Professor at the New Zealand Centre for

Innovation & Entrepreneurship in the business school of Unitec, New Zealand’s

tertiary technology institute.


*Mayor Sang-Soo Ahn (Incheon, Korea) – Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City in

Korea. Mr Sang-Soo will present on investment opportunities available for

Australian business in Korea.


*Robert Lees (Hong Kong) – Mr Lees has a reputation for identifying and

implementing growth opportunities for organisations wanting to penetrate the

China and Asia-Pacific marketplace. Until recently, he was President and Chief

Executive of the Hong Kong based Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC).


*Lance Cushion (Brisbane, Australia) – Chief Executive of Superyacht Base

Australia Limited, the peak national body representing the Australian

Superyacht industry, and president of the International Superyacht Society

(ISS).


*James Bradfield Moody (Canberra, Australia) - Director, CSIRO Division of Land

and Water, panel member on the ABC TV show The New Inventors and member of the

Federal Government’s National Environmental Education Council.


The Lord Mayor said delegates from almost 50 cities throughout the Asia Pacific

region had committed to visit Brisbane for the international Summit.


“This is a rare opportunity for people to network and witness first-hand the

business opportunities and growth strategies in use across the world while

enjoying Brisbane’s wonderful climate and all the city has to offer,” he said.


The Asia Pacific Cities Summit is held biennially, the host city alternating

between Brisbane and bidding cities from Asia Pacific. The theme of this year’s

Summit is ‘Renewing Asia Pacific Cities’ and will focus on business growth,

trade, investment and economic outcomes for participating delegates.


For further information on the Asia Pacific Cities Summit or to register, visit

www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/apcs