‘My View’ by Graham Poon – The Cairns Post
CAIRNS will host the inaugural TropLinks International Symposium from August 21-24.
The vision is that it will become the focal point for tropical expertise events internationally so that north Queensland is rightly recognised around the world as being the centre for tropical expertise.
But what is tropical expertise? Very simply, it is the expertise that people develop because they live and work in the tropics. Is there a need for this expertise? Let’s list a few examples. Building a road in a tropical nation such as Indonesia requires different procedures and methods from building a road in a cold climate. There are typical issues of high rainfall, heat, humidity and other factors that people in the north understand. Health issues are quite different. Our agriculture is handled differently and so the list goes on.
It has been estimated that the Gross Tropical World Product in the Asia-Pacific region will be $US40 trillion by 2025 and that we should capitalise on our special abilities to win our share. TropLinks is a not-for-profit association formed to assist its members in winning commercial outcomes under the umbrella of tropical expertise. TropLinks is the organiser of the symposium.
The symposium will be made up of four components this year: The Business of Tropical Expertise, At Home in the Torrid Zone, Neglected Tropical Diseases and the Australasian Life Sciences Tropical Investment Forum. The Business of Tropical Expertise will focus on the three target markets of PNG, Guam and Micronesia and renewables /energy efficiency in the Pacific. An impressive range of international guest speakers will attend and will include a special delegation from Guam. Early indications are that Governor Felix Camacho of Guam will attend along with his senior government officials, as well as David Conn, the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce chief executive, and Tony Neil, chief executive of the Pacific Power Association.
The calibre of speakers highlights the importance of this inaugural symposium to the local business
community. The intention of this component is not just to highlight opportunities but to also form project alliances and partnerships to pursue business and form concrete action plans. Practical sessions will include topics such as “what works and what doesn’t in a market” and cultural aspects of doing business in a particular country.
This event has the major backing of the local and international business community, JCU, and the Queensland Government. This is a symposium not to be missed if you are interested in these fantastic business opportunities.
More information is available at www.troplinks.com or by phoning the office on 40410955.
Article written by Graham Poon and published by the Cairns Post, June 2 2010.
