CLAB and CLACE, the most important technology, innovation and foreign trade events in the region, arrive in the DR.
Companies and professionals from the commercial, banking and industrial sectors will discuss the business and digital development agenda accelerated by the pandemic.
In the last three years the world is changing rapidly. Faced with the urgency of responding to new needs that arise, it has been essential to get on the transformation train to transcend and, at the same time, maintain the balance between the global and local economy.
In all of this, technology and connectivity serve as catalysts for innovation, giving way to what many have called “the fourth industrial revolution.
In this transition, the banking sector has played a transcendental role in keeping businesses and industries running. In order to take advantage of all this gear, it is important to promote synergy between the different actors in this environment, in order to achieve a more efficient, competitive and inclusive insertion in the new context of digital economy, through the implementation of new banking business models.
With this in mind, the Asociación de Bancos Múltiples de la República Dominicana (ABA) and the Federación Latinoamericana de Bancos (Felaban) have articulated the agendas of the two most important innovation, technology and foreign trade events in Latin America and the Caribbean: the XII Congreso Latinoamericano de Tecnología e Innovación (CLAB) and the XXXVIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior (CLACE).
A year of major milestones
This is the first time in 56 years that two continuous congresses will be held in the same country, the Dominican Republic, at the Hyatt Hotel in Punta Cana. Traditionally, the congresses are held on an interannual and itinerant basis among the member countries.
It is a year of important primacies for the organizers of these events, whose versions are resumed after the pandemic with a great diversity, including banks, exporters, multilateral organizations, Bigtech and Fintech.
The latter, especially, will emphasize how Fintechs intervene the digital payments ecosystem.
“Fintechs are technological financial solutions that can make digital payments, without the need to be banks; until 3 years ago that transactional channel, at the regional level, was exclusive to multiple banks, so the entry into the game of these new platforms broadens the horizon of discussion around convergent issues”.
Rosanna Ruiz.
President of the ABA.
In this sense, she explains that both events will serve as a hub to collect the lessons learned and trends that will shape the future of the digital payments and credit card ecosystem.
CLAB
This year’s CLAB will take place from September 18 to 21 and its purpose is to promote among Latin American countries the exchange of techniques, programs, personnel and useful tools in the process of new information systems.
With the title Innovation, Technology and Security: accelerated transformation of means of payments and financial services, it will develop a valuable agenda, addressing the global and regional perspective of banking in the framework of a digital economy; the user’s digital experience and identity; synergies between banking, BigTech and Fintech; the infrastructure of the payments ecosystem and the industrial evolution of credit cards and the Dominican experience in the digital advance in means of payment.
It will also address the evolution of digital banking and emerging tools; technological transformation, how to generate value for investors and customers, the critical path for business opportunities and emerging risks, as well as the evolution and challenge of cybersecurity.
100 Exhibitors
From 50 countries from Latin America, Europe and other regions of the world will be present at CLAB and CLACE.
The panelists and speakers are made up of a group of important and recognized authorities from the national and international financial and technological sector. Among them, Brett King, “the godfather of Fintechs” and founder and executive president of Moven neobank; Héctor Valdez Albizu, governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic; Irene Arias Hoffman, general manager of BID-Lab; Yulianna Ramón, director of ProUsuario. The presidents of the main multiple banks in the Dominican Republic will also be speakers.
CLACE
This congress focuses on the potentialities to improve the financial services connected to exports and offers on this occasion the possibility for SMEs to obtain tools to promote their insertion in the international market.
CLACE will be held from September 21 to 24 under the title “The Transformation of Financial Services for the Development of Foreign Trade, in the Context of the Post-Pandemic”, offering participants the opportunity to learn about the most current issues in the field and interact with country brand companies with international projection.
In addition to the series of conferences and panels, the agenda includes training sections, addressing topics such as trends and innovations in e-commerce and foreign trade; treasury services and financial operations for foreign trade; financing of foreign investments in the region; technologies in the fourth industrial revolution: blockchain, financial services and international trade.There will also be a breakdown of international regulations in the sale and purchase of goods operations; financing instruments for international trade and SMEs; new business opportunities for banks, from the perspective of foreign trade and opportunities for regional trade, through near-shoring.
In this edition of CLACE there will be a first regional version of the positioning of e-commerce and how it represents an opportunity for SMEs to expand their business in the foreign market.
CLAB and CLACE will be developed in an interactive and experiential way, through the exhibition of technology stands. Participants will be able to interact directly with providers of technological financial solutions.
One of the panels to be highlighted in the agenda is “Financing Instruments for International Trade and SMEs”, by Aurin Rodriguez, senior vice president of Transactional Banking of Banco BHD León; Edward Baldera, VP International, Institutional and Investment Banking Area of Banco Popular Dominicano; Guillermo Rondón, executive president of Banco ADEMI; María Clara Alviárez, CEO Banesco; Samuel Pereyra, general administrator Banco de Reservas; Fausto Pimentel Peña, executive president Banco Santa Cruz; José de Moya, executive vice president, Banco BDI, and Elizabeth Mena, president of the Dominican Exporters Association (ADOEXPO).
Also, the Superintendent of Banks of the Dominican Republic, Alejandro Fernández, will give a lecture on “Financial reforms and export dynamism in developing countries: Experiences of Peru, Colombia, Chile and Mexico”.
The agenda will be closed by Víctor (Ito) Bisonó, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Mipymes of the Dominican Republic, with the conference “Exports of Services, Orange Economy and Sustainability”.
Who should not miss CLAB and CLACE?
Those professionals interested in sharing experiences, networking and updating themselves on technology, innovation and foreign trade have a great opportunity in these events.
“In CLAB, everyone related to digital payments, financial intermediation, Fintech, telecommunications and other areas related to technology can participate,” says Rosanna Ruíz.
On the other hand, she points out that CLACE is aimed at all exporters and other companies that want to modify and improve their processes to insert themselves more competitively in the international market, including small and medium-sized companies interested in discovering all the potential of new technologies.
Learn more: EVENTS