3rd Annual Nordic Region Trade & Export Finance Forum

Event Review

Exporta concluded its 2010 conference season with a record attendance at the 3rd Annual Nordic Region Trade & Export Finance Forum in Gothenburg, which hosted over 185 delegates to discuss a range of leading issues for the Nordic market and beyond.

Welcoming a number of leading speakers on key trade and export finance issues, as well as an enthusiastic and vocal audience keen to engage in fruitful discussion, the conference also benefitted from a number of insightful corporate addresses, with leading companies such as Volvo, Saab and Nokia all providing their own perspectives on the challenges faced.

Building on the successful Exporta formula of keynote presentations, panel discussions and informal networking, the afternoon saw a series of stream session workshops, allowing delegates to go into further depth on those issues most important to them. Further innovation was provided by active participation from The Benche community, with a number of questions posted online and answered in the conference hall.

The conference concluded with an evening reception, with delegates having further opportunity to network and socialise long into the evening.

Description

The leading trade and export finance event for this important market, Exporta will once again return to Gothenburg this year for its 3rd Annual Nordic Region Trade & Export Finance Forum, welcoming the region's leading figures to discuss key concerns and priorities.

Falling export and import volumes, loan losses within the banking sector and exposure to other even worse hit markets such as the Baltics led to concerns about the future of the Nordic trade market, with appetite for risk hugely reduced as a result.

These issues, tackled at last year's hugely successful gathering, will again be discussed in some depth, via an event format that incorporates detailed presentation, informed discussion and private one-to-one networking. There will also be an evening reception taking place at the end of the day.

Among the leading issues to be discussed will be the following:

• The macroeconomic view: how has the Nordic economy withstood the challenges of the last year?
• Considering the role of government regulation/intervention in aiding economic recovery
• Emerging market trade flows: the changing global dynamic and implications for the region
• What is the current appetite for risk and how is it likely to change?
• Identifying and outlining new priorities for corporates in optimising working capital
• Comparing the various supply chain platforms and channels available for banks and corporates alike
• How banks and corporates are increasingly working together to achieve supply chain efficiency
• Documentation issues: helping to facilitate trade and exports through the use of letters of credit
• The Baltic perspective: how exposure to troubles within the Baltic market have impacted Nordic banks
• Best practice examples and case studies within the corporate sector

Who should attend?

• Financiers
• Local and international banks
• Exporters and importers
• Manufacturers and distributors
• Commodity traders
• Technology solution providers
• Insurers
• Export credit agencies
• Multilaterals
• Lawyers
• Consultants
• Market analysts
• Policy advisors

Event Photos

Brochure

Programme

3rd Annual Nordic Region Trade & Export Finance Forum
Gothenburg, Sweden, November 18, 2010

08.00 Registration and refreshments

08.45 Sponsors welcome
Patrik Zekkar, Head of Trade & Supply Chain Finance Sweden, SEB

08.50 Chairman’s opening remarks
Dominic Broom, Managing Director & Head of Market Development, Treasury Services EMEA, BNY Mellon

09.00 Macroeconomic viewpoint
Henrik Mitelman, Chief Strategist, SEB
• Looking outside the local market: The growing importance of emerging market trade flows
• How continued emerging market growth and increases in trade flows have changed the global dynamic
• Identifying those markets best suited to Nordic trade: Asia, Middle East or Latin America?

09.30 Bouncing back? How the Nordic region has weathered the last two years
Moderator: Joost Niessen, Head of Nordic Region, Global Trade Solutions, BNP Paribas
Axel Stridsberg, Head of Trade Finance Sweden, Nordea
Carl-Axel Nyquist, Vice President, Senior Advisor Trade Finance, Swedbank
Kerstin Gedung, Executive Director, Head of Structured Finance, SEK
Christina Christenson, Director, Customer Finance Development, Volvo Trucks
Carl Zdolsek, Head of Trade Finance Sales Sweden, SEB
• Tracking trade volumes over the past 12 months and challenges faced in providing financing
• How does the region compare globally in terms of credit availability?
• Return to tradition: Increases in the use of secure financing instruments
• What has been learned in order to avoid making the same mistakes again?
• Considering the impact of exposure to the Baltic banking crisis and how that region has responded
• Basel II/III: Increasing the cost of trade finance rescue packages

10.20 Creating a liquidity programme based on the sale of trade receivables
Patrik Tolf, Group Treasurer, Saab Sweden
Anil Walia, Executive Director, Head of Supply Chain Advisory EMEA, RBS
•    Saab Receivable Sales Program – an overview
•    Prerequisites for a successful program
•    Operational / structuring challenges
•    Supply-side receivables purchase programs
•    Developments in the supply chain financing business

11.00 Networking break hosted by EKN

11.30 Working to meet corporate challenges within the new normal
Peter Stenbrink, Partner, Capacent
Tobhias Brandell, Partner, Törngren Magnell
• Corporate perspectives on supply chain finance including strategic and operational considerations
• Challenges and key success factors for managing cash flow and working capital in the current market
• The role of other non-banking service providers and how they add value to the corporate customer
• Providing key insight on overcoming legal and legislative hurdles

12.10 Multi-Banking for exporters: The real world
Pirjo Pakkanen, Director, Customer Finance, Nokia Corporation
Arthur Vonchek, CEO, Bolero
• Receiving an export LC is only beginning: What you really need to know
• Logistics and DSO challenges? How this can be streamlined and reduced
• Guarantees and stand-bys? Maximising control, minimising risk and exposure

12.50 Social media connecting to core business
Fredrik Stenbeck, Founder & CEO, Silverbakk & SiXX
• Successes in using social media within the business sector
• Benefits provided for knowledge sharing and exchanging dialogue
• Expanding the parameters for collaboration to incorporate new areas of focus

13.10 Lunch

Stream A – 14.10-15.30

14.10 The cash conversion cycle and payers analysis
Joost Niessen, Head of Nordic Region, Global Trade Solutions, BNP Paribas
• Primary working capital
• Control of the cash conversion cycle
• Payers analysis: Instruments to improve

14.40 Interactive workshop: Debating the financial supply chain
Moderator: John McQuaid, Head of Supply Chain Management Group, BNP Paribas
Urs Kern, Senior Manager, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Swift
Olivier Berthier, Solutions Director, Transaction Banking, Misys
Peter Stenbrink, Business Unit Director, Capacent
Patrik Zekkar, Head of Trade & Supply Chain Finance Sweden, SEB
• Comparing the various supply chain platforms and channels available for banks and corporates alike
• How banks and corporates are increasingly working together to achieve supply chain efficiency
• Considering the growth of supply chain finance as an instrument within the Nordic market

Stream B – 14.10-15.40

Expanding ECA mandates within the Nordics

14.10 Case study: SME exports to emerging markets
Robert Wickman, Head of Marketing & Development, EKN

14.30 ECA panel discussion: Seizing the initiative
Moderator: Gert Ericsson, Director, Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises, EKN
Topi Vesteri, Executive Vice-President, Finnvera
Edvard Stang, Director, Giek
Jørn Fredsgaard Sørensen, Chief Advisor, SME & Climate, EKF
•    Decisions taken by ECAs to implement and increase short-term trade finance facilities
•    The role of governments in increasing exposure limits and guarantee frameworks
•    An ever-changing environment: Widening the mandate and anticipating the future

15.15 Multilaterals: Not just providing support for emerging markets
Sabrina Borlini, Senior Relationship Manager, Global Trade Finance Program, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
•    An update on the work of the Global Liquidity Programme (GTLP) and its impact within the Nordics
•    Raising awareness and outlining the benefits of what IFC can do within the marketplace
•    Providing support for the various active export credit agencies within the Nordic region

15.40 Networking break hosted by EKN

16.10 Working capital: Demanding more from your trade finance
Patrik Zekkar, Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance Sweden, SEB
• Outlining the benefits of taking a holistic look to optimise working capital throughout the value chain
• Streamlining supply chain finance process to achieve maximum efficiency
• Addressing new patterns in trade flows and ensuring that market demand is met
• What approaches can corporate treasurers adopt to centralise governance of their working capital?

16.40 Challenging perceptions within the private political risk and trade credit market
Moderator: Kit Brownlees, Managing Director, Political, Project & Credit Risks, Gallagher London
Fredrik Enderlein, Partner, Brim
Andrew Beechey, Assistant Vice-President & Deputy Regional Manager, Zurich UK
Peter Ling-Vannerus, Head of Subsidiary Financing, SEB
• Debunking the myth that trade finance is always paid
• Claims settlement: How to evaluate the performance of an insurer
• Case studies and examples of successful resolutions

17.40 Chairman’s closing remarks followed by evening reception hosted by SEB

Venue

Accommodation

Delegates are responsible for the arrangement and payment of their own travel and accommodation.  A preferential rate has been negotiated for you at the Radisson Blu hotel for a limited period of time.  Upon registering details on how to book your accommodation will be sent to you.

Sponsors

Sponsorship opportunities including exhibition stands are available for this event.

To become a sponsor, please contact Tom Whitehead, Head of Sponsorship Sales at twhitehead@exportagroup.com.

Exporta's events have a global reputation, renowned for superb networking opportunities and educational presentations by high-profile speakers.

Time after time our events attract the leading companies in our market as sponsors.

See below for a full list of our Event Sponsors, Institutional Partners and Media Partners and click on the logo to visit their web site. 

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