|
The Russia-Singapore Business Forum (RSBF) is an annual B-to-B forum that takes
place in Singapore. This forum was initiated in 2006 by Michael Tay, then-Singapore Ambassador to Russia, and Troika Dialog, Russia’s top investment bank. In 2008, an Organising Council (RSBF OC) was established in Singapore to spearhead the organisation of the Forum, which has grown since its inception. The RSBF OC continues to be led by Executive Director Michael Tay. In 2011, with the aim of privatising the organisation of the Forum, the RSBF OC was re-sited within the Singapore Business Federation, which is the APEX business association in Singapore.
In 2010, Sberbank, the largest bank in Eastern Europe, became a Strategic Partner of the RSBF, together with Troika Dialog.
Since the inaugural forum in March 2006, the RSBF has grown in stature to become Asia’s only leading business and networking platform for Russian/CIS and Singaporean/Asian businessmen. It has set a precedent in bringing together top government officials and business elite from these regions. Over the years, attendance has almost quadrupled to reach over 800 delegates in 2012, including 800 top government leaders and business elite from more than 40 countries. The quest to nurture and facilitate success stories has also borne fruit, with many deals struck and new ideas for ventures initiated.
Besides the search for success stories, the RSBF is evolving in fundamental ways and has achieved a major milestone by going beyond the "Russia-Singapore" dimension. The Forum has attracted the Russia/CIS business elite as well as businessmen from the Asia-Pacific and beyond. RSBF has become a joint platform between Russia/CIS and Singapore to explore new frontiers and other lands.
RSBF 2006 – Demystifying Russia
The inaugural RSBF was held in March 2006, with the aim to raise awareness about investment opportunities in the Russian market. Over 200 businessmen and officials attended RSBF 2006 from both countries. Russia’s then-Minister for Economic Development and Trade, Herman Gref and Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Lim Hng Kiang opened RSBF 2006 and Singapore’s then-Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew concluded the Forum with an “In-Conversation” Session.
Other Russian leaders that attended the Forum included Krasnodar Governor, A. Tkachev and Tatarstan Prime Minister, R. Minnikhanov. Among the Russian business elite were O. Deripaska (Basic Element), R. Vardanian (Troika Dialog), S. Plastinin (Wimm Bill Dann), A. Korkunov (Korkunov Chocolates), M. Pogosyan (Sukhoi), S. Kogogin (Kamaz) and other major companies such as Vneshtorgbank, UES, Novatek, Alfa Bank, BARKLI and AMTEL-Vredestein.
RSBF 2007 – Venture Successfully into Russia
The second RSBF held in March 2007 was a bigger success. About 500 delegates, including 250 Russians, were present. New areas of collaboration in R&D and tourism were identified. For the first time, a selected group of 30 industry captains from the emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies were invited to attend both the Forum and a private closed-door networking dinner to deepen engagements between these emerging economies.
Minister Gref, then-Minister Mentor Lee and Minister Lim were involved again, along with Primorsky Governor, S. Darkin, Tatarstan Prime Minister, R. Minnikhanov, First Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Y. Roslyak and Vice Governor of St. Petersburg, Y.Molchanov.
Top Russian businessmen included Deripaska (Basic Element), A. Karachinsky (IBS), A. Kletsko (Mirax), C. Tchigirinsky (STT), V. Semenov (Belaya Dacha), S. Petrov (Rolf) and S. Vybornov (Alrosa). Beyond Russia, the top 10 companies from India and China also participated in then-Minister Mentor Lee's "In Conversation" session. The spectacular closing dinner featured world-class Russian skaters performing on an ice-skating rink built on the beach!
RSBF 2008 – Connecting CIS and Asia through Singapore
Themed “Connecting CIS and Asia through Singapore”, RSBF 2008 received a significant representation from CIS (including Ukraine and Kazakhstan) and Asia, and a record number of 350 Russian/CIS businessmen. This event witnessed the highest concentration of Russian billionaires and multimillionaires ever seen in Asia. These included A. Modarshov (Severstal), L. Melamed (Rusnano), V. Yevtushenkov (Sistema), I. Kesaev (Mercury Group), L. Mickhelson (Novatek) and A. Karachinsky (IBS). RSBF once again brought together key decision makers from both countries. Russia’s then-Deputy Prime Minister S. Naryshkin gave a keynote speech while then-Minister Mentor Lee closed the Forum with the "In Conversation" session. Key representatives from the Russian Federation Council, State Duma, the Ministry for Economic Development & Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Ministry of Transport attended the Forum.
RSBF 2008 closed with yet another mesmerising event, featuring three world-class performances by the Eskimo Choir, Georgian National Ballet and Kuban Choir at Singapore Fort Canning.
RSBF 2009 – Emerging from Turbulence: New Economic Opportunities
The RSBF has traditionally been held in March. However, with the economic crisis and the ensuing financial uncertainty confronting companies in early 2009, we shifted RSBF 09 to September to coincide with the Singapore Formula One night race and to leverage on the high net-worth individuals who would be in Singapore.
RSBF 2009 carried the theme “Emerging from Turbulence: New Economic Opportunities” as a manner of responding to the prevailing concerns of businesses. RSBF 09 exceeded our expectations by achieving record high participation, with over 600 delegates from more than 20 countries and with a good spread over industry sectors (oil & gas, infrastructure, engineering, medical, automotive, hospitality, technology, retail and offshore marine). The Forum received strong media coverage and the participation of about 100 journalists. Top international media like CNBC, BBC, Financial Times and Bloomberg covered the event.
Singapore Senior Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, delivered the opening address at the
Forum, followed by a keynote speech given by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Igor Shuvalov. Then-Singapore Minister Mentor, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew closed the Forum with another invigorating “In-Conversation” session. Other prominent speakers included Mr. Herman Gref, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sberbank; Dr. Tony Tan,
Deputy Chairman and Executive Director of Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC); Mr. Kotaro Tamura, Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet Office for Economic and Fiscal Policy for Financial Services, Japan, among many others.
RSBF 2010 – Connecting Russia/CIS and Asia
RSBF 2010 began with a breathtaking Opening Party, with over 800 people perched on a roof cantilever 200 meters high, overlooking the final race of Formula One. To cap the evening, we had a surprise visit from then-Minister Mentor, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew who had decided to leave the race tracks for the company of the top businessmen who came to Singapore for the RSBF.
Close to 90 media representatives from Russia, Singapore and the region attended RSBF 2010. More than 250 pieces of coverage have been tracked and coverage extends to as far as China and Africa. Prominent international media include BBC, Dow Jones, Reuters, CCTV; in Russia, we had extensive coverage – ranging from Rossia-24 (a prominent news channel in Russia) to top business daily Vedomosti and largest national newspaper Kommersant and even the Russia Today which has global outreach. Beyond the media buzz, RSBF 2010 was also known for the calibre of the speakers and
participants. There were more than 800 participants, spanning all regions of the globe, including CIS/Eastern Europe (such as Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary) and Asian countries (Japan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Turkey, etc.) and developed economies (US, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands and New Zealand) and across a broad spectrum of industries. Russia’s show of political support manifested in the participation of Russian DPM, Sergey Sobyanin, Tatarstan President, Minnikhanov, and the regional leaders from the Far East.
Two major Russian institutions, Troika Dialog and Sberbank, continued their key role as
Strategic Partners. Some of the top Russian businessmen who attended the Forum were: Chubais (Rusnano), Vekselberg (Skolkovo Innograd, Renova Group), Gref (Sberbank),
Vardanian (Troika Dialog), Kaspersky (Kaspersky Labs), Deripaska (Basic Element), Kostin (VTB), Tariko (Russian Standard), Gens (LANIT), Beloussov (Parallels). On the Singapore side was Senior Minister Goh and then-Minister Mentor Lee, who continued his involvement in the much anticipated “In Conversation” session.
More importantly, several business deals were struck, including a joint US$120 million fund launched by Rusnano, the Economic Development Board and 360ip (a US venture capital firm), and a few port development projects.
RSBF 2011 – Connecting Markets
As a premier international forum where Russian/CIS businessmen congregate in great numbers annually outside of their homeland, RSBF 2011 saw more than 800 businessmen from over 42 countries attending, with the same desire to better understand the business culture and potential of Russia and the CIS.
RSBF 2011 featured top speakers like Raymond Armes (NEC Neva), Truong Gia Binh (FPT Corporation), Sam Goi (Tee Yih Jia Group), Herman Gref (Sberbank), Ko Kheng Hwa (Singbridge International Singapore Pte Ltd), Robert Tsao (United Microelectronics Corporation), Tarkan Maner (Wyse Technology), Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim (Iskandar Investment Berhad), Vladimir Tikhonov (DIOD), Ruben Vardanian (Troika Dialog), Mr. N. Zoljargal (Deputy Governor of Mongolia) and Sunny Verghese (Olam International Limited). Mr. Lee Kuan Yew continued his involvement in the special “InConversation” session.
RSBF 2011 sought to achieve something different from previous years by focusing on the more micro aspects of engineering business encounters – the Jade Yacht cruises, the RSBF-BSI Lounge for delegates to network informally, the Buyan dinner involving Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the special focused events on real estate investments and industrial parks – which are likely to bring results in the year ahead.
RSBF 2011 continued to leverage on the soft side of culture to set the tone for fostering
personal connections. In keeping with the pedigree of the RSBF, the Forum kicked off with an Opening Party atop SkyPark, Marina Bay Sands overlooking the final race of F1
Grand Prix on September 25. Guests celebrated a momentous piece of Russian history, excavated from a ship that sunk in 1916 – the Heidsiek Monopole 1907 that was destined
for Tzar Nicholas II. With the unveiling of this relic, it became a gesture of great meaning as Singapore was returning the champagne to Russia.
RSBF also commissioned several inter-cultural installation projects. Russian artist Maria Tikhonova, in her project Project Airship, showcased a future Singapore that is like a “city in the air”, redefining the whole meaning of “high-rise living” for Singapore. From Singapore, chef-artist Janice Wong recreated a magnificent oceanscape of edible sculptures atop the SkyPark while photographer Ernest Goh used traditional Matryoshka Dolls as cross-cultural metaphors in his photo installation at Changi Airport.
At RSBF 2011, the Center for Emerging Markets, a joint initiative by the Singapore Management University and the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo, was announced as a key step towards developing an intellectual foundation for the Forum. This Center would become a focal point for emerging market knowledge and a conduit for the understanding of the unique business cultures of the rising new markets. Skolkovo, supported by Sberbank, organized a study mission for governors and their deputies to understand the Singapore experience in developing competencies important for the Russian public sector. Participants included the top management of Russian regions of Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, Tomsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk and
Bashkortostan and even the Verkhovnaya Rada (parliament) of Ukraine. Vlad Air announced the imminent launch of its inaugural flight to Singapore in October. During the RSBF, negotiations were ongoing among Changi Airport, Basic Element and Sberbank, which led to their announcement in November to jointly develop the Airports of the South.
RSBF 2012 –Connecting Markets
RSBF 2012 raised its curtains against a backdrop of Asia’s continued economic ascendancy and as the new economic engine and driver in the world. RSBF 2012
attracted more than 800 top government leaders and business elite from more than 40 countries graced the Forum, not to mention business deals worth over $100 million were
closed during the duration of the event.
Staying attuned to the spirit of attracting the best minds from both sides, key Singapore speakers included: Former Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who shared his perspectives on the global economy; and Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Prominent decision makers from Russia and business leaders also graced the occasion. These included First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mr. Igor Shuvalov; Eurasian Economic Commission Minister for Trade, Mr. Andrei Slepnev; as well as Minister of Communications and Mass Media, Mr. Nikolai Nikiforov.
The event was staged at the exciting S$1 billion project, Gardens by the Bay, which had barely opened its doors. The venue, alongside its artistically manicured horticulture, was chosen to encapsulate the beautiful landscape of Singapore’s thriving financial district and bay area. It was also symbolic of the blossoming ties between both countries.
Guests were treated with thrilling performances by talented musician, Yakov Okun, hailed as the ‘new leader of modern Russian Jazz’, who is also the son of prominent Soviet jazz pianist Mikhail Okun. Accompanied by his band, MosGor Trio - Alexander
Mashin on drums and Makar Nivikov on bass, they shared the stage with Sergey Golovnya, considered as one of Russia’s most talented saxophonist, and Anna Buturlina,
an acclaimed Russian Jazz vocalist.
RSBF 2012 also attracted unprecedented regional and international media coverage. With 287 stories in total, spanning across China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong with global media giants like CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC, New York Times, there is no doubt that the RSBF has gained the reputation as the one and only platform where Russia/CIS businessmen congregate in great numbers outside their region.
RSBF 2013 – Connecting Markets, Linking Businesses
RSBF 2013 will take place from 23rd to 26th September 2013 with the theme of Connecting Markets, Linking Businesses. This year’s Forum will remain business focused, with the primary aim of creating opportunities for networking and concrete tie-ups. RSBF 2013 expects to attract the highest calibre political and business elite from Asia and Russia/CIS, likely to number more than 800. It will undertake incisive discussions on new and emerging markets in the ASEAN region as well as to shed
insights on the implications of Russia’s entry into WTO. These are some of the questions that will be covered and delegates will receive first-hand information to determine how to venture into each of these markets.
|
