The blog has had an exciting time in Singapore this week. 21 delegates had registered for the first-ever New Normal seminar, and we had a fantastic range of expertise in the room.
Attendees came from China, India and Saudi Arabia, as well as from South East Asia. And they represented a wide range of industries, including personal care as well as petrochemicals and polymers.
Some key conclusions were as follows:
• Events in the Middle East are creating major uncertainty in oil and feedstock markets
• Changing demand patterns in the West are impacting export-oriented economies in Asia
• Companies can therefore no longer simply focus on their own product and market silos
• Major new opportunities for growth are also emerging, such as Tata’s Nano car (above)
The object of the seminar is to help companies understand the new landscape that is emerging. It was very inter-active, and seemed to be really appreciated by those who attended.
Feedback afterwards suggested that 1 day was perhaps too short to cover all the issues properly. We will therefore look at extending the time to 1.5 or 2 days for the next Seminar, which is currently scheduled for June 23 in Germany. And buoyed by this success, we will also look at dates for a US course, as well as a return to Singapore later in the year.
The blog’s thanks go to everyone who attended, for a really stimulating day. Plus, of course, to fellow presenter and blogger John Richardson, as well as to Roland Kester Cher and his ICIS organising team in Singapore.