The 2022 Business Advantage Papua New Guinea Investment Conference is taking place in Brisbane on 15 and 16 August, bringing business people and financiers together face-to-face for the first time since 2019. We preview the event.

According to the latest predictions from the International Monetary Fund, PNG’s economy is set to increase in size by 50 per cent between now and 2027.

While the catalyst for this growth will be in the resources sector, in the form of the TotalEnergies-led Papua LNG project, increased activity is expected right across PNG’s economy: in infrastructure, building and construction, manufacturing, services, energy, telecommunications, agriculture and beyond.

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, location for the 2022 PNG Investment Conference.

The 2022 Business Advantage Papua New Guinea Investment Conference has been curated to give potential investors an overview of the key opportunities, bringing business people and financiers together for two days of presentations, discussions and networking.

This year’s conference, taking place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 15 and 16 August, will mark a return to face-to-face networking for the first time since 2019.

‘When the last physical Papua New Guinea Investment Conference took place at Sydney’s premium Shangri-la Hotel in August 2019, few could have predicted it would be three years before another face-to-face conference,’ says Andrew Wilkins, Publishing Director at organiser, Business Advantage International.

‘With PNG on the cusp of another economic upturn, it’s an ideal time for investors, financiers and other business people to catch up with what’s going on in PNG, and hold the conversations that will generate the next phase of growth – conversations that have, in some cases, been put on hold by COVID.’

Program highlights

Highlights from this year’s program include a keynote address from respected economist and business commentator, Saul Eslake. The former Chief Economist at ANZ and Bank of America Merrill Lynch will outline how the global factors such as the war in Ukraine, supply chain issues and climate change agreements are likely to impact on PNG’s economy.

Eslake will be joined by Westpac’s Senior Economist Justin Smirk, who will be presenting the latest economic figures on Papua New Guinea itself.

Other notable speakers include Amazon’s ‘Internet of Things’ specialist, Craig Lawton, and the new Deputy CEO of Austrade, Daniel Boyer, who will speak about how Australian companies are doing business in China and the lessons they have learnt from the last three years.

Expert panels will discuss topics such as PNG’s current business climate, large scale developments and infrastructure finance, while other sessions will focus on opportunities in mining and petroleum, energy, services, telecommunications, infrastructure and PNG’s state-owned enterprises.

The program will also include investment case studies from across PNG’s economy.

For details on how to register for the conference, visit www.pnginvestmentconference.com.