Infrastructure investment across the Caribbean is a priority as governments seek to bring momentum back to national economies. Drawing on a deep pool of regional leaders, the CARIF 2021 agenda tackled critical issues facing the region as it endeavors to accelerate revitalization:
How to frame a comprehensive vision for tourism-related infrastructure?
How will airports address the financial and operational challenges created by the pandemic?
What is the new perspective on risk in the infrastructure space?
What does pandemic and climate resilient investment in health infrastructure look like?
What solutions are available for the Caribbean region’s thorn in the side, waste-management?
In a post Covid environment, will renewables finally take center stage?
Throughout the event, we also invited attendee’s to join our Themed Chat Rooms, get a quick download of key information with our Case Study Corner Videos, or try Flash Networking to quickly connect with other delegates.
Want to see (in 90 seconds) what our most recent virtual event looked like? Take a look here.
Doors Open for Orientation & Networking
A Walk Around the Region: 2021 Infrastructure Outlook
Breakfast Presentation
Join this introductory presentation to get an up-to-date overview of project status, highlights and tenders on the horizon.
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Chief Executive Officer
Revitalizing Caribbean Economies: How Can Investment in Infrastructure Catalyze Recovery?
Live Panel Discussion
A discussion between leading public, private and multilateral leaders about next steps towards recovery.
In an effort to ‘ramp back up’ post-Covid, how can the public and private sectors across industries collaborate for growth? Are PPPs more important than ever? What synergies between sectors should be encouraged in order to stimulate investment, and in a sustainable manner? How can it be ensured that investments are climate, as well as pandemic resilient? What does better investment look like, as we adapt to the increasing need for flexibility in the face of potential new risk? How can governments attract new and impactful investment in infrastructure?
Hospitality and Tourism: Supporting the Backbone of Caribbean Economies
Live Panel Discussion
Is the Caribbean taking meaningful steps to reposition itself in a competitive landscape?
Covid hit the hospitality sector hard, and now the region must compete for slowly returning tourism demand. How can the region best market itself and implement practices to appeal to tourists, such as increasing energy efficiency practice and green tourism? How best can islands harmonize regulation and operating protocol in order to build visitor confidence? How can these challenges become an opportunity to create more a sustainable tourism sector? What cross-regional initiatives can be encouraged to benefit tourism across islands? What does the next stage of investment in infrastructure look like as the hospitality sector strives to overcome debt burden, while simultaneously improving client offering?
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Director, Corporate Investment BankingModerator
Coffee Break
Take a break from the day’s activities or expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-seconds, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information.
Ramping Back Up: Perspectives on Financing and Risk in the Post-Covid Reality
Live Panel Discussion
A discussion on risk and financing solutions between multilateral and commercial lenders
With loan moratoria expiring, how will lenders approach debt restructuring? What is their perspective on risk in the current environment? What solutions are available to best address foreign exchange and devaluation risk? How can development banks help de-risk projects and help overcome the funding-gap? What can be done to diversify the pool of financing, for example by engaging capital markets and concessional capital? How has resilience been redefined in the past year, and how can resilience be incorporated into contracts?
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Managing Director, Head - Investment BankingModerator
How can the Cruise Sector Arrive to a Point of Recovery?
Live Panel Discussion
The cruise industry has felt the full weight of the pandemic. As the industry looks to the future,what is the best approach towards health and safety protocol to guarantee passenger security and that of populations in ports of call? How can protocol be implemented without dampening demand or customer experience? How will itineraries and in-port experience change and what will be the economic import on ports and associated services? What support is available to cruise lines and related infrastructure/services to overcome to manage the financial impact?
Fitch Ratings Senior Director, Global Infrastructure & Project FinanceModerator
Airports: Preparing for a Return to Strength Post-Covid
Town Hall Session
Part I: The Covid impact on the Caribbean air traffic sector, and how to move forward – a data presentation
Part II: Addressing the structural and operational challenges on the road to recovery
The unprecedented decrease of traffic due to the pandemic has created many complications for the airport sector. How can public and private stakeholders best address structural challenges in transactions to weather this moment? How have the investment considerations of bidders for airport PPPs changed? What does smart airport investment look like in a post-Covid environment? What is the new normal from a protocol perspective? What role can data and IoT play in these developments?
Has the Pandemic Finally Tipped the Scales Towards Investment in Digital Transformation?
Town Hall Session
Digitization was pushed to centre stage across industries in 2020. How can it continue to be expanded to improve efficiency, reduce costs and contribute towards the ease of doing business? What is the role of IoT and smart infrastructure? How can private, public and multilateral enterprises continue to drive this trend forward?
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Deputy Chief Information OfficerModerator
Closing Remarks
Day 1 Networking
After the sessions end, CARIF keeps going!
•Our breakout area will be open for you to create your own discussion rooms and host private meetings
•Expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-second, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information
•See someone specific in the attendees list who you want to connect with? You can chat with them, invite them to a video call and schedule a video meeting with up to four fellow attendees – all on the event platform
Doors Open
The All-Important “S” in ESG: Engaging the Community for Project Success
Workshop and Case Studies
Hosted by:
The essentials of sustainability go much deeper than simply building renewable energy plants in communities. A sustainable project should benefit the community and the developer alike – in both the short and long-term. Regional leader MPC Energy Solutions will demonstrate through case studies the critical importance – and benefits – of engaging the community through the lifespan of a project.
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Director, Corporate Business Development, Corporate & Investment Banking,
Sovereign Risk Revisited
Live Panel Discussion
How have Caribbean sovereign risk profiles changed in the past year and what is the impact on energy and infrastructure finance? Assessing potential solutions and innovative instruments to help Caribbean states overcome debt and liquidity challenges? Is the value of sovereign guarantees in deals changing? What are the arguments for excluding sovereign immunity from transactions?
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Chief Credit OfficerModerator
Redefining industry mindsets for decarbonization (and what role will hydrogen play?)
Live Panel Discussion
Caribbean stakeholders share their visions for how we can achieve carbon-neutrality.
Climate resilient infrastructure is a priority for the Caribbean, however, acquiring more and better building materials comes at its own environmental cost. What solutions are available to limit associated emissions via circular economies? How can synergies between industries, from tourism to construction, be developed to work towards carbon-neutrality? What role can hydrogen play in in this decarbonization strategy? What are the next steps to achieve comprehensive progress?
INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK Co-Head, Latin American & Caribbean Extractives GroupModerator
Healthcare crisis and renewal: How can we build back better?
Town Hall Session
Part I: Hospitals and health services by the numbers: A data presentation on Covid response
Presented by John Means, Partner, McKinsey & Company
Part II: Perspectives on improving post-pandemic healthcare
A live panel discussion of Caribbean stakeholders and international leaders
Healthcare won’t go back to how it was after the pandemic, and nor should it. Responding to coronavirus has been the greatest test for healthcare in generations and providers and systems have risen rapidly to address challenges that were almost unimaginable a year ago.
Having adapted out of necessity, island jurisdictions are positioned to leap forward by embracing ways to achieve operational excellence which also deliver efficiencies which are critically needed for healthcare sustainability. The panel will share real-life examples of how regional healthcare executives are drilling down on scheduling, procurement, and administration to improve outcomes and remain financially sustainable.
One of the most significant disruptions to healthcare delivery was the rapid adoption of tele-medicine. The potential for digital health pathways to enhance care and deliver efficiencies are opportunities to harness the crisis and renew healthcare delivery.
Solutions for Improving and Expanding Water Infrastructure to Meet the Impact of Climate Change
Town Hall Session
What is the most impactful approach to water infrastructure development and investment? How can we leverage water data to decrease inefficiencies, improve service and increase resilience in water and wastewater systems? What funding sources, structures and incentives make the most sense?
Ministry of Public Utilities, Government of Trinidad and Tobago Water Sector SpecialistModerator
Coffee Break
Take a break from the day’s activities or expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-seconds, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information.
LNG Roundtable: Key factors driving LNG’s competitiveness for the Caribbean
Idea Exchange
Has the Caribbean LNG market transitioned with the development of LNG import terminals in the region capable of loading small-scale LNG vessels or ISO containers? How is the LNG shipping industry evolving to offer more and cost-competitive options for small-scale shipping? What does this mean for competition amongst LNG suppliers and ultimately cost of LNG supply solutions?
Storage Roundtable: The Leading Technologies Appropriate for Island Application
Idea Exchange
Some of the leading industry experts share their expertise and ideas about what storage solutions make the most sense in the Caribbean context. What technologies are most effective in a practical and financial sense? What applications work best? What are the potential scenarios for interplay with utilities? How will we finance storage solutions of different scales? In essence, what do we need to do to let this game changer really change the game?
E-mobility: Redefining Urban Transport and the Mindset on Energy Use
Town Hall Session
Many Caribbean islands provide ideal conditions for e-mobility in the public and private spheres. What structural and regulatory developments are required to deliver mass electrification of island vehicles? What cooperative solutions are available to deliver economical and reliable e-mobility infrastructure, such as piggybacking off of existing infrastructure? How can e-mobility support resilience and emergency planning?
Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. VP Customer Service & Technology
Waste Management
Town Hall Session
Waste management is one of the greatest challenges faced by island governments and enterprises. What approaches are best placed to provide effective and sustainable solutions? How can waste best be managed throughout the supply chain? How should governments and the private sector cooperate for solutions and what are the incentives for responsible use and disposal? What could be the role of waste-to-energy in waste management?
After the sessions end, CARIF keeps going!
•Our breakout area will be open for you to create your own discussion rooms and host private meetings
•Expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-second, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information
•See someone specific in the attendees list who you want to connect with? You can chat with them, invite them to a video call and schedule a video meeting with up to four fellow attendees – all on the event platform
Doors Open
Jamaica: Infrastructure Investment Opportunities
Hosted by:
Jamaica Promotions Corporation, in collaboration with the Development Bank of Jamaica, will showcase and discuss new infrastructure investment opportunities and outline how investors can participate.
Ministerial Roundtable on Investment in Island Resilience
Live Panel Discussion
The Island Resilience Action Challenge (IRAC) is a year-round initiative to build consensus around hurdles to grid resilience on islands, identify actionable solutions, and then: act on them. The 2020/21 IRAC Task Force is charged with the development of a regional resilience scorecard. As the IRAC Task Force builds out the scorecard, this ministerial-level panel will explore how it might be deployed across island nations to attract investment into resilient infrastructure.
The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator CEOModerator
Island Resilience Part II: Building a Resilience Scorecard
We heard from the Ministers about their priorities and strategies to facilitate investment in resilience. Now it’s your turn to have a voice. Ask your questions about specifics on deliverables, impact of a resilience scorecard, strategies to promote investment, and more. Share your opinions, on screen or in the chat, to help the Taskforce develop the most effective scorecard for resilience.
With impressive renewables goals set in many Caribbean nations, what means to achieving them make most sense from an economic standpoint? How will the trend towards distributed generation play out, especially in the context of decreasing cost of storage? How can utilities best embrace and participate in this new reality? What do we need to see now in terms of investment and regulation to achieve a new renewables reality?
Many lessons on resilience were drawn from devastating hurricanes in recent past, as discussed in CARIF2020. This panel assesses progress to date and continued efforts to ‘build back better’. What practical solutions are working to build with increased resilience, but without increased cost? What alternative materials are being tested to increase resilience in housing and infrastructure? How can we best protect assets in the face of climate events and guarantee continuation of essential services? How can governments incentivize and support resiliency in all sectors?
Energy Specialist, Consultant Inter-American Development BankModerator
Financing and Building a Sustainable and Equitable Renewable Energy Transition
This session will explore pathways to deploy resilient-renewable energy projects across the region. You will participate in an interactive workshop exploring proven and emerging financial models, building of an equitable RE transition, and the value of microgrids. Key concepts covered include resiliency, microgrids, sustainable economic development, blockchain finance, community solar and equity in renewable energy.
After the sessions end, CARIF keeps going!
•Our breakout area will be open for you to create your own discussion rooms and host private meetings
•Expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-second, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information
•See someone specific in the attendees list who you want to connect with? You can chat with them, invite them to a video call and schedule a video meeting with up to four fellow attendees – all on the event platform
