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 This conference was held from September 19 - 20, 2022

Agenda

Over the course of two packed days and a rich array of panels, interviews, community polling and workshops, a world-class roster of 75 speakers will explore:

  • How we can frame a comprehensive vision and investment strategy for tourism-related infrastructure
  • Delivering on obligations of island stakeholders to guarantee social protections in health, education and security
  • Cutting-edge solutions to seek opportunity from Caribbean’s thorn in the side, waste management
  • How we can create a commercial case for food security in the region?
  • What needs to be done to deliver cutting edge digital and telecom infrastructure for citizens and digital nomads alike?

In addition to the Main Stage, we invite attendees to meet the market through numerous structured and unstructured networking/meeting opportunities including the fountain-side cocktail reception and the Sunrise Fun-Run.

Monday

September 19
8:15

Registration and Refreshments

9:00-9:15

Chairperson Welcome and Warm Up (Dynamic Polling/Trivia)

  • Gillian Charles-Gollop

    CIBC FirstCaribbean Corporate and Investment Banking
    Executive Director, Corporate Investment Banking & Advisory

  • Pim van der Burg

    CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank
    Managing Director, Corporate & Investment Banking

9:15-10:15

Ministerial Keynote: Infrastructure for Growth, Resilience, Sustainability

As islands strive to meet NDCs, achieve growth and satisfy the evolving needs of local industry and populations, we consider which innovative and collaborative approaches to development can bring the region closer to these goals.

  • How can investment in infrastructure be a key tool for economic recovery and decarbonization in the Caribbean?
  • How do mitigation and adaptation policies fit into broader national infrastructure plans? Do these plans make sense for small jurisdictions?
  • Which infrastructure developments have the biggest impact from a socio-economic perspective, and how can these be prioritized?
  • What improvements in transportation infrastructure could help ease inflationary pressures on islands?
  • What steps are regional governments doing to attract investors and developers, when faced with an increasingly selective private sector?
  • Highlighting standout projects on the horizon- and visions for the future

  • Hon. William Duguid, M.P.

    Barbados
    Senior Minister with Responsibility for Infrastructure

  • The Honourable Minister Quincia Gumbs-Marie

    Government of Anguilla
    Minister of Sustainability, Innovation and the Environment

  • Hon. Stephenson King

    Saint Lucia
    Senior Minister and Minster for Infrastructure, Ports, Transport, Physical Development and Urban Renewal

  • Stephen Beatty

    KPMG International
    Head, Global Infrastructure | Head, Global Center of Excellence for Cities and Local Government | Co-Lead, Economic Growth Services, Global Government Moderator

10:15-11:00

The Tourism Bounce Back, and How it is Driving Infrastructure Development

  • Trends in tourism post-Covid: Which islands are winning back visitors, how have their trends and choices changed? What does this imply for infrastructure demand?
  • What infrastructure developments are being spurred on by the tourism uptick? How can we guarantee tourism driven infrastructure is not only to the benefit of tourists?
  • Where are the opportunities to engage the tourism sector for green and health-conscious infrastructure investment?
  • Are digital nomads here to stay? How can these ‘nomads’ be converted into contributing residents? –
  • Which visa schemes/citizenship programs are proving effective in this conversion? 
  • What residential and educational offerings might incentive permanent residency?

  • Hon. Minister Kenneth V. Bryan

    Cayman Islands Government
    Minister for Tourism & Transport

  • Senator the Hon. Lisa Cummins

    Barbados
    Minister of Tourism and International Transport

  • Isabel de Caires

    CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank
    Director, Investment Banking Moderator

11:00-11:45

Networking

11:45-12:45

Underpinning a Robust Project Pipeline: Approaches to Financing and Risk

Leading financiers and project developers discuss the dynamics of the market, and the innovations in financing and risk management strategies that will get projects off the ground.

  • How are regional financiers reassessing their approaches to financing, in order to accelerate getting more shovels into the ground?
  • What actions should project sponsors put in place to create a smooth glidepath to securing financing?
  • Is a green infrastructure component the dominant driver for investors?
  • Democratization of financing: How project sponsors can create opportunities for citizens to invest
  • How to encourage greater involvement of local private partners in infrastructure development

  • Adam Carter

    CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank
    Managing Director, Head - Investment Banking

  • Nicolás Giancola

    CIFI
    Manager - Business Origination

  • Stephen Grell

    Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited
    Managing Director

  • S. Nicole Liverpool Jordan

    Caribbean Development Bank
    Deputy General Counsel

  • Eitan Ladizinsky

    AECON
    Senior Vice President, Concessions

  • Dustin Delany

    Dentons
    Chair and Regional Managing Partner Moderator

12:45-1:30

Green and sustainable infrastructure: How do we measure success?

Building sustainability and green principles into infrastructure planning and development can offer the win-win of attracting investment for projects and helping to fill the Caribbean’s infrastructure gap in a more resilient and climate friendly manner. Questions remain about the execution and metrics.  

  • Built to last – how financing highly resilient infrastructure may be more economical in the long run
  • How to measure and demonstrate the long-term economic impacts of mitigation measures in project design
  • Integrating climate risk into project design: Tools and application
  • What does the focus on ESG mean for the ability of islands to secure financing
  • How can governments and multilateral organizations support effective and transparent green infrastructure policy and help support increased access to climate finance?

  • Daniel Best

    Caribbean Development Bank
    Director of the Projects Department

  • Gillian Charles-Gollop

    CIBC FirstCaribbean Corporate and Investment Banking
    Executive Director, Corporate Investment Banking & Advisory

  • Joana Pascual

    IDB Invest
    Lead Investment Officer

  • Ricardo Hutchinson

    Portland Private Equity
    Vice President, Investments Moderator

1:30-3:00

Lunch

3:00-3:50

Transforming Caribbean Economies Via Robust Digital and Telecommunication Infrastructure

  • Regional standouts: Digital infrastructure rankings across the region
  • What investments offer the potential to most significantly impact Caribbean citizens and economies?
  • To what degree will 5G rollout improve the business environment and facilitate growth across sectors?
  • Developing regulation to enable increased investment in the sector: What needs to be done?
  • Do PPPs have a place in digital, broadband projects? What structures meet the needs of the asset?
  • How is the appetite from investors developing for Caribbean digital infrastructure? What can be done to increase appeal?
  • What is the potential for a regional digital initiative and how does this function with individual islands’ strategies?

  • Javier Mendez-Castillero

    Cable & Wireless Company
    Senior Director of Sales Operations Excellence

  • David Cox

    CANTO | Cable & Wireless Communications
    Chairman | Head of Regulatory Affairs

  • Julian Jordan

    Neptune Communications
    CEO

  • Dr. Justin Ram

    Justin Ram Advisory Services
    CEO

3:50-4:15

Networking

4:15-5:15

Airports: Back in a Big Way

The post-Covid revival in traffic is putting airport development back at center stage. With a mix of expansions and refurbs in tender or under development across the region, we look at how governments, concessionaires, and investors perceive the opportunities in the Caribbean airport sector, and what can be done to drum up investor appetite.

  • How have the priorities of investors changed since the pre-Covid period? How are public sector stakeholders responding to these expectations?
  • Case study comparisons: Identifying key hurdles and approaches taken to regional airport projects- What has been successful? What lessons can be drawn from these experiences?
  • Assessing the pipeline for the sector, and what will be needed to bring plans to fruition
  • Expectations from these developments on regional competitiveness and economic plans
  • Optimizing the economics of airports with ~ 1 million passengers
  • Outlook for updating regional travel links

  • Marie Foley

    BTY
    Director, Infrastructure Advisory Services PQS, LEED AP, MRICS

  • Lester Nelson

    Bermuda Airport Authority
    CEO

  • Filipe Pereira dos Reis

    IATA
    Regional Director, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, The Americas

  • Dr. Kenneth Romer

    The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
    Deputy Director General & Acting Director of Aviation Office of the Deputy Director General

  • David Pratt

    PRT Group Inc
    President Moderator

5:15-6:00

How Can We Move the Needle Towards More Effective Water and Wastewater Management?

State of the Water and Wastewater Sector

What projects and initiatives are progressing island water supply, treatment, management?

  • Comparing approaches to water utility management and asset management: What works best?
  • Technologies and digital solutions for more effective water network management, and to incorporate increased energy efficiency
  • Assessing investor appetite for water projects, and how this can be further stimulated
  • Addressing the challenges of non-revenue water, and climate risk

 

  • Mark Barnett

    National Water Commission, Jamaica
    President

  • L. O’Reilly Lewis

    Caribbean Development Bank
    Division Chief, Economic Infrastructure Division

  • Michele Renda

    Southland Holdings
    Lead - Special Project Initiatives

  • Raymond Campbell

    KPMG Caricom
    Head of Advisory Moderator

6:00-8:00

CARIF Cocktail Reception

Tuesday

September 20
6:30

CARIF Fun Run

Early risers: Join your fellow CARIF delegates for an enjoyable and invigorating networking fun-run around beautiful Coconut Grove.

8:00-8:45

CARIF Exhibition

8:45-9:00

Chairperson Welcome and CARIF Trivia

  • Steve Woodward

    KPMG Bermuda
    Managing Director, Sector Lead – Private Enterprise

  • Simon Townend

    KPMG
    Partner, Head of Advisory & Tax

9:00-9:30

Keynote Interview: Economic Growth, Diversification and Population

  • Exploring the fundamentals of how islands can create greater economic growth and achieve economic diversity
  • How are islands attracting remote workers, high net worth residents and long stay tourists and how the needs of citizens with guest residents are being equitably managed
  • Where is the low hanging fruit to economic diversification? And what are the longer-term, grander ambitions that could be possible?
  • What needs to be done in terms of capacity building, financial and social frameworks, and regulation in order to achieve these goals?

  • Senator the Hon. Lisa Cummins

    Barbados
    Minister of Tourism and International Transport

  • Hon. Jason Hayward, JP, MP

    The Government of Bermuda
    Minister of Economy and Labour

  • Stephen Beatty

    KPMG International
    Head, Global Infrastructure | Head, Global Center of Excellence for Cities and Local Government | Co-Lead, Economic Growth Services, Global Government Moderator

9:30-10:30

Visions for Resilient Social Infrastructure

Part I: Delivering on Universal Health Coverage: How can the region meet this core SDG (15 mins)

  • Comparing approaches to delivering on UHC and what makes sense for islands
  • What infrastructure is required to deliver on UHC? What systems must be put in place?
  • What is the role of digital healthcare in supporting these initiatives?
  • How to plan for climate related health issues

 

Part II: Centering Social Infrastructure in Long Term National Planning  (30 mins)

  • How can administrations best recognize and address key vulnerabilities in education, health, security, housing, etc?
  •  How can governments effectively integrate these priorities into national infrastructure planning?
  • To what degree can improved digitization impact on resilience in health, education, social services?
  • What security nets across social infrastructure sectors should be implemented to prepare for future crises?

  • ​​Isaac Solomon

    Caribbean Development Bank
    Vice President, Operations

  • Dr. Anna van Poucke

    KPMG
    Global Head of Healthcare

10:30-11:30

Creating a Commercial Case for Food Security Infrastructure

  • What do the islands require to ensure a sustainable food supply?
  • What infrastructure is needed to meet this demand in terms of warehousing, greenhouses, climate-controlled transport access?
  • What is the role of various public and private stakeholders in establishing reliable food infrastructure and how can these developments become bankable projects?
  • How can distributors be integrated into planning and incentivized to support island to island agricultural trade?
  • Innovations in food production: How can we finance these potentially game-changing solutions?

  • The Honourable Minister Quincia Gumbs-Marie

    Government of Anguilla
    Minister of Sustainability, Innovation and the Environment

  • Juliette Maughan

    UN World Food Programme
    Senior Partnership Officer

  • Carlos E. Palacious

    Bron Ltd.
    Managing Principal

  • Isaac Douglas Rankine
    Isaac Rankine

    Cayman Islands Government
    Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Agriculture/Ministry of Home Affairs

  • Kiesha Farnum

    CARIBBEAN CLIMATE-SMART ACCELERATOR
    Director, Public Sector Projects Moderator

11:30-11:45

Networking

11:45-12:30

New Generation Power Systems and Paving the Way to Electric Mobility Success

Island administrations have placed e-mobility at the center of energy transition strategy, but electrification of fleets is just part of the puzzle. What else needs to be done to support decarbonization efforts in the transport space?

  • What infrastructure development is needed to bridge the gap to full electrification of public and private fleets?
  • What success stories are emerging and how can these be best replicated and improved upon?
  • Could transitioning tax structures stimulate a shift in consumer mindset about electric vehicles?
  • Where are the potential linkages with broader sustainable and resilient infrastructure development?

  • Grant McDonald

    KPMG
    Country Managing Partner, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean; CARICOM Head of Tax; Global Aerospace & Defense Industry Sector Leader

  • Valmore Stewart

    CIBC FirstCaribbean
    Associate Director, Investment Banking

  • Roger Todd

    Government of Bermuda
    Programme Lead, Economic Recovery Plan

  • Sandra Sealy

    TelEgy Consulting Services Inc.
    Managing Director/ Lead Consultant Moderator

12:30-1:15

Investing in More Modern, Efficient and Greener Ports, and Associated Infrastructure

The shipping industry is demonstrating a commitment to decarbonization.

  • What developments will allow regional ports to increase capacity, reduce inefficiencies and encourage clean fuel vessels?
  • How can infrastructure developments and reimagined management of port assets address bottlenecks and impact competitiveness?
  • What needs to be done to replace/complement diesel bunkering for more efficient fuels? Is there financial support, incentive for the updates?
  • What are the needs and opportunities for associated infrastructure, such as connected roads, to support more efficient port operations?

  • Suzette Balkaran

    WiMAC, Senior | UTT
    VP Research & Development | Senior Instructor

  • Mike Maura Jr.

    Nassau Cruise Port
    CEO & Director

  • Alicia Taylor

    IDB Invest
    Investment Management Lead Officer

  • Darwin Telemaque

    Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority
    Chairman, PMAC and Chief Executive Officer

  • Gloria Henry

    The Port Authority of Jamaica
    Vice President - BPO and Logistics Moderator

1:15

Chairperson Conclusions and Lunch

Additional Enrollment Required
2:30-5:30

Training Workshop: Developing Successful Infrastructure Projects

CIBC FirstCaribbean and KPMG will host this workshop as part of their commitment to building infrastructure capacity in the Caribbean.

This Workshop is eligible for 2.5 Continuing Professional Education (CPE*) credits.  Participants must attend the workshop in its entirety to receive full CPE credits.

 * National State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) CPD program

The infrastructure business case is the document that answers the Government’s (or sponsor’s) questions in order to make an informed decision on whether to green light an infrastructure investment. The workshop will cover:

  • How a business case supports executive decision making on the options for delivering critical infrastructure
  • A comprehensive overview of the process for building robust business cases to secure financing for infrastructure projects.
  • Value for Money (VfM) assessment
  • Risk allocation 101
  • Affordability
  • Adapting the traditional procurement process to encourage competitive tension and innovation
  • Overview of UK Green Book requirements

*Owing to the level of workshop interaction and time constraints, a maximum of 50 participants will be accepted. Please register in advance.

 

  • Stephen Beatty

    KPMG International
    Head, Global Infrastructure | Head, Global Center of Excellence for Cities and Local Government | Co-Lead, Economic Growth Services, Global Government

  • Isabel de Caires

    CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank
    Director, Investment Banking

  • Sam Story

    KPMG Cayman
    Director

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