Guangzhou to host IFF Annual Global Conference

The 14th International Finance Forum (IFF) Annual Global Conference will be held in Guangzhou for the first time from Nov 17 to 19, according to the press office of the Guangzhou municipal government.

The conference will be hosted by the Guangzhou municipal government and the IFF with the theme of "Build the World-Class Greater Bay Area: New Motivation, New Growth, New Situation".

The grand event, the biggest of its kind to ever be held in Guangzhou, will consist of 16 conferences and more than 30 formal discussions and will include a roundtable summit, welcome dinner, opening ceremony, press conference and a special event entitled "Guangzhou Night".

At present, more than 3,000 people have registered to attend the conference. Keynote speakers include former Prime Minister of Australia and Chairman of the IFF Kevin Rudd, former PM of South Korea Han Seung-soo, former PM of Japan Yukio Hatoyama, former PM of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, and former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Leung Chun-ying.

Founded in Beijing in October 2003, the IFF is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental international organization that serves as a regular platform for global high-level dialogue and research in the financial field. It was initiated by over 20 countries and regions including China, the United States and the European Union, and important international organizations such as the United Nations.

Due to its growing influence on global finance, the IFF Annual Global Conference is sometimes referred to as the F20, as compared to the G20 Summit for global politics.

As of November 2016, Guangzhou is the permanent site for the headquarters of the IFF and its various conferences, following the signing of a strategic partnership agreement.

A special arrangement for this year's event will be the "Guangzhou Night", where distinguished guests will watch a promotional film for Guangzhou and take part in a night cruise along the Pearl River.

It is hoped the city can make the most of the opportunity for international publicity and also use the event as a rehearsal for when it hosts the 2017 Fortune Global Forum next month.