The Tribune

The Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) has teamed with its Ministry of Financial Services co-sponsor to schedule five Bahamas Landfall events between August and October, as it targets business opportunities in Latin America and China.

The BFSB’s ambitious promotional programme is built around the Bahamas Landfall theme that was conceived and launched in 2010. It will include upcoming events in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in August; Mexico City in September; and Hong Kong and Beijing in October.

Sandwiched between the Landfall events in China, the BFSB will also co-sponsor with the Ministry of Financial Services, the China Offshore Summit in Shanghai.

This event educates Chinese financial intermediaries on the effective use of tax planning and asset management tools available in low-tax jurisdictions. With an average of more than 500 attendees per event, the China Offshore Summit provides a premium platform for information exchange, business development and much-needed education for Chinese intermediaries in this burgeoning market.

“We have made significant strides in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, over the past few years,” said BFSB’s chiefb executive and executive director, Aliya Allen.

“Persistent promotions by BFSB, combined with independent efforts by many of our member firms, have been key to this success.

“China’s burgeoning number of high net worth individuals, and its investment groups and corporations requiring an ever-increasing need for sophisticated international wealth, tax and asset planning services, is a business opportunity that just can’t be ignored. But it will require the same kind of persistent effort that has led to our success in Latin America.”

Since the inaugural event in Brazil in 2010, the BFSB has coordinated 11 Landfall promotions - three in Brazil, two in London, and one each in Hong Kong, Geneva, Zurich, Toronto, Calgary and Miami. With the events scheduled over the next few months, BFSB will have undertaken 16 Landfall promotions in less than five years.

“No two events are the same,” said Ms. Allen. “Information is tailored to the specific needs and levels of awareness to the audiences attending the Landfall events.

“We also use the Landfall platform to introduce new products or services, as will be the case in Brazil in August, where we will launch a new investment fund product that has been designed specifically with the Brazilian market in mind.”

Landfall events are also often scheduled to take advantage of a BFSB presence at major conferences taking place around the same time. For example, as with the Bahamas Landfall: Destination Mexico event scheduled just prior to STEP LatAm in early September, and the China Offshore Shanghai Summit in October.