The Tribune

The upcoming Bahamas Business Outlook conference will focus on how multiple post-Hurricane Dorian challenges can be converted into quality rebuilding, modernisation and growth opportunities.

ssembling some heavy hitters to explore the theme of this year's Bahamas Business Outlook (BBO) will take direct aim at a range of post-Dorian challenges in The Bahamas. Presenters who are leaders and pioneers in their fields will direct attention on how the storm's impacts can be turned into opportunities for quality rebuilding, modernization and growth economically and socially.

The Prime Minister will lead a speaker line-up that will explore the conference theme of A new era: Resilience in the face of vulnerability. Other speakers include Laurie Peters, Canada's High Commissioner to The Bahamas, who will tackle the topic of Climate change and resilience: Environmental resilience and disaster preparedness.

John Rolle, the Central Bank of The Bahamas governor, will speak on A resilient financial sector disaster recovery strategy for The Bahamas, while Franklyn Butler, Cable Bahamas chief executive, will address A new era: Resilience in the face of vulnerability.

The Chamber of Commerce's chairman, Khrystle Rutherford-Ferguson, will give a Chamber "update", while Frank Comito, chief executive and director for the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) will speak on the Global and regional outlook for tourism, and insights on industry response and performance post-disaster.

A panel discussion on How is Artificial Intelligence (AI) disrupting industry? will feature Dr Charles Diggiss, president and chief medical officer, Doctors Hospital; Crachad Laing, head of faculty, math and sciences, Windsor School; and Arthur E Frisch, co-founder, Fli Drone, and founder of Efficient Ventures LLC.

Completing the speaker line-up will be Craig Walkine, owner/operator of Outdoor Fitness Bahamas, and Dr Donovan Moxey, BPL's chairman, who will speak on Moving forward: How bond funds take BPL to an energy efficient power future.

Dr Jonathan A Rodgers will speak on What's ahead: Economic prognosis for The Bahamas; while the Caribbean Development Bank's Lisa Harding is primed to speak on the Orange Economy. Michael Cunningham, the Government-sponsored venture capital fund's chairman, and Chloe Burke, Airbnb's public policy associate for the Caribbean and Central America, round-out the speaker line-up.

Joan Albury, the TCL Group's president, and chief organiser of the Business Outlook series, said: "I believe firmly that every dark cloud has a silver lining. Undoubtedly, Hurricane Dorian inflicted unimaginable damage on Grand Bahama and Abaco and, consequently, on the entire Bahamas, because our communities are all interdependent.

"However, there is hope - the storm has presented great opportunity for sharpening our resilience, and for much-needed modernisation and progress. In designing the Bahamas Business Outlook 2020 programme we have formulated topics that cover the key elements of the social and economic spectrum, particularly resilience and modernisation as it relates to finance, tourism, transportation, logistics, health and fitness, education, artificial intelligence, energy, entrepreneurship and the inescapable reality of climate change. The forum on January 16th is one that no one who cares about the future of our country can ignore."

The Bahamas Business Outlook is scheduled to take place on January 16 at Baha Mar. To register, visit www.tclevents.com or contact Margaret Albury: malbury@tclbahamas.com or 242.322.1000.