MICROFINANCE EVENT: C5 Hosts Conference and Workshop on Microfinance and Small Enterprise Investments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Event Name: C5’s Microfinance and Small Enterprise Investments Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Regional Summit

Event Date: April 15 – April 16, 2010

Event Location: Budapest, Hungary

Event Website: http://www.microfinanceeeca.com/

See Our Comprehensive Event Calendar Here: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events

Cost: Prices range from GBP 399 to GBP 1598 (USD 620 to USD 2480). Prices vary with the type of organization the attendee represents and whether the attendee wishes to participate in the workshop in addition to, or instead of, the conference. See http://www.microfinanceeeca.com/price.html for more details

Summary of Event:

The two-day conference and workshop will address issues ranging from the effects of the global financial crisis on microfinance institutions (MFIs) to opportunities for commercial banks to begin offering microcredit.

Background on Organizer:

C5 is a British think tank that monitors “trends and development in all major industry sectors, the law, and emerging markets.” The organization is based in London but holds conferences in various locations in Europe [1].

Event Themes and Discussion Topics:

Day 1:

-Regional Microfinance Investment Vehicle (MIV) and Microfinance Institution (MFI) Performance: Update and Comparison with Global Microfinance Markets

-Expectations of Private Sector Investors: What Can MFIs Do to Attract Investment From Them?

-Role of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and International Finance Institutions (IFIs) in EECA Regional Microfinance: Are They Paving the Way for More Commercial Investment?

-What Lessons Have MFIs Drawn From the Financial Crisis and How Are They Responding to Investors’ Concerns on Deteriorating Asset Quality and Financial Performance?

-Lessons Learnt from Converting to a Regulated Microfinance Institution: Risk vs. Rewards

-Managing and Mitigating Foreign Exchange (FX) and Currency Risk and Availability of Local Currency Loans

-Convergence between Mainstream Regional Banking and Microfinance: To What Extent are Commercial Banks Downscaling to Include Micro Lending?

Day 2:

-What Initiatives are Regional Governments Pursuing to Create a Facilitative Regulatory Environment for Commercial Microfinance

-Social and Financial Ratings: What do Investors Expect?

-Credit Bureaus: As Credit Risk Assessment Becomes A Priority What is Being Done to Make Credit Ratings a Truly Useful Tool?

In addition to the conference, C5 is offering a workshop on April 16, 2010. The workshop will deal with new approaches for managing foreign exchange and interest risk.

Who Is Invited to Attend: Senior and executive management from microfinance institutions, commercial banks, institutional investors, venture capitalists, investment banks, and microfinance networks, as well as consultants, accountants, and legal advisors.

About the Presenters: http://www.microfinanceeeca.com/speakers.html

Online Registration Address: https://transactions.c5groupinc.com/event_reg.php?conf=2347&site=4?=en&gap=28

For additional information, please contact:

C5 Communications Limited

6th Floor, Trans-World House

100 City Road

London EC1Y 2BP

Jonathan Price

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7878 6907

Bibliography:

[1] “C5 (UK) – About Us.” http://www.c5-online.com/about_c5.htm

Additional Links: