Representatives of hundreds of global services companies meet in Buenos Aires with industry experts to examine current trends
The third annual Latin American and Caribbean Outsourcing and Offshoring Forum, Outsource2LAC, brought together representatives of leading global services industries in the region with potential clients from Asia, Europe, and North America.
More than 500 businesspeople from the global services sector, trade promotion professionals and government officials participated in the meeting, which was held in Buenos Aires Nov. 20-21. During the event participants held more than 1000 one-on-one business meetings in fields that included digital animation, virtual education, pharmaceutical research and development, architectural design, and engineering design, among others.
"Our region is increasingly recognized internationally for the great variety and quality of the global services it offers, and Outsource2LAC has become a key resource for this market,” said Fabrizio Opertti, chief of the Trade and Investment Unit of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). "Our geographic location, time zone, and our growing numberof creative and innovative companies give us a competitive advantage," he added.
The event’s first day was marked by panel discussions on issues relevant to the global services industry, such as of "nearshoring and reshoring" incorporating services into the value chain, the importance of strengthening human capital, and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises. Panelists included Avinash Vashistha, Chairman and Managing Director of Accenture in India; Blanca Trevino, President of Mexico’s Softtek; Lino Cattaruzzi, General Director for Google Argentina, Camille Abrahams, Owner-Manager of Full Circle Animation in Trinidad & Tobago, ; Eric Simonson, expert in sourcing strategies for the global services industry; and Viviana Ishida, Nuclear Services Manager at the Balseiro Institute of Argentina, among others.
The Forum included a special presentation on ConnectAmericas, an online platform that the IDB is developing with Google’s support, that will offer Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the region easy access to potential clients, suppliers, investors in the LAC region and the world; up-to-date information on international trade processes, including e-learning materials and access to a vast database of trade statistics; and information on the financing opportunities available to support international trade transactions.
The second day of Outsource2LAC 2013 was devoted to more than 1,000 matchmaking sessions between suppliers and buyers of global services. The Forum was organized by the Integration and Trade Sector of the IDB, Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Fundación Exportar, the ministry’s export promotion agency.