Digitalization transforms businesses, reduces costs, automates processes, and brings down the reliance on manpower. In the financial industry sector, it helps reduce the high risk traditionally associated with financing small businesses, through technologies such as real-time data collection and machine learning.
In partnership with the National Bank of Cambodia, the SME Finance Forum is hosting the 9th Global SME Finance Forum. This year’s event will focus on the power of digital transformation in promoting inclusive, sustainable, and responsible finance for MSMEs, the backbone of the world’s economies.
Taking place on September 19-21 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the three-day conference will explore how digitalization can promote and accelerate green finance, enhance supply-chain efficiencies, improve data security, automate processes, while also lead to a greater financial inclusion.
Join us on site to connect with an international network of SME finance experts and practitioners to share and learn from each other’s experience in SME financing in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.
Registration Open
SME Finance Forum Member’s Meeting
Lunch
Study Tours
Acleda Bank, Cambodia Post Bank, Credit Bureau of Cambodia, Hatha Bank, and WING Bank
Opening Cocktail Reception and Cultural Presentation
Visit to Sosoro Museum and Reception by NBC
Registration Open
Welcome Remarks
Opening Remarks
H.E. Chea Chanto, Governor, NBC
Opening Keynote: Finance for an Equitable Recovery
The Digital Revolution is firmly in progress and while there seem to be endless opportunities that further financial inclusion and support for SMEs across all sectors and industries, there is a darker side as well, that must be acknowledged and addressed, among other things, the digital divide which leads to unintended negative consequences.
Plenary Panel: Transforming Supply Chain Finance through Digitalization
What tools are being used currently and are on the horizon, and how are they being used to expand financial access? An exploration of big data, analytics, AI, etc, while exploring whether to partner or build capacity internally.
Networking Break
Plenary Panel: Agricultural Digitalization
How can digital solutions help to reduce the traditionally high risks of agri-finance? How can digital technologies help lenders to better reach remote rural areas? A discussion of the state of digitization in the agri-finance sector.
Plenary Panel: Results from the Global SME Fund
Lunch + Informal Networking
Debate: Process of Digitalization – In-house or Outsourcing?
Will machines replace bankers? Will digitalization result in more FIs competing for SME business, or fewer? Join us for a lively session where these questions or other aspects of the digitalization agenda will be debated, providing attendees with insight into the pros and cons that can inform their work within their own financial institutions.
TechPitch Showcase
Networking Lounge
Break
Breakout Session 2: Credit Bureaus Leveraging Digitalization
Credit bureaus face a huge challenge in building a fully digitized process. What can they do to get ahead of demand for digital services?
Breakout Session 3: DFIs working session
Breakout Session 1: Banking the Informal Sector
How can the digital revolution aid in reaching and serving previously underserved populations, such as environmental and conflict affected migrants and refugees and IDPs?
Awards Ceremony
Dinner
Registration
Welcome and Day 1 Recap
Plenary: Government Response: balancing acts
What role does the government or the central bank play in ensuring an equitable, fair and transparent playing field for SMEs while advancing digitalization? An exploration of policy and regulation vis-à-vis credit guarantees, legislative reforms, Credit Infrastructure and more.
Plenary: Achieving and Sustaining Green Finance
Digitalization offers an opportunity to accelerate the green revolution. Under the moniker, the Twin Transition, this will be an exploration of how FIs are realizing their green banking targets through the use of digital tools.
Breakout Session 1: Digital Native Entrepreneurs
What are the opportunities and challenges in serving youth who tend to be digital natives and receptive to non-traditional financing models?
Breakout Session 3: Digitalization for ESG Impact Measurement in SME Finance
How can SMEs measure and use their ESG results to unlock greater opportunities for growth and securing financing?
Breakout Session 2: Digital currencies, distributed ledgers and the future of SME Financing
What are some of the latest innovations, products and models that are trending for serving the SME segment?
Lunch
Networking Lounge
TechPitch Showcase
Break
Plenary: Leveraging Digital Innovations for Women Entrepreneurs
How can digitalization facilitate innovative and effective products and solutions so that more women entrepreneurs become better and more deeply “banked”?
Closing Keynote: The Way Forward in a World on the Move
Looking at trends in digitalization and technology, SME finance practitioners and stakeholders opine on the “bets” they are making for their SME clients.
Closing Remarks
Closing Reception
Registration
Corporate Governance Training: Countering Trade-Based Money Laundering: A Primer
GB-TAP Training: Green Bonds
Responsible Finance Training: Responsible Finance and Technology
Technology in green and inclusive finance like Internet of Things, 5G bandwidth, Big Data, blockchain, AI and machine learning offers innovative solutions to promote sustainable and responsible finance and investment in contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. Including Cyber risk: With the ever-increasing amount of digital data and use of digital tools, cyber defense is not enough. An exploration of the need for greater cyber resilience to ensure business continuity.
GB-TAB Training: Green Bonds
Closing Remarks
Plenary: Leveraging Digital Innovations for Women Entrepreneurs
Break
TechPitch Showcase
Breakout Session 1: Digital Native Entrepreneurs
Breakout Session 1: Banking the Informal Sector
Break
Networking Lounge
GB-TAB Training: Green Bonds
Registration
Responsible Finance Training: Responsible Finance and Technology
Corporate Governance Training: Countering Trade-Based Money Laundering: A Primer
GB-TAP Training: Green Bonds
Closing Reception
Closing Keynote: The Way Forward in a World on the Move
Networking Lounge
Plenary: Achieving and Sustaining Green Finance
Lunch
Breakout Session 3: Digitalization for ESG Impact Measurement in SME Finance
Breakout Session 2: Digital currencies, distributed ledgers and the future of SME Financing
Plenary: Government Response: balancing acts
Welcome and Day 1 Recap
Registration
Dinner
Awards Ceremony
Breakout Session 3: DFIs working session
Breakout Session 2: Credit Bureaus Leveraging Digitalization
TechPitch Showcase
Debate: Process of Digitalization – In-house or Outsourcing?
Lunch + Informal Networking
Plenary Panel: Results from the Global SME Fund
Plenary Panel: Agricultural Digitalization
Networking Break
Plenary Panel: Transforming Supply Chain Finance through Digitalization
Opening Keynote: Finance for an Equitable Recovery
Opening Remarks
Welcome Remarks
Registration Open
Opening Cocktail Reception and Cultural Presentation
Study Tours
Lunch
SME Finance Forum Member’s Meeting
Registration Open
You can book your accommodations through this link to benefit from the discount we negotiated with Hyatt where the conference will take place:
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/PNHRP/G-IFC1
HYATT REGENCY PHNOM PENH
#55 Street 178 Sangkat Chey Chumnas,
Khan Doun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
For most visitors to Cambodia, visa is obtainable upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport. At land crossing from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, visa can be obtained at International Check Point border.
Tourists also can get their visas prior to their arrival through a Cambodian Embassy or Consulate overseas or through online E-Visa before travelling.
Some nationalities are required to get visa in advance at Royal Embassy of Kingdom of Cambodia in their country: Afghanistan, Algeria, Arab Saudi, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Nigeria.
If you need help with visa letter, we would be happy to assist. Please reach out to the team through email at smefinanceforum@ifc.org