12-13 Oct, 2009 - Abu Dhabi, U A E
Millennium Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Millennium Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Speakers and Delegates at the recently concluded Africa CemenTrade conference in Tunis re-affirmed the cement industry’s view that Africa will be a continent for industry growth, remaining upbeat even as markets around the world seem to be ‘cooling off’ due to the crisis.
Alberto Piana, Executive Director of JP Morgan’s Building Materials team said during his speech, “Despite short-term earnings pressure, Africa and Middle East remains a key engine for growth in the cement industry.” Discussing the Consolidation Trends & Shareholder Value in the Cement Industry, Mr. Piana pointed out that the “majority of new capacity has come from emerging regions,” including new projects in Africa.
The conference also featured the regions leading Cement industry executives like Dangote Cement’s CEO Tony Hadley, who shared on his organisation’s strategy to consolidate position in Nigeria, build capacity to bridge shortfall in cement supply in the ECOWAS region & their expansion plans in Africa. Tony commented that the impact of the crisis on West Africa cement will see a potential shift from predominantly Asian supplies (China, Taiwan, Korea) to sourcing from Europe (Spain, The Med & N. Africa) & the ME in the near future. The conference also featured insights from Lafarge Cement Egypt, Libyan Cement Co, Athi River Mining Co., HC Trading, GS Cimentos, Les Ciments de Bizerteand many more.
Speakers at the conference also touched on the impact of the credit crunch on Africa’s infrastructure boom, regional cement demand/supply outlook, reducing production costs & project management experience, logistics challenges, Chinese investment into the region and experiences sharing by established players in the African markets.
Boisset & CIE’s representative, who attended Africa CemenTrade, said Africa CemenTrade provided an “excellent overview of Africa cement market & actual situation.” The participant from Lafarge Cement Egypt, who commented, “AfricaCemenTrade was a well-organized & high value event”, echoed his view!
Africa CemenTrade received accolades as the “Must-Attend” conference to meet decision makers and key players in Africa’s construction & cement industry. With the positive industry feedback, Africa CemenTrade saw participation from Company Presidents, CEOs, Vice-Presidents, Managing Directors General Manager, Export Managers, Regional Sales Manager, Trading & Shipping Manager, Investors Trade Specialists and Chartering Managers.
The presence and participation of these top executives made networking at Africa CemenTrade of particular value. Delegates were able to maximise the ample networking opportunities during the conference. Delegates also utilized the CMT connect privileges extended to them, making numerous connections with key players before & after the conference. The Exhibitors at the conference were especially pleased with the maximum exposure to the African marketplace and contacts established during the conference.
The over 150 participants at the conference were most vocal in expressing their appreciation for the networking at Africa CemenTrade. As Mondi Group’s representative summed up, Africa CemenTrade offered “Very good networking in the cement world!”
In short, Africa CemenTrade was a great experience for all who participated. The event, which received a “very good” rating from all participants, delivered on its promise to present an objective overview of the emerging opportunities in the African cement marketplace.
In fact, plans are already laid out for a spin-off event, 4th Middle East CemenTrade conference, which will convene on 12-13 Oct, 2009 in Abu Dhabi, focusing on the theme "Will construction & real estate markets recover to boost the region's cement sector?”. The October conference aims to provide an objective overview into the challenges ahead for the cement industry. >>Click Here to confirm your participation.<<
4th Middle East CemenTrade promises to be another crucial networking event for the Middle East cement industry. Organisations keen on maximising their visibility and promoting their products and services at 4th Middle East CemenTrade can email Ms. Angelia at angelia@cmtsp.com.sg to find out more about the customized media partnership and sponsorship packages available.
