February 2024 ALABC Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE 

  • Letter from the CEO
  • Industry News - A combination of news articles specifically curated for news relevant to the Latin American region. 
  • New Members - Get in contact with our new member companies to create new business opportunities. 
  • Past Events - View event photos, hear about the latest activities and initiatives 
  • Featured Members - Find out which companies are being featured this month

Letter from the Chief Executive Officer

Dear Members, friends and partners of ALABC,

As the incoming Chief Executive Officer, I would like to welcome you to the first newsletter of 2024, a year in which we anticipate significant growth and commemoration as ALABC celebrates its 35th Anniversary.

ALABC has had a long and prestigious history as the premier industry body representing Australian businesses in Latin America. For 35 years we have been developing meaningful connections, educating the wider community on the benefits of cross-cultural engagement, trading and investing within the region, and providing a voice for our membership to effect change.

ALABC has an exciting and varied program of events for this year, designed with all our members and friends in mind. The 2024 calendar will see the return of our very popular Boardroom and Ambassadorial Luncheons, as well as industry specific webinars and roundtables, activities with collaboration partners, and our annual dinners. ALABC’s participation at IMARC continues to provide significant value to our mining and METS membership and we look forward to once again supporting inbound delegations from Latin America and hosting the Latin America Mining dinner which has become a ‘must attend’ event.

At the core of ALABC’s success are our members, supporters and collaboration partners who I would like to acknowledge and thank for their ongoing support and the ongoing work and dedication of our Chairman, Richard Andrews and the ALABC Board for continuing to champion Latin America as an important trading partner.

I would like to extend an open invitation to our membership to contact me directly or via our Secretariat to make a time to meet or talk about how ALABC can support you better.

Best regards,


Kim Prior

Chief Executive Officer
ceo@alabc.com.au

EXPONOR Chile 2024


Exponor, an exhibition held in Antofagasta - Chile every two years, showcases the latest advances aimed at the mining sector. It is a strategic source of information on future investments, and an opportunity to connect on site with companies and exhibitors. It has a comprehensive program of activities aimed at generating business opportunities and creating and strengthening national and international business networks.


Read more >>

Announcing Humboldt - the first internet cable route between Asia Pacific and South America

Google, Desarrollo Pais of Chile, and the Office of Posts and Telecommunications of French Polynesia (OPT) have announced Humboldt, a subsea cable route linking Australia, French Polynesia and Chile, strengthening the reliability and resilience of digital connectivity across the Pacific.

A direct fibre optic network link between South America and the Asia-Pacific region has been an ambition of the Chilean government since 2016, and Google says it is making it a reality.
Read more >>

Feria Internacional de Turismo Cuba (FITCuba 2024)

The International Tourism Fair of Cuba, FITCuba 2024 will be held from May 2 - 5, in the Jardines del Rey keys in northern Cuba. The Fair will be dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean. 

FITCuba 2023 in Havana, one of the 7 Wonder Cities of the World, was attended by 5,000 professionals from the travel sector, more than 570 businessmen and representatives of 51 airlines.

In Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards Best of the Best 2024, Cuba was rated the first cultural destination in the world and the second most popular place in the Caribbean. 

Read more>>

The University of Adelaide

By every measure, the University of Adelaide—a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight research-intensive universities—stands tall among the world’s leading institutions of learning and innovation.

The clearest indication of this is our consistently high rating by the most respected international assessment bodies: QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education and Shanghai Jiao Tong’s Academic Rankings of World Universities (ARWU). All consider us one of the top 1% of Universities worldwide, and the top university in our state.

We’re equally proud of the fact that the vast majority of our research is rated ‘above or well above world standard’ by the Australian Research Council’s Excellence in Research Australia program.

We count among our distinguished alumni: five Nobel Laureates; over 100 Rhodes Scholars, including Australia’s first Indigenous recipient; and Australia’s first female prime minister and Supreme Court judge. Many of our staff and teachers are internationally recognised leaders in their fields. And we attract a diverse student body of over 27,000 from more than 90 countries.


Read more >>

KROLL Australia

As the leading independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, Kroll leverages our unique insights, data and technology to help clients stay ahead of complex demands. Kroll provides clients a way to build, protect and maximize value through our differentiated financial and risk advisory and intelligence. Our transaction experience and expertise earns us global recognition as leaders in valuation, corporate finance and restructuring.

Read more >>

Australian Internships

Australian Internships (AI) is proud to be recognised as the global leader of internship program providers. With more than 25 years’ experience, AI has established a long term quality reputation and is proud to be the preferred internship provider for most leading Australian universities. AI offer internships in most academic disciplines for candidates from over 90 countries around the world!

Australian Internships concluded another successful year by bidding farewell to Founding Owner Diana van Woerkom, a pioneer in the Australian internship sector. After a lifetime of dedication to the internship sector, Di has now moved into retirement. Di's visionary leadership paved the way for internship programs in Australia, playing a crucial role in supporting the careers of thousands of young professionals globally.

Welcoming new Managing Director Rebekah Salamatou, with 20 years' expertise in education and training. Bek brings a fresh perspective and passion for continued growth.

For more information on their programs, please follow the link below (www.internships.com.au) or email any enquiries to info@internships.com.au

Read more >>

28 February Boardroom Luncheon with Ben James, VP Aviation Business Development, Brisbane Airport

As part of our mandate, ALABC seeks to host events that provide members and friends opportunities to listen to great speakers, network with Ambassadors, government representatives and likeminded businesspeople with a view to expanding knowledge, making meaningful connections, and finding new opportunities. Our first Boardroom Luncheon for the year ticked all those boxes!

Our Brisbane lunch was fortunate have in attendance Their Excellencies Vitaliano Gallardo Valencia, Ambassador of Peru and Ernesto Cespedes Oropeza, Ambassador of Mexico, Tim Nicholls MP, Co-Chair of the QLD Parliamentary Friends of Latin America, Justin McGowan CEO of Trade and Investment Queensland and Diana Nelson Director of Latin America and Caribbean Section of the Department Foreign Affairs and Trade and a diverse range of business people in attendance (some flying from interstate) to hear our guest speaker, Ben James, Vice President Aviation, Business Development, Brisbane Airport.

Critical to developing strong business relations between Australia and Latin America is regular and cost-effective international travel and freight options. Ben’s presentation provided some fascinating insights into the aviation sector and a jumping off point for a lively Q&A session. For those who missed the lunch we have provided some highlights for you.

Hope to see you at the next event!

Saludos,

Kim Prior

Event Highlights 

The question is often asked about the opening of new routes between Australia and cities with Latin American. The selection of a new port for airlines is a significant investment, especially when considering long-haul routes between Australia and Latin America. The distances involved make these routes resource-intensive and costly, requiring careful evaluation and support.

Despite advancements in technology and digitization within the airline industry, human decision-makers still play a crucial role in route network decisions. Airports, therefore, need to provide reliable information and establish themselves as trusted partners for airline decision-makers.

The passenger data from 2023 reflects there were over 60,000 return trips between Queensland, South America and Mexico with Brazil being the most significant contributor, followed by Chile, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru.

Post-pandemic, most South American inbound markets have rebounded to their pre-COVID volumes, with Brazil and Colombia showing the strongest recovery. The demand for flights from South America to Australia is primarily driven by factors such as education, employment, and business sectors. However, Australian travel to South America, particularly for holidays, is still in the process of rebuilding.

Recognizing the importance of air cargo revenue, which can constitute up to 20% of a flight's income, Brisbane Airport views building a link between Queensland and Latin America as a strategic priority.

The information and activities of groups such as the Australia-Latin America Business Council (ALABC) members are important considerations for airline planners, especially as business travel and logistics are a critical factor in the success of flights and new route selection.

Brisbane Airport sees building a link between the Queensland and Latin America as a strategic priority and are actively pursuing opportunities to see non-stop flights commence in the future.

Please view the information below and consider joining the Australia-Latin America Business Council using the online form. 

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