Business communications in the new normal

FOR the first time during the pandemic, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) decided to hold a face-to-face global convention. The IABC World Conference 2022 took place at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on June 26-29 with the theme, “Communication Can!”

More than 70 sessions were lined up by IABC featuring experts from over a dozen countries. Topics ranged from inclusive communications and purpose transformation to climate science and sustainability. The keynote speakers were Microsoft Corporate Vice-President of Communications Frank Shaw and Edelman US Chief Executive Officer Liza Osborne Ross.

Hundreds of delegates from Asia-Pacific, Africa, North America, Europe and the Middle East attended this in-person conference, which was the first since 2019. The Philippine delegation was led by former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, University of the Philippines (UP) President Danilo Concepcion, UP Vice-President for Public Affairs Dr. Elena Pernia, and Metro Pacific Foundation President Melody Del Rosario.

Since the conference venue is right at the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District, delegates had the opportunity to watch Broadway shows and experience the myriad entertainment offerings of Times Square. It is just a stone’s throw away from Central Park and also close enough to Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.

Highlighting the four-day convention was the IABC Gold Quill Awards recognition night where winners over the last three years were invited to celebrate together with the conference delegates. Several Filipino entries won the Gold Quills, including the 50th anniversary coffee-table book of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines.

TOKENIZATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Last month, a Filipino fintech firm bagged the Tokenization Project of the Year Award during the 2022 Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Conference (AIBC) World Summit in Toronto, Canada.

iWave Advanced Research Group, Inc. (iWAR) was the recipient of the AIBC award for its Oz Finance project, a proprietary blockchain protocol under iWAR’s Global Trade Exchange (GTX) located at the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB), the Philippines’ oldest and fastest-growing ecozone.

A pioneering FAB-registered enterprise, iWAR also developed the world’s first residency enabled token with real-world utility known as TOTOZ. This will bolster the bid to position FAB as a global offshore financial center that will integrate emerging fintech markets.

In 2019, the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) opened its doors for the registration of offshore fintech companies. Subsequently, it granted iWAR an exclusive license to operate GTX, a platform for cross-border trade and exchange of digital assets between international investors.

AFAB, a government agency attached to the Office of the President, commissioned the development and launch of Oz to provide operators access to credit and seed capital for business and operations. Commending iWAR for garnering the AIBC award, AFAB Chairman Pablo Gancayco said: “This recognition clearly shows Oz as a financial instrument that can change the way global citizens, companies, and governments interact.”

J. Albert Gamboa is the chief finance officer of Asian Center for Legal Excellence and chairman of the FINEX Media Affairs Committee. The opinion expressed herein does not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions and BusinessWorld. #FinexPhils www.finex.org.ph