The ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) and ASEAN Business & Investment Summit (ABIS) to Round off 2018 ASEAN Initiatives on a High

• ABA will recognise ASEAN enterprises with global potential
• ABIS will provide a platform for the business community to engage with ASEAN leaders, industry champions, entrepreneurs, key opinion leaders and decision makers.

SINGAPORE, July 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The ASEAN Business Awards and ASEAN Business & Investment Summit are scheduled to be held on the 12 November 2018, and 12-13 November 2018 respectively at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Jointly organised under the auspices of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) and the Singapore Business Federation, ABA and ABIS round off a full year of activities with focus on ASEAN.

ASEAN BUSINESS AWARDS 2018, 12 NOVEMBER 2018

Launched in 2007 by ASEAN BAC, the Awards acknowledge and recognise outstanding ASEAN businesses that have shown significant progress in establishing and reinforcing their positions, in a myriad of industry sectors.

Into its 12^th edition, the Awards provide an opportunity for businesses to garner greater exposure and to expand their network within the ASEAN business community and the global stage.

A new addition this year is the Family Business Award which aims to recognise family enterprises for their outstanding successes and sustainable growth in ASEAN. The other Award categories are:

• 17 Priority Integration Sectors covering the major sectors from Agri-Based, Aviation, Automotive, Electronics, Energy, Finance, Fisheries, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, ICT, Infrastructure, Logistics, Retail, Rubber-Based, Textiles, Tourism and Wood-Based
• SME Excellence -- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Employment, Growth, and Innovation
• Friends of ASEAN
• Young Entrepreneur
• Women Entrepreneur
• Sustainable Social Enterprise

Businesses that are keen to participate in the awards can submit their nomination to accessasean@sbf.org.sg by the 31 August 2018. The nomination form can be found at https://www.aseanbac2018.org/asean-business-award/.

"The ASEAN Business Awards is the perfect opportunity for ASEAN companies to feature both their business enterprises and their achievements as industry leaders in their fields. It would be an opportune moment to be acknowledged in the presence of their peers, customers and partners." - Prof. Annie Koh, Chair of ASEAN Business Awards 2018

The Awards Gala Dinner will be graced by Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore as the Guest-of-Honour and held in Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

ASEAN BUSINESS & INVESTMENT SUMMIT 2018, 12-13 NOVEMBER 2018

The ASEAN Business & Investment Summit (ABIS) 2018, held in conjunction with the ASEAN Summit, is ASEAN's premier annual business and investment event, which brings together key policy makers and top business leaders with interest in ASEAN to discuss ASEAN's business and investment landscape.

ABIS provides a platform for the business community to engage with ASEAN leaders, industry champions, entrepreneurs, key opinion leaders and decision makers. Political leaders from the ASEAN countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and the USA are expected to attend and speak at ABIS.

Themed "Building Tomorrow, Connecting Today", the summit will discuss:

• Infrastructure/Smart City -- Best practices for smart city transformation and its relevancy to ASEAN's differing level of development
• Digitalisation -- Innovative deployment of digital technology to enable business transformation and capturing new opportunities
• Women in Business -- Empowering women in business, harnessing untapped capabilities for business growth*
• Young Entrepreneurs -- ASEAN's next generation, their vision of ASEAN*
• Family Business -- Future of family business in ASEAN and their new frontier*
• Sustainable Business -- Best practices for sustainable business growth and its application in ASEAN*
• Industrial 4.0 -- Upgrading of ASEAN's manufacturing capabilities*

*Indicates tentative topics

ABIS will feature an illustrious line-up of presenters from the political and business leadership from ASEAN and beyond.

Over 1,000 regional participants are expected at ABIS, with more than 100 exhibiting organisations from ASEAN displaying their products and services.

"ABIS is the definitive summit that allows the ASEAN business community to gather, network and share their insights with each other to further their business goals. It is a meeting of old friends and a place to meet new ones." - Dato Seri Dr Douglas Foo, Organising Chairman, ABIS2018

For more information about ABIS 2018 and ABA 2018, please proceed to www.aseanbac2018.org.

About ASEAN Business Advisory Council

ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) was formed following decision of the ASEAN Leaders at the 7th ASEAN Summit, launched in April 2003, with the mandate to provide private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN's efforts towards economic integration.

For more information, please proceed to www.asean-bac.org.

About Singapore Business Federation

Established on 1 April 2002, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) is the apex business chamber championing the interests of the Singapore business community. With 25,800 member companies, SBF's focus is to sense, prioritise, analyse and help resolve burning issues facing significant segments of businesses. All Singapore-registered companies with a share capital of S$0.5 million and above are members of SBF.

As the bridge between the Singapore business community and the Government, SBF advocates firmly on behalf of businesses and our workforce, as well as at international settings, to promote the growth and vibrancy of our business community, contributing to the prosperity of Singapore.

The Federation works closely with key local and foreign business chambers, and has inaugurated the Trade Associations & Chambers (TAC) Alliance to be a better enabler for the business community.

For more information, please proceed to www.sbf.org.sg.