Asian Financial Forum 2026 Launches with Focus on Finance-Real Economy Integration
TL;DR
The Asian Financial Forum's Global Business Summit offers enterprises a strategic advantage by connecting them with investment opportunities and cross-border collaborations in high-value industries.
The forum operates through a two-day agenda with panels, deal-making sessions, and exhibition zones, facilitating finance-real economy integration via structured networking and expert discussions.
This event fosters global economic cooperation and innovation, potentially creating sustainable growth and better opportunities for communities through cross-sector collaboration and green development initiatives.
Explore Hong Kong's role as a superconnector through the forum's hybrid deal-making platform, which has arranged over 10,000 meetings across 8,000 companies worldwide.
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The 19th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), co-organised by the Hong Kong SAR government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held on January 26-27, 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This year's forum introduces the tagline "Finance Empowering Business" and theme "Co-creating New Horizons Amid an Evolving Landscape," bringing together over a hundred global business and political leaders to analyze geopolitical shifts and macroeconomic trends.
HKTDC Chairman Prof Frederick Ma noted the forum has grown from a one-day event to a two-day gathering that has attracted 60,000 participants and 1,000 speakers over 18 years. The 2026 edition features the inaugural Global Business Summit focusing on deep integration between finance and the real economy, expanding conversations beyond financial topics to core economic sectors. This initiative aims to unlock potential in high-value industries and drive innovation for stronger economic growth, reinforcing Hong Kong's role as an international financial center.
Maggie Ng, Chairperson of the Asian Financial Forum Steering Committee and HSBC Hong Kong's Chief Executive Officer, stated that AFF partners have strengthened Hong Kong's international connections as global economic landscapes evolve. The forum expects over 3,600 participants from 60 countries who will engage with industry leaders across technology, consumer, healthcare, and finance sectors while exploring Hong Kong's latest advancements.
The two-day agenda includes discussion panels, keynote speeches, and sessions on Global Economic Outlook, CIO Insights, Asset & Wealth Management, Trade Finance and Supply Chain Management, and Gold Exchange. Financial and business leaders will evaluate the new economic landscape, discussing macroeconomic trends, investment outlook, retirement funds, and financial technology.
The inaugural Global Business Summit on the second day, co-organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, HKTDC, and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, will discuss artificial intelligence, new consumer trends, biomedicine and healthcare, and green energy. Industry leaders will provide analyses of finance-real economy integration, focusing on opportunities for mainland enterprises to expand globally and helping international enterprises establish operations in the Chinese Mainland market.
AFF Deal-making, co-organised with the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA), serves as a global investment-matching platform that has connected over 8,000 companies and arranged more than 10,000 meetings. This year's hybrid model includes in-person sessions during the forum followed by two additional days of online networking through January 29.
The forum features four exhibition zones including the FintechHK Start-up Salon, new FutureGreen Showcase, Global Investment Zone, and InnoVenture Salon, bringing together over 140 exhibitors showcasing innovative business concepts and green finance solutions. More details about the forum are available at https://asianfinancialforum.hktdc.com/conference/aff/en, with the meeting agenda at https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/conference/aff/en/programme and speaker list at https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/conference/aff/en/speakers.
Curated from NewMediaWire
