Economist Conferences appoints Kreab Gavin Anderson as social-media partner

KGA, which specialises in corporate, financial and public affairs communications, will assist in developing an integrated social-media strategy and blogger outreach programme for the finance-focused conferences held across Asia Pacific.

The account, led by Walter Jennings, partner, KGA Hong Kong, will be run with cooperation of offices across the region to map out a social-media engagement plan for the events held in Japan, Australia, South Korea and China. The first conference, on 16 May in Tokyo, will examine the state of the financial system globally and in Asia.

The Bellwether Series, now in its third year, brings together policymakers, banking executives and regulators to examine critical opportunities and challenges in four of Asia-Pacific’s key financial markets.

Each of the The Bellwether conference series has attracted 150 to 200 senior executives. The conference series is sponsored by BNY Mellon, Korean Exchange Bank, Genpact, Cathay Pacific and American Airlines, among others.

“We have begun using social media to build awareness ahead of each conference by engaging influencers and leveraging programme content,” Sue Toomey, director, events and conferences, Asia Pacific said. “This year, we plan to put greater emphasis on social media to enhance the conference participant experience and encourage dialogue on critical issues for the finance sector—pre, during and post each event.”

Jennings added, “Social media has gained great influence in policy debates, and it is important for Economist Conferences to ensure their perspectives are shared. We combine social-media outreach with our strength in public affairs to engage key influencers online, enhancing the reach of the conference and creating an authoritative platform for thought leaders to interact on issues of common interest.”