March 2013
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by Anna Domanska
India, once the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, these days is a rising star. Everyone is carefully watching all steps of India. Undeniably, India is becoming more and more important on the political and economic scenes. It is not surprising that world’s biggest companies are much interested in doing business in India as these opportunities seem to be profitable. Indeed, India is to be the world’s third largest economy by circa 2035. With its growing market, India has become a tidbit for businesses. But what makes India special and attractive for business? Check in the cover story. While India is emerging as a modern hero, there are also people known as unsung heroes. The “Leader Talk” feature is dedicated to leaders who are unheard heroes, showing dedication and commitment to matters. The story of unsung heroes should help you embrace an idea of people who are not focused on seeking either applause or rewards. And if you are a big sport fan, have a quick look at the “Larger than Life” feature where you will find the most expensive sports memorabilia in the world. Have fun and maybe you will take the bait and buy one for yourself. All this and more… Regards,
Anna Domanska Editor-in-Chief,
Industry Leaders Magazine
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February 2013 FEATURES
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Contents 36 COVER STORY
PARIS Take business out of the darkness and put it in the City of Light
The emergence of a new 36 giant on world’s economic 82 map
Once you are in India, you are struck with the ubiquitous diversity of colors, smells, religions and people. However, to see and experience real India, you have to go out of your five-star hotel and just wander around. Read More...
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Noble Group Noble Group is a diversified natural resources supply chain manager of agricultural and energy products and metals, minerals and ores.
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Contents
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REGULARS
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Latest in Business
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Leader Talk
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The WOW ! Quotient
26 50 Mergers & More
At last, the merger of American Airlines and US Airways was announced on the 14th of February.
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Mergers & More
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Larger Than Life
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Industry Events & Tradeshows
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12 Lastest in Business
After ages of rumors, Sony Corp. has finally announced its new videogame console – PlayStation 4 which will be stuffed with social features.
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Talk 18 Leader But being in a shadow and not stepping on people do not mean that the most unsung heroes are not as important as heroes we are aware of. They also contribute to the progress of humanity and business as well.
Head-Space “The starting point of all achievement is desire.� Napolean Hill
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Replica of Titanic to set sail in 2016. Interested in cruise? A replica of famous and tragic Titanic is expected to set sail and start the virgin trip from Southampton to New York in 2016. Clive Palmer, an originator of Titanic II, attempts to bring the legend to life‌ But, do not think that prices will be the same as in 1912! If you want to get on board of Titanic II, you will have to pay a hefty sum – nothing to sneeze at!
Titanic II brings breeze of romantic times
version. Therefore passengers will be able to admire the exquisite craftsmanship of historians. However, it was underlined by the company that the replica of Titanic would be equipped with the latest and most advanced technology though. What a relief! But remember that Titanic was said to have been the safest ship ever built and what happened to it? Just to remind you, it sank as it struck an iceberg, killing more than 1,520 passengers and crew.
Everything indicates that Titanic II will have the same exterior as the original
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Latest In
- Anna Domanska
UK to enjoy boom in North Sea investment The UK is expected to benefit from an increase in North Sea investment as oil and gas companies will spend at least £13 billion in 2013. What is interesting is the fact that 2013 North Sea spending is estimated to reach its highest level in 30 years. The Oil & Gas UK, which is the industry trade body, also informed that companies would invest up to £100 billion in UK waters, which would have an immense impact on the economy. The boost in North Sea investment, which is hoped to reverse a sharp slump in output, has been driven by the Chancellor’s tax breaks.
Investment in North Sea The Oil & Gas UK released its annual survey, noting that the UK would see at £13 billion North Sea investment in 2013, compared to nearly £11.5 billion investment in the country’s oil and gas sector in 2012. According to the survey, companies are planning to invest as much as £100 billion and these ambitious projects are believed to lead to creation of thousands of new jobs as well as strengthening the UK’s position as an oil producer.
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It’s here! Sony announces PlayStation 4 with social features After ages of rumors, Sony Corp. has finally announced its new videogame console – PlayStation 4 which will be stuffed with social features. Even though the Japan’s electronics maker hopes that its new product will get it back on top, PlayStation 4 will undoubtedly face stiff and fierce competition from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. But fans of former videogame consoles of Sony Corp. cannot wait to put their hands on the brand-new device.
Long-anticipated PlayStation 4 It happened after months of speculation. On the 20th of February, Andrew House, Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, officially announced that the new videogame console would be named PlayStation 4 as it had been anticipated by analysts and admirers of gaming. Certainly, the Sony’s new videogame console is expected to bring luck to the company which has been recently struggling amid unsetting economic conditions, increased competition from mobile devices and fierce rivals such as Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.
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Latest In Singapore and Malaysia open new chapter with high-speed rail link Leaders of two Southeast Asian countries informed that a new high-speed rail link would be build between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, the federal capital of Malaysia. The news on the new highspeed rail link between two cities opens a new chapter in the bilateral relations which suffered from several setbacks in the past. The Southeast Asian neighbors certainly will benefit from this new rail link not only on simply human and political levels, but mainly on the economic one. Economic ties between Singapore and Malaysia will be even stronger than these days. The high-speed rail link is expected to deliver a quality change in relations between both countries.
New rail road, new bridges At the joined press conference held on the 19th of February, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak informed that the two countries decided to launch a high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and the city-state which is one of the best places to do business. According to their plans, the journey will take only 90 minutes between the two points.
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London tops list of most expensive office locations in the world Some things do not change. One of them is continuous rivalry among cities when it comes to the title of the most expensive office space. The highest prices give not only the prestigious title, but show which destinations are popular. And, to cut a long story short, London was awarded with the prominent title of the most expensive office space in the world, regaining it after several years. Hong Kong, which was dethroned, has to be satisfied with the second position in the ranking. The loss of the title of the most expensive office space in the world must have been painful.
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The No. 1 – London West End Property agent Cushman & Wakefield released its new list of most expensive office spaces in the world. According to the newest survey, London may glory in the title of the city with most expensive office space in the world. London’s West End substantially has won over Hong Kong’s central business district and has gained the title which the UK capital lost back in 2008.
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Latest In History likes to repeat itself – Reader’s Digest is once again bankrupt In the darkness of the night on the 17th of February, RDA Holding Co., publisher of legendary Reader’s Digest, filed for Chapter 11 protection to cut as much as $465 million in debt. It is the second bankruptcy of the over 90-year-old magazine in nearly four years. The publisher of Reader’s Digest has informed that it will focus on electronic media as the shift from print to digital media is
Second bankruptcy of Reader’s Digest
bankruptcy, but no one should be surprised too much as other iconic companies did the same thing in the last couple of months, including Kodak Co. After all on the 17th of February, RDA Holding Co., which is the publisher and owner of legendary Reader’s Digest, once again filed for bankruptcy as history likes to repeat itself. As it was mentioned, that is the second time the company filed for bankruptcy in nearly four years. The first time the company decided to take the same road was in 2009 when it saw advertising spending decrease sharply.
The legendary business has filed for
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Most unsung heroes of business -Patrick Alain
“Without heroes, we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.” Bernard Malamud Industry Leaders Magazine
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Often unknown and forgotten unsung heroes have repainted the picture of the world
Often unknown and forgotten unsung heroes have repainted the picture of the world. We can find most unsung heroes in almost every field of human history, including business. Those most unheard heroes have changed it seeking neither applause nor reward, often staying in a shadow, giving room to others. But being in a shadow and not stepping on people do not mean that the most unsung heroes are not as important as heroes we are aware of. They also contribute to the progress of humanity and business as well. Graham Greene was not right, saying that: “The world doesn’t make any heroes anymore.”
be granted recognition?” Indeed, the narrative history is not just. However, to give just to the most unsung heroes of business, we will show you 4 portraits of unheard leaders as they have shaped fundamental aspects of life. But remember that every list, which is not based on measurable factors, is simply relative.
Fred Harvey Can you imagine life without today’s ubiquitous Starbucks, McDonalds, Subway and other chain restaurants? Fred Harvey (12835 -1901) is the arguably unknown “father of chain restaurants” in North America. Not to mention, that he also played the unique and unquestionable role in developing new quality food service to his American fellows.
The question remains: “How is it possible that one’s achievement will put her/him on a pedestal and another’s accomplishment will not 20 March 2013 Industry Leaders Magazine
With his first eating houses and then Harvey House kingdom of restaurants accompanied by a powerful brigade of waitresses called “Harvey Girls”, he really did revolutionize the scene of American restaurant industry.
One Meal at a Time, Fred Harvey is still one of the most unheard heroes of business. In the common awareness, his name does not mean a thing. He is another man who is more or less unknown, faceless. But, in fact, he really did change the picture of business, becoming “the father of restaurant chains.”
Even though, the “Harvey Girls” are much known, and even though Stephen Fried did excellent work as Lincoln Beachey he wrote Appetite for America: Fred Who remembers who Lincoln Beachey Harvey and the Business of Civiliz- (1887 – 1915) was? Today, he is very much unknown despite the fact ing the Wild West. Industry Leaders Magazine March 2013 21
that during his life he was widely recognized. Indeed, Lincoln Beachey, a man with many names just to mention “The world’s greatest aviator” and “The World’s Greatest Aviator”, is one of the most unsung heroes in spite of his many achievements in the field of aviation, including its basics. He has been an example demonstrating the authenticity of the Eddie Rickenbacker’s statement that:“Aviation is proof that given, the will, we have the
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capacity to achieve the impossible.” Even in his childhood, Lincoln Beachey got to know himself as a fearless boy. His unlimited courage led him to becoming a hero of his times as he flew balloons, dirigible airships, biplanes and monoplanes during his career which started back in 1905. He is said to have invented aerobatics - nothing to sneeze at. His short and tragic life seems to be a
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corners of abeyance since then.
Sara Sperling Sara Sperling is a today’s example of the most unheard heroes. “A woman of equality,” “A woman of even chances” – these are the names that can describe Sara Sperling who leads diversity and inclusion programs for Facebook Inc. An author of Secret Sisters: Stories of Being Lesbian and Bisexual in a College Sorority and It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living has been trying to introduce a really open environment aimed at enabling every Facebook employee to be self at work, to be himself or herself. Her work is focused on growing the social giant’s diversity and developing the inclusion culture.
tale of courage, imagination and entrepreneurship. His love and his courage, however, led to the romantic but tragic death of his when he tried to perform a stunt never done before. His short life is an example of “a dream come true” as he popularized aviation and invented figure 8s, etc. Yet his fame and achievements have fallen into oblivion and have been staying in the
Her work and efforts bear fruits as Facebook Inc.’s campus includes unisex bathroom to help company’s employees feel more comfortable, even more at home. But that is not last of her achievements in aid of diversity and equality as Facebook Inc. started a cooperation with GLAAD to monitor a memorial page for LGBT youth who were much attacked. Sara Sperling is indeed one of the most unsung heroes not seeking any plaudit.
Shiva Rajaraman Have you ever thought who is responsible for the enormous success of YouTube and the fact that its social network is undeniably ubiquitous? Shiva Rajaraman is the one who plays the unique role in maintaining the high popularity and availability of YouTube videos which
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are played on Apple Inc.’s products, Android mobile devices, not to mention game consoles. Once he underlined: “We’d like to be all things video, and that means getting video into all places.” And this plan is really coming true - YouTube is indeed ubiquitous as it is on approximately 400 million devices, according to latest figures. Shiva Rajaraman is, without a doubt, an unsung hero of YouTube ad he has contributed to the company’s success. Yet his is not known to a wider public.
do not exist. They are normal people with day-to-day problems, but they have this abnormal mind of greatness which leads them to success. And while some of unsung heroes were not so much unheard in the past, just to mention Lincoln Beachey, we should remember that history is cruel and selective…
The truth is simple as once Robert Duvall underlined: “If you don’t have heroes in the beginning, you Unsung does not mean don’t grow.” unimportant Unsung heroes are everywhere, starting from omnipresent Internet companies, cuisine, ending with medicine. There are often invisible as they do not seek any plaudit. But it does not mean that they
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Sea – unknown
Mining minerals
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The
n mineral realm
s from seawater - Richard Meryn
“The extraction of oil, coal and minerals brought, and still brings, a cost to the environment.� -Bono Industry Leaders Magazine
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To progress, humankind has had to use oil, coal and minerals. And frankly speaking extraction of them has been costly to the environment and to the human health, paraphrasing Bono. Indeed, after long years of mining, we can see the changes driven by the exploitation. But we are also about to see mineral ores disappear off the face of the earth – at least the dry one…. Before the disappearance, we will be forced to extract them from less-concentrated deposits which in turn will lead to increases in expenses and prices as well. The lack of minerals or the trammeled exploitation might lead even to very serious problems of the civilization. The
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truth is that we need minerals to survive. Therefore, many analysts and researchers are looking for new sources of minerals. And to cut a long story short, all ideas of extraction of minerals from sea and seawater are innovative. But the most important thing is to find ways of the extraction that will not be harmful for the environment as we have only one planet to live on… And even if some of those ideas look too futuristic don’t be mistaken as they will not be used in a very distant future!
Seas–unknown realm
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mineral
The
Arthur C. Clarke stated once: “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.� Indeed, there is a grain of truth in that statement. While we more or less know the lands and what they hide, we still have small knowledge about the oceans. However, recently we have been learning more about them. In fact, the oceans hide immense amounts of so much needed minerals. And if you think that all of those minerals need to be recovered with the need of digging, crushing and processing, you are mistaken. For centuries, oceans have provided humankind with the unknown and magical realm. Now they seem to be mineral realms as well. Even though we know
about minerals that are hidden in the depths of water, there are certainly many of them we have not found. According to studies, the oceans contain staggering fifty quadrillion tons of dissolved material. Simply, this is a huge amount compared to the total mass of minerals extracted these days all over the world. However, there is a problem as the majority of dissolved material is in the form of a few ions. And what is more, that those are not so important for the contemporary industry. The findings of several research show that the most common and concentrated metal ions, which are at the same time commercially extractable, are Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and K+. Interest-
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ingly, more and more companies are deeply interested in extraction of these metal ions from seawater. Imagine what we can still find in the undiscovered abyss of oceans and seas‌
Damian Palin to bring revolution Damian Palin, a young researcher, claims
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that we (people) will see development of the mining of the future. And all because of the research on pulling clean water from the oceans, who would have thought about it? The salty brine, which is simply a leftover after the process of pulling water from the oceans, can be used. Damian Palin has noted it can be mined for minerals with the use of some collaborative metal-munching bacteria.
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The people in general. Even though the work on it is still in the initial phase of development, the idea of ecological mining is luring.
Deep sea-mining With mineral and metal sources being harder to find, more companies are deeply interested in deep sea-mining. Yes deep, as companies have been mining shallower waters for years, just to mention De Beers SA which mines diamonds off the coast of Namibia. But today there is a raising need of looking for sources in deep sea. This demand is strongly felt and new small and specialized companies are springing up like a mushroom just to take the advantage of the new-born industry. This is possible as technology, including robotics, computer mapping underwater drilling, is advanced enough to go digging in the deep water. What is more, companies cannot wait for counting their earning as deep seawater is expected to contain relatively rich sources of different metal and minerals, including ore and gold. Deep seamining is also easier not only because of technology, but also because of the climate change which has already made some inaccessible regions attainable…
The researcher, who can be considered crazy by some, has been working on finding a way to use bacteria to biologically “extract” minerals from seawater. His work is focused on finding and understanding the ability of microorganisms to mine chosen minerals out of seawater desalination brine. Damian Palin has underlined that this method could be the mining of the future as it would not be harmful for the environment and
Therefore, there are more reasons to start digging as the industry claims. But – there is always but… Deep se-mining seems to be a threat to the environment despite the fact that mining companies do deny that their operations can pose a threat to the health and surroundings. Steve Rogers, chief executive officer of Nautilus, stated that he was not much concerned about the impact of deep sea-mining, underlining: “This will be a relatively small footprint compared to a mine on land, on an area about the size of a dozen football pitches…This isn’t in
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a fishing area and won’t impact coral. Even if it were in a fishing area, it won’t affect that upper area where the fish are.” Scientists are, however, doubtful as their studies show that any incident can have an enormous impact on the deep-sea ecosystems. On the other hand, they are aware that the deep sea-mining can be quite beneficial for science as the beginning of the industrialization will have to be preceded by research on many aspects including ecological impact on hydrothermally derived systems. And indeed, scientists and miners will have to learn many new things about deep seas if the deep sea-mining project is to be put into realization. Van Dover
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highlighted: “Deep-sea conservation is something I never thought I’d have to deal with in my career. I assumed human activities and impacts in the deep sea were decades, if not centuries into the future.”
Mining of the future A concept of the extraction of minerals from the seawater is not new as you can think. It has reappeared throughout the history especially during groundbreaking energy crises. For example, the first oil crisis of the 1970s led to the popularity and dissemination of the idea. These days, the idea of the extraction of minerals from the seawater has already reappeared in the public debate due to
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new energy crisis. The deep sea-mining is attractive and luring for investors. Experts are convinced that the shortage of many minerals, including uranium, could be solved, namely, by the extraction of them from seawater. Yet, there has to be much done if the deep sea-mining is to be put into effect, taking into account that extraction of minerals from seawater is simply a complex task. Even though there are huge resources of minerals in seas, still methods of extraction need to be developed. Of course, Damian Palin is working on
one, but other researcher need to work on different ones so that the cheapest, safest and the most effective method can be used. And while robotic facilities anchored to the deep sea floor might be installed in the near future, there is a deep need of less invasive methods that will not pose a threat to the environment.
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India
The em on w
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Inc. - A Rising Star
mergence of a new giant world’s economic map
- Anna Domanska
“India is a curious place that still preserves the past, religions, and its history. No matter how modern India becomes, it is still very much an old country. “ Anita Desai Industry Leaders Magazine
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Once you are in India, you are struck with the ubiquitous diversity of colors, smells, religions and people. However, to see and experience real India, you have to go out of your five-star hotel and just wander around. There are many romantic views on India because it really is influx of spirituality, the doctrines of the immortality of the
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soul, the idea of immanent God in nature and so much more. But India these days is basically regarded as a desired economic and trade partner. And make no mistake as India as any other emerging country is facing the same challenges, including the social ones. Nonetheless, it is India which will emerge as a new giant on the world’s
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economic map. This “very much an old country”, as it was described by Anita Desai, uses its all strengths and advantages to become one of the most significant players in the world. Without a doubt, these days it plays an important role as it is the Asia’s third economy but with the inevitably changing dynamics, the position of India will change. Peter Mandelson once underlined: “In the space of a decade, China and India have emerged as dramatic, dynamic competitors.“And this dramatic change will continue as China is expected to replace
the US as the world’s first economy, while India is expected to replace Japan and become the world’s third economy. Probably now you are just mumbling: “Yeh, don’t give me any of that jive!” But changes are inevitable as the world and economy are evolving. But let’s start from the beginning.
India & ongoing development The term “developing countries” is widely criticized in the academic debate as it is based on suggestive meaning of superior-
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ity. However, India is indeed under development. What is more, the rising start of India has its roots in strong and quick development – nothing to sneeze at. At the conference organized by the USIndia Business Council in 2004, the India Commerce and Industry Minister underlined: “We no longer discuss the future of India. We say the future is India.� Indeed, the focus on development is aimed at achieving strong and stable position in the global economy and getting rid of social challenges.
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Just not so long ago, many academics noted the difference in approach to development between India and China. While one has bet on the educated workforce in IT, the second has bet on the uneducated workers. The focus on its education was beneficial as these days India has its own Silicon Valley in the city of Bangalore where many foreign companies have decided to do business because of the highly-skilled workforce and other advantages as well. Also other Indian cities, including Hyderabad,
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Pune, Ahmedabad and Vadorara, are technological hotspots that lure foreign capital. Certainly, highly-skilled English-spoken workforce and competitive telecommunication costs make India attractive place to do business. Indeed, young educated people and young society in general are the key advantages of India and its development. To underscore the significance of the young population, we should look at figures which showed that the working age population amounted to 850 million in 2010. Accord-
ing to several studies, India will have more working age people than any other country, including China, in just next twenty years. Manmohan Singh once noted: “India happens to be a rich country inhabited by very poor people.“ But we should remember that every development brings a change in the living conditions of the society, thus we can expect that the average situation of Indian citizen will improve significantly.
Outlook for India India, which these days is the world’s
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twelfth largest economy by nominal values and the fourth largest by purchasing power parity, is expected to overtake today’s leaders and become one of the world’s leading economies in the future. While analysts cannot agree on the exact time when India becomes the third largest economy, they agree that it will. Experts note that India is on its road to become a leading player in a global economy thanks to recent trends and reforms implemented by authorities, including opening for international trade and investment, tax reforms and privatization. It is clear for analysts that the course on liberalization is the most efficient one and that it will lead the country directly to the place on the podium. Some analysts predict that India will be the world’s third economy by 2030, some are convinced that it will be later - by 2035. Even though they differ when it comes to the more or less exact date, they do agree on the high possibility of India as the world’s third economy. Analysts and experts agree that India will be the world’s third largest economy, just after China and the US. These days, the third place is taken by Japan which has been recently struggling due to a strong yen, a territorial dispute over the Senkaku islands and other issues. However, it has been underlined recently that the growth rate of India’s GDP has been exceeding expansion rate of the Japan’s economy for many years. Analysts note that this higher rate is mainly driven by the higher population growth in the subcontinent. While India’s population is still increasing and as some believe it has exceeded China’s population, thus becoming the world’s most populous country, Japan’s population is still decreasing and aging. Undeniably, the political map will change as well. The political scene has already experienced many changes in last decades, starting with the collapse of the Soviet Union which led to the disapperance of the bipolar system and the rising significance of China. All these led to the emergence of the bipolar system once again.
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And the upcoming change has been noticed by analysts and politician. David Frum, a Canadian-American journalist, once wrote: “To balance China, the democracies will need new friends - and India with its fastgrowing economy, youthful population, and democratic politics seems the obvious candidate. “ Indeed, India is to become the third global power, thereby shifting the bipolar system into a tripolar one. But as some analysts note India needs a strong government, which is more engaged, as the steps taken by the authorities are not enough to ensure and secure
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continuous growth. Gurchan Das is strongly convinced that even if India “grows at night, while the government sleeps,� the involvement of the state should be more visible. Moreover, all these weaknesses have to be overcome if India wants to remain on track and become the world’s third economy. Without a needed change, India might just take off the course.
Increased India
interest
in
Taking into consideration numbers, the in-
creasing interest in India is not surprising at all. On a purchasing power parity basis, India is estimated to be the fourth largest economy in the world. According to several studies, in next 15 to 20 years this size is widely expected to increase four to five times! Therefore so many investors are greatly interested in the Indian market with its growing middle class of several hundred million consumers! The fact is that Indian population is significantly younger than Chinese one. As a result, companies have started making a beeline for young Indians who will dominate the
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market in the near future. Despite the fact that India’s GDP slowed down in the last three years to about 7 percent, the market and the economy of Hindustan is still much attractive for investors, compared to EU countries which have been struggling with the debt crisis and have seen their growth drop. Indeed, India has become a place to do business. Companies know it, but some predicted the change in the economic situation to happen even faster, thereby positioning themselves on higher levels and leaving other companies on the side, just to
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mention the alliance between BP Plc and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance. Companies are more aware of the importance of India and hence they are seeking to build partnerships with Indian businesses.
Definitely, India seems to be continuously road works with many potential short-term and long-term opportunities. But even though some of those opportunities will be developed in 20 years or even more,
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companies are much interested, being aware that they can benefit from them. But also other states are becoming more convinced that their ties with India should be strengthened because of economic and geostrategic reasons. The latest example of the increased interest in India has been the UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to India. The delegation was aimed at tightening economic ties and increasing trade between
the United Kingdom and India. His visit was a clear signal that the UK was much interested in deepening relations with India which is expected to become the world’s third economy by 2030 - 2050. Certainly, this three-day business delegation, which came only few days after a trade-focused visit to India made by French President Francois Holland, showed the increasing fierce competition even among European nations. Both the UK and France are deeply interested in strengthening and deepening their economic relations with India.
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Without a doubt, India is a tidbit for many countries as the Asia’s third economy is growing at the fast pace and is projected to be the world’s third economy by 2035. Therefore political leaders are strongly interested in deepening economic ties with India. Hence it is another proof that the center of inertia is shifting from the Western Hemisphere to the Eastern Hemisphere. And if the UK wants to maintain its position as the sixth largest economy in the world, it has to adapt to new conditions. David Cameron underlined in an interview in the Hindustan Times: “India is going to be one of the great success stories of this century – a rising power in the world. And I want Britain to be one of your partners as you grow and succeed.” Certainly, UK Prime Minister David Cameron will encourage the India’s government to open up its economy to foreign investment so that British companies would be able to launch their businesses in the Asia’s
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third largest economy. Undoubtedly, the UK and other countries are much interested in infrastructure sector as India is expected to spend as much as $1 trillion on infrastructure projects in the next five years. British and other foreign companies have their eyes on these projects as they are going to be certainly beneficial. They have their eyes on India.
Future belongs to India There is a raising conviction that the future belongs to India or even that India itself is the future. Of course there are some critical voices questioning the India’s ability of becoming a robust and resilient economy. Analysts still ask themselves whether India will be capable of resolving political, economic and cultural issues which are springing up like a mushroom. Indeed, India needs to learn how to behave as a global leader. Even with its rich history and experience, the transition will be cer-
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tainly sometimes difficult or even painful. But as Pranab Mukherjee noted, Indians “must of course learn from the past; but we must remain focused on the future. (…), education is the true alchemy that can bring India its next golden age.” The “India story” sometimes sounds remarkable and is hard to understand as just few decades ago the country was poor and it just came out of colonial domination of the UK which these days sees the enormous potential of its former colony. Without a doubt, the future belongs to India. However, on its road to becoming the world’s third economy are many obstacles. India has to resolve them if it wants to be treated as an equal partner.
en economic development of the country, are corruption and political atrophy, not to mention separatists movements and religious conflicts, in particular, between Hindus and Muslims. But India has also to resolve problems of ongoing border disputes with its two neighbors, namely, Pakistan and China. Taking into consideration all India’s advantages including young population, focus on technology, increasing number of well-educated people, ahead of the country is the beautiful and prosperous future. Yet everything can be wasted and politicians should remember about it.
Among those problems, which can threat-
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Merger of Americ - Love or Com
Genesis of a new g
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can & US Airways mmon sense?
giant in the US sky.
- Jason Miller
You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. - Frank Zappa Industry Leaders Magazine
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At last, the merger of American Airlines and US Airways was announced on the 14th of February. And if the day of the long-anticipated announcement might suggest that the merger has some romantic inclinations, the truth is that the transaction is clearly pragmatic. There are no two ways about the merger that it is more a marriage of convenience than a love marriage. Undoubtedly, the deal will create one of the US largest carriers. But the merger of American Airlines and US Airways is also expected to be one of the last biggest transactions in times of increased consolidation in an industry which has been recently
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struggling amid tough economic conditions.
Merger and deal The boards of American Airlines and US Airways finally agreed to a long-anticipated merger. What is interesting is the fact that US Airways’ approval was probably easier to gain than to get the blessing from AMR Corporation, the parent of American Airlines. Sources informed that the announcement of the merger of American Airlines and US Airways would be announced on nomen omen Valentine’s Day. And it was.
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The newly-merged entity will inherit the name American Airlines and will be based in Fort Worth. At last the negotiations, which started in August, came to an end.
As it was underlined in a regulatory filing by US Airways, American Airlines Group Inc. would stand in lieu of AMR Corp. “immediately after the effective time of the merger.”
After more than 30 years, the name of AMR Corp. will disappear in the arms of past as soon as the $11 billion merger gets all required approvals.
Under the terms of the contract, creditors of American Airlines’ parent company AMR Corp. will hold as much as 72 percent of the new merged entity, the remaining 28 percent will be taken by US Airways’ shareholders. Both carriers hope that they will close the transaction in the third quarter of the year.
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In addition, Doug Parker, present One imp or t ant t hing – chief executive officer at US Air- approvals ways Inc., will be named as chief The announcement of the American & US Airways merger was not a big surexecutive officer of the new merged prise for insightful viewers. But the two airlines have to wait to get approvals entity. Under the terms of the contract, Tom Horton, chief executive officer at American Airlines, will be nominated as chairman of the new board and he will stay at the post to the mid-2014 when he is expected to resign.
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in order to see the combination being born. And frankly speaking, obtaining all approvals, including the approvals of the Justice Department, the Transportation Department, America’s bankruptcy court and even the European Community, will take time and nothing can be done about it.
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Airlines and US Airways are expected to face the ghosts of the formers airlines mergers. Certainly, House members are seeking to receive reassurance that companies will not close hubs, operation centers and other facilities. Every merger is aimed at improving the financial situation and the American Airlines and US Airways is no different. Therefore House members are determined to prevent any action which is believed to be deleterious for the common good especially in these hard times. Of course, American’s general counsel, Gary Kennedy, and US Airways executive vice president Stephen ensured that the companies were committed not to close hubs. But in some cases, representatives of companies were very careful when it came to some House members’ questions. Not surprisingly, during the hearing American Airlines and US Airways faced criticism and arguments that the merger would lead to increased prices. This accusation will be often faced by the two companies as critics and consumer advocates believe that the combination will lead to diminishing competition.
New giant to emerge So, American Airlines and US Airways have to just bide their time and wait. The completion of the merger might take place in the end of the third quarter, but it is also possible that the two airlines will see the finale in the final quarter of 2013. But before the successful completion of the merger, companies need to gain the necessary approvals from antitrust regulators and a US bankruptcy court to go into effect. And that simply means countless number of hearings. In the second part of February, a congressional hearing started. American
Data showed that the new merged entity will have a powerful fleet of over 900 planes with approximately 3,200 daily flights, not reckoning company’s regional subsidiaries in. In addition, the new merged entity will employ as many as 95,000 people.
Data suggested that combined revenues of slightly over $38.5 billion in 2012 would position them ahead of both United and Delta Airlines.
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But the merger of American Airlines and US Airways will not only create a new giant in the industry, but will change the situation in the market as new American, United, Delta and Southwest will control as much as 75 percent of American airline traffic. That possibility has raised many questions and concerns over the dominant position of big carriers and competition in the market. The strong adversaries of consolidation in the industry underline that the merger of American Airlines and US Airways will be beneficial mainly for corporations and not for clients who will likely to see air tickets increase as competition will be shrinking. However, officials do not agree with the opinion, adding that competition will be visible, strong and
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healthy. Certainly, the industry and consumers can only anticipate one certain thing, namely, a change. While companies underline that they do not expect any increases in fares, some industry analysts are not so convinced about these statements. Experts note that the new combined entity will have to eventually cut back on flying which will lead to inevitable raises in fares. But also another driver of price increases is capacity which is measured by the number of seats flown a mile. According to recent studies, this capacity will be reduced by nearly 4 percent in the next several years. Thus the two companies were wide of
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the truth when they announced that they would expand service to new cities or they were just dreaming… But that is not the end of worries… Indeed, companies ensured that they would not close any hubs. But this seems a little bit illogical as American Airlines and US Airways have several connecting hubs in the same regions. Brancatelli simply commented on the companies’ reassurance, stat-
ing: “When an airline tells you they are keeping everything, that is a lie.” One thing is, however, quite certain that the $11 billion merged entity will be the world’s largest airline. The new giant will probably start to function in 2013 which is expected to be the healthiest time for the US airline industry in years.
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Paris
Take business out of the the City of
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BETTER BUSINESS DESTINATION
aris
darkness and put it in of Light -Jason Miller
“Paris is always a good idea.” -Audrey Hepburn Industry Leaders Magazine
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Paris‌ Can Paris be described in few words, one sentence, two sentences? The answer is no. Paris, the City of Light, has this undeniable magic that lures ordinary mortals. But the truth is that Paris is not only the city of love. Indeed, Paris is believed to be the better business destination. The City of Light is simply believed to be a place to do business.
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Even though France and the whole European Union have been losing their significance in the global perspective, still Paris and other European capitals and cities are believed to be attractive for business. Paris is arguably the better business destination. And while some may argue what is better London or Paris, the answer is not always simple. However, in rankings usually London tops the City of Light. But the fact is that London and Paris have been count-
Industry Leaders Magazine
BETTER BUSINESS DESTINATION
lessly named places to do business and the Europe’s most business friendly destinations. If truth be told, Paris always is ranked high due to its availability of qualified staff, access to markets, excellent communications and transportation. All these and more make Paris the better business destination and the place to do business. Therefore it is not surprising that many companies plan to open
office in the City of Light. Audrey Hepburn was right when she said: “Paris is always good idea.” And indeed, companies just want to be in Paris as they expect that being in Paris is something inevitable. Back in 2008, Elaine Rossall, head of business space research, Cushman & Wakefield, underlined one thing that is still actual: “London, Paris and Frankfurt form a top tier of business cities which
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are unlikely to be seriously challenged in the near future. The rise of regional cities has been driven by advances in telecommunications and more sophisticated government promotional strategies aimed at attracting inward investment. It is amongst the lower rankings where these smaller regional cities are really jostling for the attention of major corporates. They are benefiting from a more cost-conscious business climate where flexibility of location and an appreciation of ‘softer’ factors such as quality of life are becoming increasingly
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important.�
Business in Paris? Pourquoi pas? (Why not?) So why is Paris the better business destination? Why have so many companies decided to do business in the City of Light? And why are so many more companies interested in entering and doing business in Paris? The simple answer for the abovementioned questions is that Paris is the center of the French economy, not to men-
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tion that it accounts for approximately 20 percent of the national GDP. What is more, Paris is simply one of the wealthiest cities in Europe just after London!
Without a doubt, companies are so much attracted to Paris as it has over 2 million people, not to mention 11 million inhabitants who live in the surroundings. So the large population gives companies many opportunities. And what is more, Paris Île-de-France may glory in the title of a global center of decision-making as it has registered offices of the 500 largest companies. Not surprisingly, Paris is the top place to do business as it has the most essential factors for locating a business, according to the survey conducted by Cushman & Wakefield. The findings of the report show that “easy access to markets, customers or clients’ is still perceived to be the most important factor, with 60% of respondents stating it was absolutely essential.” Among the most important factors, are: availability of highly qualified staff, quality of telecommunications and transport links with other destinations. And Paris has it all… Paris and its area substantially benefit from an extensive, modern transport infrastructure with two major international airports. But do not forget about its high-speed TGV passenger trains connect Paris with hundreds of destinations throughout France and Europe To crown it all, companies have a deep poll of highly qualified employees as in the City of Light as many as 17 universities are located, not to mention 350 higher education establishments! With its research & development, qualified staff and high level of specialization in a number of sectors, Paris is a really attractive better business destination. To be more precise, just let me cite few numbers. In the City of Light, the service sector, which is simply a dominating one, em-
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ploys fourth-fifth of the local work labor. It is not a red herring to point out that Paris is indeed a major tourist and international conference center as it lures approximately twenty-eight million visitors per year. But that is not the lasts of surprises! The Ile de France area is also known as the country’s premier industrial area with large numbers of SMEs working in electronic manufacturing, automotive and chemical industries, etc. Are you tempted by Paris? Not yet? So
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maybe one small piece of information will bring you round to the City of Light. Namely, office occupancy costs in Paris are significantly lower than in London which has recently been awarded with title of the most expensive office space, topping Hong Kong.
Let Paris illuminate your business Despite the ongoing economic crisis in Europe with its so-called European debt crisis, Paris has remained a place to do business and the better business des-
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BETTER BUSINESS DESTINATION
are aimed at making the City of Light the better business and leisure travel destination. Frankly, companies have a wide choice. If they do not want to go for elegant and traditional location, they just can pick an office in some skyscraper located in key business centers such as La Defense, the left (south) bank of the Seine, near the Eiffel Tower and right (north) bank of the Seine, etc. La Defense is simply known for its skyscraper development with a large accumulation of glass towers, not to mention that it is the largest business center in continental Europe. With its strong ties with mature markets, namely, the United Kingdom and United States and increasing number of visitors from a new client base, including Eastern Europe and the BRIC countries ( Brazil, Russia, India, China), Paris offers an unique opportunity for companies wanting to operate in multinational environment which can be very beneficial for businesses.
tination. Why? Just have a quick look at the following numbers. With approximately 88 million visitors passing through its two major airports in 2011, as much as 45 percent of them were on the business. The crisis has not much weakened the position of the City of Light which may simply illuminate your business. Do not be mistaken by its rich historic heritage with world-known momentous architectural character as Paris has been constantly renewing itself by numerous additions and upgrades. All these steps
To crown it all, Paris is, without a doubt, the better business destination. It is arguably one of the best places to do business. Even though Europe is losing its importance, Paris is still regarded as a very important place to be and do business. And indeed, the City of Light can illuminate your business or take it out of darkness. With its number of exhibitions, fairs and tradeshows which bring business visitors together, it really gives numerous opportunities for business in general. Angela Carter was right when she said: “Cities have sexes: London is a man, Paris a woman, and New York a welladjusted transsexual.� Indeed, Paris can seduce. So let your business be seduced by the City of Light.
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5 Most Expensive Sports M
More pay and
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Memorabilia in the World.
and no play
-Jennifer Morgan
“Your memorabilia becomes more significant. It does put you in a different category.� Jim Palmer Industry Leaders Magazine
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Sports memorabilia... Why are these small or sometimes bigger collectible items so desired by people? Even with uncertain economic conditions, global economic and social turmoil, some people are just so keen on getting them regardless of hefty sums which they will have to pay to buy sports memorabilia. Indeed, sports collectibles are very much appreciated when it comes to value and headlines. Indeed, some most expensive sports memorabilia in the world might make you dizzy! But their prices are not so much surprising when we just simply think about ties of sports memorabilia with the finest and iconic sports figures! To be honest, even the biggest sports
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fans might be amazed by price tags of the most expensive sports memorabilia in the world!!! With so many dedicated fans, it is not surprising that sports memorabilia market has become so popular and simply a quite profitable industry itself. Without question, sports collectibles, in particular, the most expensive ones, seem to be either a great hobby and an investment, or even both at the same time. Some analysts underline that sports memorabilia can be indeed a great lowrisk investment. However a question can be raised whether really a person could pay a hefty sum for one sports collectible which was really appreciated by someone else? Are the world’s most ex-
Industry Leaders Magazine
pensive sports items worth as much? Personalities like Jim Palmer, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali and many more, are among those who are considered legends in their respective disciplines. Therefore, it is not surprising that sports legends’ memorabilia can be bought for staggering amounts of money as these collectibles are highly sought-after. Below you will find the most expensive sports memorabilia which prices can, without question, give you a heart at-
tack‌ Or maybe you will just think of getting a sports collectible for yourself? But before we get to them, remember that when it comes to the most expensive sports memorabilia, baseball items are top dogs.
Babe Ruth jersey - $4.4 million On the list of the most expensive sports collectibles, the first position belongs to the unforgettably famous Babe Ruth jersey. No wonder as this collectible piece
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of the sports history was auctioned off for an astronomical sum of slightly $4.4 million. To crown it all, the auction took place back in May 2012, so at the time when we did not get over all the tragic conditions of the economic crisis. The renowned Babe Ruth jersey is a New York Yankees road model which was worn by legendary Babe Ruth in his first season after he was transferred from the Red Sox. Without a doubt, the staggering price tag of exactly $4,415,658 may make one dizzy, but in fact some people are so big and dedicated sports fan that they can pay anything to get their idols’ sports memorabilia. Indeed, the price of Babe Ruth jersey is shocking, compared to an initially estimated price of about $1 million. The question remains: “What will do the new owner of Babe Ruth jersey?” Most probably, this undeniably historic artifact will be locked in his mansion rath-
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er than shown publicly. But that is the privilege of being able to buy the most expensive sports memorabilia. As it has been underlined in a statement by David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions, this astronomical sum “ proves again that Babe Ruth is king in the sports memorabilia world.”
Original Basketball Rules - $4.3 million The second most expensive sports memorabilia is Original Basketball Rules which were auctioned off for as much as $4.3 million, so just little below the price of Babe Ruth jersey. The proud buyers of Original Basketball Rules, which were written by James Naismith, are David and Suzanne Booth. The Basketball Bible was estimated at around $2 million. Even though Original Basketball Rules have little common with today’s game, basketball fans regard the document as their bible.
Industry Leaders Magazine
The buyers decided to give their precious loot. David Booth underlined: “It is an incredibly important document,” adding that the decision to donate the document was dictated by the feeling of justice and sharing.
Mark McGwires 70th home
run ball - $3 million The Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball found its place on the podium of the most expensive sports memorabilia in the world. It was bought by Todd MacFarlane for astounding $3,005,000. It is hard to believe that the Mark McGwire’s
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70th home run ball was sold for so much as the bidding started at only $400,000. But for big baseball fans, the price of The Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball, one of the most expensive sports memorabilia in the world, is not surprising as this collectible item is praised to the skies as the “Hope Diamond of Baseball.” What is more surprising is the person who bought one of the most expensive sports collectibles in the world. Todd McFarlane was not known as much dedicated and committed sports fun as he has turned out to be. But on the other hand, Todd McFarlane, producer of Ozzy Osbourne and KISS, has been known
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for eccentric likings. But this precious sports collectible was not intended to stay only for his eyes. He announced that he would take the Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball on a North American tour, with any takings dedicated to charity - what a gesture!
Babe Ruth Bat - $1.3 million The Babe Ruth Bat has also a place in the first five of the most expensive sports memorabilia in the world. And as we know it, is not the only Babe Ruth’s item on the list. The bat, which was used to hit the first ever home run at Yankees Stadium, was auctioned off for approximately $1.3
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million., topping analysts’ estimates. The auctioneer Sotheby’s informed that the Babe Ruth Bat was purchased by Mastronet Inc., a sports and memorabilia company, on behalf of an unidentified New York-based collector. After all, the bat was going home! To crown it all, no bat in the history has
been sold for as much as the one used Babe Ruth Bat which is however in very good stated, not to mention that it was also autographed by Babe Ruth himself. To put that into context, the second most expensive bat that has been ever sold was one used by Shoeless” Joe Jackson and was bought for only $577,610.
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Rare Honus Wagner baseball Tobacco Co. in 1909. card - $1.2 million According to research, only 60 of the The last position in the five of the most expensive sports memorabilia in the world is taken by Rare Honus Wagner baseball card. In an online auction, an unidentified buyer paid for a card of Honus Wagner, one of the first five members introduced to the Baseball Hall of Fame, astonishing $1.2 million. What is interesting is the fact that the rare Honus Wagner 1909 baseball card was released in cigarette packs by American
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Wagner cards still exist, yet most of them are not in the best state.
Investment, unfulfilled dreams or just big love? All above sports items have proved that sports memorabilia might achieve staggering sums of money. But there is one question: why do people buy sports memorabilia? Why some are so much keen on spending enormous sums on
Industry Leaders Magazine
them? Is it because they simply want to invest and they believe that they will benefit from the future sale of their collectibles? Or is it because they are so much in love with sports and they are just jolly big fans of some sportsmen? Or maybe they are just simply driven by the unfulfilled dreams of becoming professional sportspeople? Whatever it is, some people are, without question, able to spend big buck on sports collecti-
bles, even on the most expensive sports memorabilia in the world. But maybe the best explanation of all these purchases is the statement of Bill Shelton who said: “A lot of people were talking about investment and return on investment. I think people are starting to see these high-end cards (sports memorabilia- edit.) in the same terms as art and antiques.�
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NOBLE G
New Fro
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GROUP
ontiers
Noble Group is a diversified natural resources supply chain manager of agricultural and energy products and metals, minerals and ores.
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Noble Group is a diversified natural resources supply chain manager of agricultural and energy products and metals, minerals and ores. Noble’s global operations include mining, farming, processing, ports, shipping and marketing and our supply chains ensure the smooth, long-term flow of essential commodities. Noble follows a long-term strategy of building low-cost sourcing capacity from countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Indonesia, and delivers to high demand growth markets including China, India and the Middle East.
(SGX: N21), with headquarters in Hong Kong and operates from over 140 locations, and ranked number 91 in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Expertise They endeavor to generate long term returns on equity of 20 percent or more by building a sustainable business focusing on significant and relevant trade flows in bulk commodities. To achieve this, They have developed an industry leading expertise in managing the myriad risks that arise in completing each of their transactions.
Noble Group is listed in Singapore Noble Group has become a market lead84 March 2013 Industry Leaders Magazine
er in providing key commodities to parts of the world that are relevant to their largely seaborne trade flows. Over the past 20+ years they have built strong foundations for the future growth of the Group, They have fine-tuned their strategies, attracted and nurtured the right people, accessed capital markets and built a shareholder base of 25,000 institutions and individuals.
Explore and develop Exploring new markets and new product flows keeps them at the edge of the world’s new frontiers. Noble’s investment in exploration and development is a core component of their strategy to secure long-term product flows of key
bulk commodities. It is also essential to enabling their future growth. Some of these investments will pay off and some will not, but their strength is in their ability to take projects rapidly through the various stages of exploration to realize efficiently and effectively and fulfill project potential. Projects are being carried out in a number of prospective areas, including Australia, Indonesia and Mongolia, guiding these new opportunities from resource definition to infrastructure review, feasibility and development. Noble strives to expand the scope of its environmental impact and community engagement initiatives. 2011 saw
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numerous developments to their carbon emissions monitoring and reporting, with the integration of an increasingly advanced system for calculating their carbon footprint. In 2012, Noble has once again gained an industry-leading position in carbon disclosure and increased its engagement with several internationally recognized organizations, including the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the UN Global Compact. In addition to its environmental initiatives, Noble continues to play an active role in the communities where it operates. From education, healthcare and youth programmes to disaster relief,
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water stewardship and fundraising, Noble and its employees are involved in actions that work to improve the lives of those in need.
Agriculture Noble’s Grains & Oilseeds operations focus on South America, Europe and Asia. The Group is one of the leading oilseed processors in China, operating three factories in the region. Noble also supplies grains, oilseeds, vegetable oil and by-products throughout the region from its headquarters in Singapore and offices throughout the Asian region. The Sugar business was established in
Industry Leaders Magazine
2001 and forms an integral part of Noble’s Agricultural commodities portfolio. The division operates in trading, logistics, shipping and distribution, managing the risks involved along the pipeline. They also refine raw sugar in several countries and source both cane and beet sugar in Brazil, Central America, Thailand, South Africa, India, Europe and Russia. Their main destinations are Russia, Egypt, Indonesia and the Middle East. Noble’s acquisition of two new sugar mills, Catanduva and Potirendaba in Brazil, elevate the division’s milling capacity and scale to make Noble one of
the leading consolidators of the sugar and ethanol industries in the country. Noble works with several major chocolate manufacturers to supply sustainable and traceable cocoa beans of high quality from Côte d’Ivoire. In 2011, they shipped their first UTZ certified cocoa from the country. Noble is also promoting rural development in Côte d’Ivoire through a number of co-operative and village community projects. Going forward, Noble will increase its supplies of sustainable certified and non-certified cocoa beans from a number of main cocoa origins through its dedicated development team.
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Cotton is headquartered in Singapore with offices and representation in all the major producing and consuming markets worldwide. They handle all major origins of cotton and maintain a high level of quality control in all areas. Noble is continuing to develop an exwarehouse business for select destinations as a value-added service for their clients. The major origin regions are the United States, Brazil, West Africa, Central Asia and India while the main con-
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suming regions are China, North and Southeast Asia, Sub Continent and Turkey. Noble Coffee is one of the leading coffee merchants globally by volume, providing a full range of types and grades of coffee from around the world. Noble’s fertiliser business is based in Brazil, where we operate a fertiliser blending facility in Mato Grosso and a fertiliser warehouse in Paranaguå.
Industry Leaders Magazine
Energy Coal & Carbon Com- from their Indonesian sub-bituminous coal contracts with existing suppliers, as plex The Energy Coal & Carbon Complex division (formerly Coal & Coke) reported record volume and revenue in FY 2011, with strong contributions from their coal-producing assets and off take arrangements in Australia and Indonesia. They continued to build on their leading position in the Indonesian coking coal market, reporting notable contributions
well as new physical purchases of Indonesian met-coal.
The Oil, Gas & Power division reported record tonnage and record revenue in FY 2011. The divisional platform expanded its use of existing complementary businesses to develop the supply chain further. The Polymers division continued to de-
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liver strong results by adhering to a growth strategy focused on investment in high-yield strategic assets along the supply chain, on profitable fee-based off-take and marketing activities and on polymers derivatives and futures trading.
Their competitive advantages in petrochemicals – a globally integrated paper and physical trading operation, geographically diversified portfolio and synergies with their gasoline and components business – position Noble for continued strong growth.
The division expects a dramatic rise in polyolefin consumption in China and India to drive a new period of demand, which they are well placed to supply.
Metals, Minerals & Ore
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As one of the world’s top suppliers, Noble maintains a range of assets and orig-
Industry Leaders Magazine
ination points with operations stretching from India to the US, Australia to Europe – giving them critical mass at key origination and delivery points. With Noble Group’s expertise in risk management, logistics and in-depth knowledge of key consumer markets, their metals business is able to offer metal producers and consumers competitive solutions. The metals team has the capability to work with customers from a
spot basis out to multi-year structured transactions. They started the year with warehouse operations only in the US, and ended it with operations in the US, the Netherlands and Singapore.
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ENERGY
3RD ANNUAL GLOBAL REFINING TECHNOLOGY FORUM DATE: 29 APRIL – 1 MAY, 2013 The event will Address key technology trends and benefits of investing in advance refining technology. It will also Emphasize on quality upgrading of heavy crude oil refining. And it will also Showcase key drivers for refining and petrochemical integration. This platform will also Explore new FCC technology to improve product yield as well as Alternative technologies. And it will also showcase real time case studies by industry leaders and experts. Venue: Doha, Qatar Green Energy Expo
Date: 03 - 05 April, 2013
Green Energy Expo is the biggest Renewable Energy exhibition in Korea. It is an International exhibition on energy generation and conservation, to showcase the progress made, deliberate the potential opportunities and challenges facing the industry and to create a roadmap for sustainable growth and development. Venue: Daegu, Korea Northeast Biomass Heating Expo
Date: 03 - 05 April, 2013
Northeast Biomass Heating Expo is going to unite a diverse audience from the biomass fuel, supply chain, developer, manufacturer, and government sectors to break barriers and ground for biomass thermal and combined heat and power which is CHP systems. Venue: New York, United States Of America SOM
Date: 04 - 07 April, 2013
SOM will be attended by hundreds of organizations of solar industry who will present their newest solar products and equipments and discuss thousands of benefits of using solar products, under one roof in a friendly environment. Venue: Zurich, Switzerland Qingdao International Solar Energy and Building Integrated Applications Technology Exhibition Date: 06 - 08 April, 2013 Qingdao International Solar Energy and Building Integrated Applications Technology Exhibition is going to be a vital event that will be held at China for three days. It will bring together domestic and foreign well known enterprises dressed appearance of the solar industry, concentrated expression of the solar industry well known brand products and industry leading edge technology, is an excellent platform for the new release, but also industry professionals, buyers, technical exchanges between the industry, the industry interaction, agents and dealers of most concern to the solar industry, high specification, high quality wealth opportunities. Venue: Qingdao, China Interklima
Date: 09 - 13 April, 2013
Interklima has always been the best opportunity for exhibitors to successfully promote their new technologies and products, especially in the current moment of reconstruction of Croatian economy, where due to the reconstruction and updating of production, hotel and catering buildings throughout the country there exists great demand for the mentioned equipment. Venue: Zagreb, Croatia
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MANUFACTURING
NT & TT SHOW Date: 02 - 05 April, 2013 NT & TT SHOW is a Fair dedicated to Industrial Machines for the Fabrics. This show presents the market, the enormous potential it has for stimulating new business, a unique and indispensable event for those looking for new business opportunities in an economic segment that is growing fast. Venue: Sao Paulo, Brazil. KONMAK Date: 04 - 07 April, 2013 KONMAK is an International exhibition for metal processing machines, welding, drilling, cutting technologies sector in Turkey. The event will provide a best platform to meet all the professionals from related industry under one roof at the Tuyap Konya International Fair Center. Venue: Konya, Turkey The Big Bead Show Date: 06 - 06 April, 2013 The Big Bead Show is known to be the ultimate platform for the jewelry industries where the exhibitors get to explore their business strategies. The exhibitors find this show to be the perfect platform where the respective companies can introduce their range to the present attendees. Venue: Esher, United Kingdom Precision Machining Technology Show Date: 16 - 18 April, 2013 Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) is the opportunity to attend a show that’s been put together just for you - manufacturers of precision machined parts. Technical / Educational Sessions, show-floor demos and on-site expertise will give you an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest Industry technologies and at the same time get practical answers to your questions. Venue: Columbus, United States Of America Amexpo Date: 23 - 24 April, 2013 Amexpo is going to be held for a period of two days in Montreal, Canada. The main objective of this international expo is to make the manufacturing professionals related to the field of Advanced Manufacturing industry aware of the latest tre4nds and techniques which will help in the improvement of this industry. Venue: Montreal, Canada Indumation Be Date: 24 - 26 April, 2013 Indumation Be shall be the largest and most promising trade event for factory process along with infrastructure automation. This is genuinely the largest and most promising international gatherings of its kind which is expecting more than 5012 dedicated visitors this time. Venue: Kortrijk, Belgium
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CONSTRUCTION
Ecobuild China
Date: 01 - 03 April, 2013
Ecobuild China is a wonderful show which will include comprehensive display of products and goods from the ecology as well as environment business and will cater to large number of attendees coming not only from the region but from all over China Venue: Shanghai, China. Buildex Date: 02 - 05 April, 2013 For 4 days, Buildex will offer unlimited business potential for making an entry into Building construction industry. Being hosted by Expocenter Krasnaya Presnya Moscow, Russia, the show will be attended by Professionals from the following industry sanitary fittings, builder tools & instruments, etc. Venue: Moscow, Russia. Salon De l Immobilier Bordeaux
Date: 005 - 07 April, 2013
Salon De l Immobilier Bordeaux will be a chief show, which will deal with various types of property including housing and estates. The show will be held over a period of three days. The show will be organized efficiently by France Expo. Venue: Bordeaux, France. Sontha Veedu Expo
Date: 05 - 07 April, 2013
Sontha Veedu Expo is one of the biggest Building & Construction Industry trade show in India. Sontha Veedu Expo 2013 is the 5th edition of JK Ads & Events from 05 to 07 April at Function Palace. It will showcase all builders & building Materials during the show. Venue: Vellore, India. Big Green Expo and Conference
Date: 06 - 07 April, 2013
Big Green Expo and Conference is one of the largest two day business events which is going to take place in Arizona. It is the event which will focus on sustainable products and services which are helpful in every sphere of life and target both domestic and commercial industries. Venue: Scottsdale, United States Of America. CONECOINVEST Date: 09 - 14 April, 2013 This fair will bring opportunity for the visitors both in construction & in the real-state market. The fair will reflect the growing interest of professional institutions as well as the professional and general public in the latest trends and innovations in the field of construction, real-estate, air conditioning and ventilation, and the increasingly topical issue of energy use and conservation in housing. Venue: Bratislava, Slovakia.
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SUPPLY CHAIN
Sea Asia
Date: 09 - 11 April, 2013
Sea Asia is a sequence of lively and informative seminar sessions on subjects ranging from finance to technology and a conference programme in which the Asian voice in world shipping is projected and debated by some of the leading names from the younger generation of Asian ship owning. Venue: Singapore, Singapore Logistiikka
Date: 17 - 19 April, 2013
Logistiikka is going to be a logistic trade event that will invite the logistic professionals and it will be held at Finland for three days. Some of the major focus points of this event are the top of trucks, inland logistics related services and material handling. Venue: Tampere, Finland Logistic Summit & Expo
Date: 17 - 18 April, 2013
Logistic Summit and Expo is going to be held for a period of two days in Mexico. Lo gistics and transportation industry professionals from all over the world will attend this event and will get an opportunity to understand the significance of the latest innovations which are taking place in the logistics and transportation industry. Venue: Mexico, Mexico Luxe Pack Shanghai
Date: 23 - 24 April, 2013
Luxe Pack is a tradeshow for professionals in luxury product packaging, devoted to fragrances-cosmetics, jewellery-watches, gourmet food, wine and spirits, tobacco products, and tableware. Luxe Pack Shanghai is a differentiated and select business-to-business fair, where the producers of packaging and its raw materials, for luxury goods, can show their novelties, make connections and close deals in a comfortable and sofisticated environment. Venue: Shanghai, China
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FOOD & BEVERAGES Shanghai International Wine & Spirits Exhibition
Date: 01 - 03 April, 2013
In order to build up a promotion, display and cooperation platform and provide a better approach of marketing and sales for wine enterprises from home and abroad, Golden Commercial and alcoholic drink authorities are scheduled to hold The 9th Shanghai International Wine & Spirits Exhibition 2013 on 01 to 03 Apr at INTEX Shanghai in Shanghai, China. Venue: Shanghai, China Whisky Live New York
Date: 03 - 03 April, 2013
Whisky Live New York promises to attract traders, manufacturers, dealers as well as agents from the whisky manufacturing business and the participating companies will get a wonderful opportunity to display about 450 different varieties of whiskies. Venue: New York, United States Of America Wine and Cheese Show
Date: 05 - 07 April, 2013
Wine and Cheese Show is one of the most recognized events for the gourmet industry where all professionals related to this industry will gather under one roof and will be updated on the latest trends of the sector. Venue: Toronto, Canada Meal
Date: 06 - 07 April, 2013
Meal is going to be held for a period of two days in Ried, Austria. This international expo will bring in house nutritionists and leading experts related to food industry and will facilitate them by giving them an opportunity to interact and communicate with each other. Venue: Ried, Austria The Natural Food Show
Date: 07 - 08 April, 2013
The Natural Food Show is an event focused on the natural and organic food sector of U.K. More than 1000 potential international buyers from 60 countries and 7587 interested visitors from various parts of the world will attend the event to witness the latest specialty, biodynamic and super food and acquire products that will meet their budget and requirement. Venue: London, United Kingdom Slow Food
Date: 11 - 14 April, 2013
Slow Food is one of the biggest & largest trade show For Agricultural industry in Germany. This Exhibition will be held Messe Stuttgart, Germany, betweem 11 to 14 April 2013. flour, bread, pastries, cookies, cakes and stock flour, oil & industry plants, grains will be targeting flour, bread, pastries, cookies, cakes and stock flour, oil & industry plants, grains. Venue: Stuttgart, Germany International Wine Show Prague
Date: 16 - 16 April, 2013
International Wine Show Prague is going to be held only for one day in Prague, Czech Republic. This international trade show will prove to be beneficial for the eminent experts related to wine industry and key decision makers. Venue: Prague, Czech Republic
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