• How is Asian private equity performing in 2013 and how are issues with valuations, exits and fundraising affecting the industry?
• Which sectors are going to be making the news for PE deals over the next 12 months?
• Asian growth vs distressed western opportunities
• Has the pessimism in some key markets dampened the appetite for Asian PE investment or is the growth story still alive?
• How is accessible financing effecting private equity?
• Will private debt and offer non-traditional PE offerings become standard issue?
• How is the lack of exits in Asia effecting LP’s view on the region?

• How do Asian VC’s view pre-revenue vs. early revenue investments?
• What effect is the return of angel investors and incubators having on the industry?
• How do you go from a local startup to a multinational corporation?
• What methods are used to in the region?
• Does Asia have sufficient Innovative/Entrepreneurial talent to fuel its innovation growth? Where are these people to be found and how can they be engaged?
• Is the emergence of full service venture capital firms, micro venture fund managers, crowdfunding, incubators and ‘first-time’ funds transforming the industry?

• How can corporates establish a robust VC value proposition for investee companies to compete with the established traditional players?
• What cooperation and partnerships have corporates formed with VC firms and how does this work in practice?
• Do entrepreneurs understand the investment philosophy of a corporate venture capital firm and in reality is it viewed as a M&A transaction?
• What lessons can be learnt from US counterparts who have a more mature corporate VC landscape?

• Which technology trends should VC’s watch out for in the coming year?
• Do you have to experiment and try new methods to uncover the next big thing?
• Can Asia be at the forefront of innovation or is likely to follow the trends from the West?
• Will enterprise software and cloud computing be the sectors where innovations is most likely to emerge?
• Can crowdfunding help VCs identify the best investment ideas?

• Which venture-backed sectors are likely to see better exit opportunities over the coming years?
• Are the IPO markets going to rebound for venture back companies? 
• Could secondary markets become a valid exit option for VC funds? 
• Will the entrance of offshore corporates into Asia, and particularly China, provide more exit options?
• How do VC firms minimise loss from the investments that failed to launch?

• What sectors do LPs prefer and are they more interested in early or later stage investments?
• What are common mistakes made by GPs when meeting with prospective LPs?
• What kind of information do LPs want to see in a neatly organised due diligence packet
• How do you present the track record?
• Do Asian firms increasingly have to look to the US for investment?
• What impact has slowdown in VC deals over the last 18 months had on fundraising and LPs interest in adding VC to their portfolio?
• Has venture delivered returns in recent years

• How is the Asian private equity model evolving differently to Europe and the US?
• Which sectors will provide the best opportunities going forward and why?
• What trends are likely to develop in fundraising given the competitive and crowded space?
• What are the "value-adds" that GP can bring in to differentiate themselves and put themselves the front of the pack for deals when the market picks up?

• What sentiments do CIO’s and Trustees have to PE?
• What needs to change in the asset class, transparency, risk metrics etc?
• As LP’s continue to develop direct investment teams and look at co-investment opportunities favourably how are dynamics changing
• Are allocations to Emerging Asia likely to be challenged by the African and Latin American investment opportunity?
  

• How is Asian private equity performing in 2013 and how are issues with valuations, exits and fundraising affecting the industry?
• Which sectors are going to be making the news for PE deals over the next 12 months?
• Asian growth vs distressed western opportunities
• Has the pessimism in some key markets dampened the appetite for Asian PE investment or is the growth story still alive?
• How is accessible financing effecting private equity?
• Will private debt and offer non-traditional PE offerings become standard issue?
• How is the lack of exits in Asia effecting LP’s view on the region?

• Where do LP’s see Asia in terms of current and future portfolio allocation
• How do you select your GPs and what markets and sectors are of preference?
• How do you monitor and evaluate the overall performance of your GPs and their assets?
• How should LP’s be monitoring zombie funds and what right what steps can be taken to make sure they are acting in best interest of investees and LPs?
• Do LPs invest because of  internal allocation mandates or alpha returns?

• How do tax structures vary across the region?
• What tax pitfalls should LP look out for in Asia?
• What implication will international and domestic regulatory changes have on LPs?
• How can foreign LPs gain a greater understanding of the legality issues of investing in Asia to increase trust in the market?

•  Which markets in Asia present the best investment opportunities?
• How do LP’s ensure accurate and truthful due diligence is performed prior to making commitments?
• Are LPs favouring locally based teams or a centralised fund management system?
• What criteria should LP’s choose when deciding on their fund managers?

• With more and more issues with legacy and tail end commitments is the secondary market the best way to extract liquidity
• How is the secondary market growing in Asia and how can LP’s take advantage of that
• Is the secondary market as liquid as LP’s are lead to believe

• How is the Asian private equity model evolving differently to Europe and the US?
• Which sectors will provide the best opportunities going forward and why?
• What trends are likely to develop in fundraising given the competitive and crowded space?
• What are the "value-adds" that GP can bring in to differentiate themselves and put themselves the front of the pack for deals when the market picks up?

• What sentiments do CIO’s and Trustees have to PE?
• What needs to change in the asset class, transparency, risk metrics etc?
• As LP’s continue to develop direct investment teams and look at co-investment opportunities favourably how are dynamics changing
• Are allocations to Emerging Asia likely to be challenged by the African and Latin American investment opportunity?
  

•  How is Asian private equity performing in 2013 and how are issues with valuations, exits and fundraising affecting the industry?
• Which sectors are going to be making the news for PE deals over the next 12 months?
• Asian growth vs distressed western opportunities
• Has the pessimism in some key markets dampened the appetite for Asian PE investment or is the growth story still alive?
• How is accessible financing effecting private equity?
• Will private debt and offer non-traditional PE offerings become standard issue?
• How is the lack of exits in Asia effecting LP’s view on the region?
  

• Is there a significant talent pool in place below the founders to lead the GP to the next stage
• Do you communicate future staff changes to your LPs when fundraising?
• Are ageing founders a cause for concern for investors?
• What have the top GPs done to keep their leadership team in place?
• What incentives, partnerships and promotions and career paths can you develop to attract future industry leaders to join your firm?
  

• How can you improve your portfolio’s operating costs through business process optimisation?
• What tools can you implement to gain a holistic view of your portfolio to drive value creation from purchase to exit?
• How do firms review, monitor and report the value creation process?
• In practice are PE firms using tools to their full capacity and is there gap between the potential and reality of utilisation due to lack of product knowledge?
• What do you need to increase transparency and ensure compliance with new regulations?
  

• How will new regulations in the UK and US affect private equity deals and LPs ability to invest in Asia?
• How can you improve the tax efficiency of the transaction?
• How can you manage ESG at operating level and for managing compliance/reputational risk?
• What processes can be used to accurately measure valuations to gain LPs trust?
• How do you perform legal and operational due diligence?
• How can political and reputational risk be effectively evaluated and measured?

• Should fund administration be managed in-house or should all systems be outsourced?
• Where are the preferred fund locations for investment in Asia?
• How do you ensure compliance with legal requirements in the fund vehicle’s domicile?
• What process can you employ to review portfolio transactions and balances to ensure compliance with investment restrictions?
  

• What strategies can you employ to communicate your strengths to the market to secure a successful next fundraising campaign?
• How do you establish LPs asset allocations, previous investments made, fund investment plans and preferred strategies?
• Do investors pay special attention to the individual fund manager’s track record or are they more concerned with the overall team performance?
• How do LPs view regional funds, versus single-country or global funds?

• How is the Asian private equity model evolving differently to Europe and the US?
• Which sectors will provide the best opportunities going forward and why?
• What trends are likely to develop in fundraising given the competitive and crowded space?
• What are the "value-adds" that GP can bring in to differentiate themselves and put themselves the front of the pack for deals when the market picks up?

• What sentiments do CIO’s and Trustees have to PE?
• What needs to change in the asset class, transparency, risk metrics etc?
• As LP’s continue to develop direct investment teams and look at co-investment opportunities favourably how are dynamics changing
• Are allocations to Emerging Asia likely to be challenged by the African and Latin American investment opportunity?

• Can private equity firms compete in the wider alternative asset space?
• How is the PE model different between, listed and un-listed funds?
• How do infrastructure, real estate and debt fit into a diversified private equity platform?
• What have successful GPs done to raise funds in the current market?
• What are the realities of delivering customised solutions to LP’s? 
• How much flexibility will GPs require to meet the new terms and conditions that many LPs now demand?
• How do firms cope with changing fund sizes?

• How valuable is it to have localised teams? Or can superior results be achieved by a centralised team of experts?
• How important is ESG within your own team and within portfolio companies?
• How do you source and attract a network of industry experts to provide strategic leadership when required?
• Do you have to have to be both sector and country specific in your investment philosophy to maximise growth in your portfolio?
• Is specialsation actually creating superior returns?

• How can the corporate sector drive growth in Asia’s diverse economies, and what role can private equity play?
• What sectors and likely to take main stage in the coming years?
• To what extent do economic conditions in the West influence the decisions of corporates leaders in the Far East?
• Is the slowdown or stabilisation of growth in China a concern for corporates and are they turning their attention to other regions?

• When it comes to fees and terms, are GPs responsive to negotiating and how have the figures and attitudes changed over the years?
• How does private equity compare to other asset classes, and are commitments likely to increase or decrease?
• Are we likely to witness an increase in LP co-investment teams
• How can LPs gain support from their investment committees to allocate to private equity in the face of sometimes negative news media portrayals?
• How important are improved operational value and superior returns when LPs are considering committing to private equity and does this translate to the investment committee as a unique and credible characteristic?

• Do made in Asia funds have advantage over other funds?
• For operational value add what skills are needed in your team arsenal to evaluate performance and develop an improvement plan upon acquisition? 
• Does sector specialisation help integrate your team into the existing workforce and gain buy-in to your plan from senior management and other stakeholders?
• How do you measure performance post-acquisition?
• How to achieve successful exit strategies

Debate: Has recent activity in Japan and Korea reignited PE interest in North Asia?

Although Japan and Korea are Asia’s most mature markets, private equity has struggled to penetrate either country in a meaningful way.  However, recent activity in Japan and Korea, such as high profile deals and strong exits draw, has attracted GP’s and LP’s to the region anew. Domestic corporations are also slowly opening up to foreign investment, further widening the scope for private equity activity.  In spite of these positive developments, many still approach this region with caution after previously getting burned. In this debate, leading investors will discuss if North Asia is really ready to grow, or if this just another false start.
For:  A new era of growth has dawned in North Asia with attractive valuations and the return of the mega buyout
Against: North Asia has a spotty track record and remains a risky investment destination.

• What unique skills does PE possess to help companies expand overseas?
• How do you align objective and manage bigger partners when you are involved in a cross border deal?
• What risks are involved when a firm from an emerging economy invests in a more developed country? What role can the LP play
• What are the most attractive sectors and regions for outward growth?
• How to exit foreign companies