Programme - Investment Summit (Day two), 14 November
Private Equity Leaders' Summit | Venture Capital Summit | Limited Partners' Summit | Investment Summit (Day one) | Investment Summit (Day two)
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Thursday, 14th November 2019
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09:00
Opening address
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09:30
Value creation: The next step
As Asia continue to mature as an investment destination, competition for deals is intensifying. If managers face the prospect of paying up for prize assets, they need to enter processes with conviction based on clear-cut value creation plans. Moreover, execution has to be precise in terms of timing, intensity or complexity, if the underwritten returns are to be achieved. In this session, experts offer insights into private equity investors apply operational expertise.
- When should value creation planning begin and how granular should it be?
- How are GPs addressing technology-related improvements?
- What are the most common mistakes in implementing value creation initiatives?
- What does it mean to be an active investor in Asia today?
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10:15
Plenary address
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10:45
Networking coffee break
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11:00
Track 1: Japanese private equity: Big ambitions
Japan has yet to rediscover the rich vein of large-cap deal flow that defined 2017, but the ingredients are all there. As a result, competition is tougher than ever before, with global and regional GPs piling in. Even the middle market occupied by domestic managers is attracting larger amounts of capital, as evidenced by increasing fund sizes. The challenge for all participants is to maintain investment discipline and strategy. Our industry stalwarts assess the landscape.
- What can investors do to capitalize on corporate carve-outs?
- Are succession planning deals still the middle-market mainstay?
- Which strategies have worked best in delivering value creation?
- How is the exit environment evolving in Japan?
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11:00
Track 2: Energy: Creating capacity
Global energy demand is expected to grow by 25% through 2040, with India and China accounting for the bulk of the additional consumption. At the same time, concerns about climate change have put pressure on governments to promote energy efficiency and increasing reliance on renewables. The opportunity for private equity seems obvious, given the long investment horizons. Our panel of energy experts identify where they expect to see growth, and challenges, in the years ahead.
- Are there investment opportunities in oil and gas in Asia?
- How is technology driving efficiency gains?
- Which geographies are most attractive for renewables?
- How do the return expectations for energy differ from traditional PE?
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11:45
Track 1: Credit: Global and local perspectives
Credit has generated much interest among LPs globally due to its typically yield-based returns and downside protection, although the asset class has yet to realize its full potential in Asia. Success is contingent on understanding the dynamics – for example, how a change in the borrower landscape would impact lenders – in different geographies as much as the broader trade-offs involving terms, structures, and risk profiles. Leading investors offer their outlooks on the market.
- Where are the best opportunities regionally and globally?
- How much progress is being made on creditor rights in Asia?
- What challenges do global players face when addressing the region?
- How does the opportunity set change based on the point in the cycle?
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11:45
Track 2: India: Riding a wave
Private equity investment in India reached a record high last year and the momentum has been maintained in the early months of 2019 even as other markets in the region stumbled. There are plenty of opportunities in growth-stage technology, but GPs are seeing more large-ticket transactions across multiple sectors. For all managers, delivering value means identifying deals beyond the mainstream that offer growth at attractive valuations. Our panellists discuss what’s next for India.
- What did the national elections mean for private equity?
- How are Indian managers developing their value creation capabilities?
- What are the prospects for the latest generation of GP spin-outs?
- Has India’s exits overhang been consigned to history?
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12:30
Track 1: Cross-border: Theory and practice
Cross-border strategies serve as a natural value creation tool, enabling GPs to help companies capture growth in new markets, achieve greater scale, and generate higher returns. Transactions of this nature are seldom straightforward in execution, given the cultural, political and regulatory challenges of integrating assets in different markets. On top of that, economic and policy uncertainty hangs over channels between Asia and US-Europe. Our expert panellists explain how investors get it right, and wrong.
- What are the most important skillsets for cross-border deals?
- Are Chinese buyers no longer welcome in the US and Europe?
- Which geographies within Asia are most conducive for cross-border expansion?
- Why do private equity investors often work alongside corporate partners?
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12:30
Track 2: Secondaries: Hitting their stride, finally
It was always a question of when secondaries would gain traction in Asia, given the number of mature funds with assets that have yet to be exited. GP-led transactions have grown in volume, value and variation in the last couple of years. Standard restructurings have been joined by staples, strip sales, preferred equity, the consolidation of disparate assets into single portfolios, and the spin-out of single assets into dedicated long-hold vehicles. Investors assess the market.
- What is the outlook for GP-led restructurings?
- Is there too much capital pursuing secondary deals in Asia?
- Where are the large-cap transactions going to come from?
- What are the main obstacles to getting secondary deals done?
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13:15
Networking lunch
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14:15
Watch this space for our light-hearted take on GP-LP dynamics
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15:00
Exits: A matter of timing
Asian returns have been robust in recent years, but with a downturn widely expected, GPs might be left with difficult choices. Do they take money off the table as soon as possible or hold on in the expectation that value creation can deliver even higher returns? Pressure to make distributions and future fundraising are factored into these decisions. Our panellists offer thoughts on prepping exits – and how outside forces can ruin the best laid plans.
- Which exit routes have proved most fruitful in 2019?
- What issues are most likely to derail exit processes?
- Asian buyers vs international buyers – who is winning the trade sale battle?
- Is Hong Kong a viable alternative to the US for tech IPOs? What about Shanghai?
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15:45
Co-investment: Expectations vs reality
Co-investment is becoming a higher priority for LPs as they become more sophisticated, more knowledgeable of the markets they are investing in, and more desirous to reduce net fee exposure. However, the same adverse selection risks remain if GPs are given additional firepower to pursue deals that might be outside their sweet spot. In this session, industry experts delve into the issues surrounding this phenomenon and discuss the requirements for a successful co-investment programme.
- What new initiatives are GPs developing for co-investment management?
- How big is the gap between the best and the rest in terms of LP resources in Asia?
- What are the biggest misconceptions among GPs and LPs about co-investment?
- Does co-investment deliver better returns?
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16:30
Close of summit
