·         Understanding the new investment world order amidst changing global economic conditions

·         Assessing the current political, economic and business climates in Asia, and globally – how will they impact Asian investors?

·         Can Asia maintain its high economic growth?  The pivotal roles of China and India – will their “popularity” sustain?

·         Translating economics – what it means for the hedge funds industry

·         Opportunities and challenges for global fund of funds in the Asian arena

·         Pension assets under management in Asia Pacific are expected to triple over the next decade, and with increasing allocations by pensions to hedge funds, how much of it will go to FOFs?

·         What can FOFs do to become the platform of choice for institutional investors – considering future product development and business strategies

·         How is the Asian investor profile and their perspective toward FOFs changing?

·         Identifying how FOF products are pushing the innovation curve to generate alpha in today’s market

·         Integrating new strategies into a traditional FOF portfolio for enhanced alpha:

- Adapting manager selection to take into account current marketconditions

- Allocating assets to sub strategies – how many?

- Deciding on the weighting of strategies and asset classes

- Altering the Fund’s basic construction – how frequently and what are the triggers?

- Due diligence procedures FOF need to carry out to ensure adequate internal controls at the manager level

·         Examining the slowdown – is it a temporary adjustment or a permanent trend?

·         What’s causing the slowdown – fees, non-strategic focus, changing markets or investor perspectives?

·         How can Fund of Funds outperform?  Considering product innovation, people, distribution strategies, and geographical locations

·         The ongoing evolution of how and why different investor profiles will choose which strategies in which vehicles

·         Manager selection trends – what is more important: people, process, or performance?

·         What are the current allocation patterns and percentages, and how soon will that change?

·         Are investors hungrier for returns and more afraid of risks in Asia’s emerging markets?

    ·         Is the Asian safety-first, non-adventurous demand for products still prevalent?  What are the benchmarks - $5 billion under management?  A five-year track record?

·         Overriding preference for U.S.-based strategies and maybe European strategies now, but not Asian strategies – what are the business implications for building your FOF product?

·         The rewards of having the patience and budget to build distribution in Asia on a three to five-year view – examining its viability for your business model

•     Examining how the DIFC is embracing the hedge funds industry
• Understanding what benefits the DIFC is offering managers in the region and abroad
• Exploring how Dubai can become the gateway for distributing your fund products within the Middle East

Kevin Birkett
Director, Asset Management
DIFC

• Integrating hedge funds investment into your HNW client portfolio – how much is being allocated and what will it likely be going forward?
• Assessing the case for and against HNWs investing in hedge funds and FOFs
• Selecting a private banker/financial advisor vs. selecting a hedge fund/FOF directly – how important are capital guarantees to the really rich HNW individuals?

This is an exciting, quick and non-pressured way to meet all delegates and industry peers in one 30-min session.  These brief meetings are the starting point for conversation and networking throughout the conference.  This is where long-lasting business relationships begin.

·         Evolution of niche FOF and innovation in strategies

·         The use of new strategies in portfolio construction

·         How do you find the innovators – watching for the danger signals

·         What makes a good manager?

-          Investment, non investment and business risks

-          Mitigating those risks

-          Potential benefits of early stage investing

·         What makes a good seeder?

-          What does the seeder bring to the table

-          How much does it cost the new managers?

-          Is it the best or worst decision you will ever make?

Kevin Birkett
Director, Asset Management
DIFC

·         How can Asian FOFs achieve differentiation in the increasingly competitive FOF market with global big houses moving into Asia?

·         Is geography still a relevant debate in 2006?  Asia as an important diversification tool for an investor’s portfolio

·         What will the Asian FOF landscape look like in the next five years?

·         How are Fund of Funds products changing to push the innovation curve and generate alpha in today’s market?

·         Raising capital – fund of funds are adapting portfolio construction and strategies to move from a HNW to an institutional client base

·         According to a Capco research report, an estimated 50% of all hedge fund failures are due in full or part to operational risk – what does that mean for a fund of funds?

·         How far have we progressed in making risk a part of the management culture?

·         What are the accompanying structures and controls that must be in place?

·         Examining the due diligence processes necessary for a fund of funds

·         Why do global FOFs want to establish a presence in Asia?

·         With global players muscling in, how well will Asian managers hold their own in the market?  When is size a strength, and when is it a weakness?

·         Does a global approach work?

• What strategies have worked well and will they continue to do so?What are the hot new strategies going ahead?
• Examining the underlying investment process – are there differentstrategies for bull and bear markets?
• Factors to consider in deciding on a focused or a diversification strategy
• What works in Asia? What do Asian investors prefer?

• How and why are the lines blurring – is this a permanent or fleetingphenomenon?
• Are these distinct asset classes for the investor anymore?
• Will private equity become this year’s hedge fund?
• Examining private equity as part of a balanced portfolio for the institutional investor – can the role be replaced by hedge funds and FOFs?

·         The Asian multi-strategy fund picking up steam – examining market changes that have caused multi-strategy to take off

·         How attractive are multi-strategy funds as an alternative to FOFs?  Considering fees, diversification, and agile capital shifts to take advantage of changing markets

·         Will FOFs be undermined?  Should FOFs invest in multi-strategy funds?

·         New fund launches in Asia in the past 12 months – who are they and how are they doing?

·         Examining the large US and Europe fund houses opening offices in Asia – how many and why are they flocking to Asia?

·         Who are the star performers?  What are the hottest strategies coming up?

·         Recent industry developments in each country – an overview

·         How attractive is each for the hedge funds industry:

-       Will Singapore be a step behind Hong Kong with China’s emerging market?

-        How can Hong Kong remain the premier centre for hedge funds activities in Asia?

-        Is Japan’s hedge funds industry getting out of the doldrums permanently?

-        Will Australia surpass Asia?

·         Assessing the opportunities in 2006/2007 for both managers and investors in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia

• Assessing Singapore’s hedge funds industry performance in the last 12 months and its developments against the rest of Asia
• What are the opportunities for managers in Singapore for 2006?
• Assessing the benefits of Singapore becoming an offshore domicile - and the problems of doing it

• How is Hong Kong going on in regards to being the majot hub for Asia?
• Reviewing the performance of various strategies in the last year – the good, the bad, and the potential
• The “sizzling hot” China market – how will that impact the Hong Kong hedge funds industry landscape?

• What impact will the economy play within Japan and how may this change going forward?
• Discussing strategic viewpoints and unique investment methodologies – what has worked for each top-performing manager?
• What’s next – winning and losing strategies in 2006

·         Staying the course – investment style consistency and alpha persistency

·         Reviewing Australia’s hedge funds industry and its unique offerings

·         What’s next – winning and losing strategies in 2006

• What has led to the interest in India and the development of Indian hedge fund strategies
• Where has been best to invest in India?
• Identifying the real risks in an India-focused fund – which strategieswill work?

• Working within the regulatory framework in China – how will regulations change in the next 12 months?
• Will there be an easing on short selling in China and what will these reported regulatory changes mean for hedge fund managers
• Will China continue to be a hotbed for hedge fund activity?
• Do China’s inefficient markets really provide the opportunities that hedge funds managers are looking for? What’s the reality?

·         Can India sustain its recent popularity?  Industry outlook for the year

·         What strategies work for the China market, and for the India market?

·         Does a China and India fund make sense, or should there be separately focused funds?

·         Industry outlook for China and India for the next 12 months