The 2008 Executive Elite Global
Summit of the Americas

Strategic Sourcing for Call/Contact & Shared Service Centers and BPO Operations

January 22-24, 2008

Sheraton Panama Hotel & Conference Center • Panama City, Panama

Proudly hosted by

       

       




   

Program

Tuesday, January 22

Morning Activities: 8:00 am – 12 noon

Pre-Summit Workshop — Attracting Investors and What Investors Need to Look for to Align Winning Partnerships
Philip Cohen, Philip Cohen Consultant AB
This workshop will examine the Caribbean/Latin American alternative for offshore investment, addressing investors' needs and matching these to what different countries can offer and should market to achieve the same goal — a successful, profitable partnership.
    Rising global costs, growing agent churn in locations such as India, the decreasing numbers in English-speaking staff in other Asian countries as well as flights halfway around the globe are all factors leading North American businesses to look for offshore alternatives closer to home.
    Addressing both English- and the huge Spanish-speaking prospective markets in the CALA region are key factors in this decision when looking for a new location for your call/contact and shared service centers. Philip, with his extensive experience and knowledge of the global marketplace, will walk you through, and help you develop, the 15 factors that locations must be aware of to get onto the radar screen and short list of investors. Philip will also give tips to those looking for locations, what they should be focusing on and what they should be aware of.

12 noon – 1:00 pm — Pre-Summit networking lunch
For all Pre-Summit attendees

Afternoon Activities: 1:00 – 6:00 pm

Site Tour
The tour will include a real estate and life style overview including business districts, land development opportunities, universities, colleges, residential, and infrastructure.

6:00 - 8:00 pm — Opening networking reception
Set to take place at the completion of the Site Tour.

Wednesday, January 23

Summit host: Representatives of Government of Panama MICI, Avaya, ECOMSA, Cable & Wireless, TeleCarrier

7:30 – 8:30 am — Networking breakfast
Welcome remarks — Philip Cohen, Philip Cohen Consultant AB

8:30 – 9:15 am — Day 1 Keynote — Panama: the Global Gateway to Latin America
Manuel José Paredes, Minister in Charge of Industry & Commerce, Republic of Panama

9:15 – 10:30 am — The Architecture of a Total Solution
Edwin Figueroa, Strategic Accounts Sales VP CALA, Avaya; Val De La Guardia, General Manager, ECOMSA
Combine the strength of world class communications technology, global support capabilities, exacting knowledge of local markets, environments and culture. Access an intellectual workforce with a variety of languages at hand. Bring government, public and private sectors together on projects where all parties will benefit. These are the attributes that make the most compelling partnerships. Using a prominent case study example with input from partner organization ECOMSA Panama, Edwin will provide insight on how to initiate the steps to align business and market strategies that have proven successful in building the future, strength and growth in contact center and shared services business in the CALA region.

10:30 – 10:45 am — Refreshments in the Interactive Room

10:45 – 11:45 am — CALA Region – Site Location Overview
Kristin Crispin, Industry Manager, Enterprise Communications and Networks ICT, Frost & Sullivan Latin America
Slowly but surely Latin America has assumed an important place in the offshoring trend. Lower costs and agent turnover, access to an educated labor workforce and government incentives have been the main drivers for this industry's growth in the last few years. The region is now becoming more attractive for the Spanish services, especially as U.S.-based companies develop specific strategies toward local Hispanic consumers. Thus, outsourcers can differentiate themselves by becoming a full service provider and offering their clients both English- and Spanish-speaking customer care solutions. Moreover, local governments have gone out of their way to attract in-house and outsourced facilities to their countries, as increased foreign investment and job employment directly benefit the development of their market. However, there are yet some challenges to overcome to ensure the region's long-term success in providing offshore services. Research will highlight the business climate, both present and what is to come in the future.

11:45 am – 12:30 pm — Keeping It Safe – Security and Data Protection
TeleCarrier Case Study Presentation
TeleCarrier is Panama's first company licensed to offer national long distance and international long distance phone service. It offers carrier-neutral Web hosting for Internet service providers (ISPs), application service providers (ASPs), network service providers (NSPs), Internet content providers (ICPs), and enterprise firms. Our speaker will showcase their integrated design approach and how it efficiently coordinates data center systems hardware requirements with all other design aspects in their two-story 30,000 sq. ft. Internet data center facility. Custom designed, with no single point of failure, TeleCarrier’s comprehensive security systems protect data, utilizing high-technology egress, security, and intrusion-control devices. Along with stringent environmental controls and fully redundant subsystems, this makes the TeleCarrier around-the-clock (24 x 7) facility, one of the most sophisticated in the CALA Region.

12:30 – 2:00 pm — Luncheon and networking

2:00 – 2:45 pm — Atento: Globalizing the Americas One Location at a Time
Atento Case Study Presentation
Lester Pimentel, Manager of Operational Effectiveness, Telefonica Central America
In today's tough economic environment, companies are searching for ways to reduce costs while maintaining quality and support efficiency. Transferring portions of service delivery and back office processing to near shore countries in Latin America, with its cost-effective bilingual personnel, is an attractive option. However, concerns about the complexities of managing such an effort have prevented some companies from adopting this approach. Mr. Pimentel will highlight the creative tools and methodologies that have proven their expertise in project relationship management time and time again, from location to location throughout the Americas.

2:45 – 3:30 pm — The Art of Communication: Human Talent that Talks the Talk
Arthur Ripley, Director of Operations, Contact Center Institute las Americas
In today’s highly competitive marketplace, call centers are taking steps to provide best-in-class service. Offshore call centers targeting the emerging U.S. Hispanic market are also looking for an edge that provides them with a differential service offer and are turning to Bilingual Call Center Certification Programs and training to prove that competitive advantage. Bilingual certification programs demonstrate that your center is focused on the critical areas of customer service, operational efficiency, personnel selection/training and utilizing best practice standards to meet your customers’ needs. A bilingual certification also provides purchasers of outsourced services with an independent third party expert recommendation that your call center provides the highest levels of bilingual customer service. Dedicated in-country programs are the best tool to ensure that the demand for human talent keeps up with demand for inward investment in this industry. Mr. Ripley will draw on his knowledge and experience of the creation of one dedicated institution presently operating in the Americas region.

3:30 – 5:00 pm — English versus Spanish ... Onshore versus Offshore
Open Interactive Session that dissects pros and cons, challenges and successes [Refreshments will be served]
Kathrine Dockerill, SVP, Marketing and Business Strategy, Stream International
Philip Cohen, Philip Cohen Consultant AB
A highlight of the Summit of the Americas, this open interactive session will explore the challenges of running a contact center in a Spanish-speaking market that is serving both an offshore English-speaking market and Hispanic markets that are both domestic and offshore/nearshore. This is the first time ever that the Summit has had a focus on the Hispanic market!
    Part 1: The English-speaking market: critical issues in competing with in-country operations, including training, quality control, culture, language, and competing with a global market
    Part 2: The Hispanic-speaking market: what advantages do we have compared with other Spanish-speaking/bilingual markets — infrastructure, supply of people/management, churn-rate, economic growth and development/support? How can we augment our English-speaking offering? Which are the most interesting target markets — Hispanic U.S., other central/South American markets, Spain?
    Join Philip and Kathrine as they dissect the pros and cons, challenges and successes of building partnerships in the near shore CALA Region.

5:00 – 6:00 pm — Networking reception [Sponsor: ]

7:00 pm — Panama is Calling!
The sights, sounds and tastes of Panama will be explored as you experience the cuisine, music, dance, history, culture, arts and crafts of this historic, bustling world port. An evening you won’t soon forget!

Thursday, January 24

8:00 – 9:00 am — Networking breakfast

9:00 – 10:00 am — Day 2 Keynote – Expanding in the Americas
Dell Case Study Presentation
Martin Alvarez, General Manager, Dell Panama
When a customer in Latin America or the U.S. calls computer giant Dell to buy a product or to resolve a technical problem, the person who answers the phone is probably in Panama. It doesn't matter if the client speaks English or Spanish, the Texas computer giant's 1,900 seat call center employees are bilingual.
    Dell's call center, located in the old Howard Air Force Base (once the most important U.S. military installation in Panama), supports an advanced corporate culture. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell employs any qualified person, regardless of race or age, ranging in age from 17 to 77. The company also hires physically challenged people, something uncommon for a company based in Latin America.
    Martin Alvarez will trace this recent history and success story that is Dell Panama, providing an inside look at a pioneering global leader.

10:00 – 10:30 am — Refreshment break

10:30 – 11:20 am — English for Life – Strategy for Futures & Fulfillment
English for Life is a presidential initiative that has become a national strategy implemented through the Ministry of Education, and executed by executive leadership and team work. The youth of Panama are looking for opportunities to better prepare and enter the labour market effectively . This program provides a training system whose achievements are obvious, and conforms to the intent of providing an effective and quality education. Plans are, within the next year, to train in the English language 7,000 young students who will then be able to expand their employment goals.

11:20 – 11:30 am — Refreshment break

11:30 am – 12:30 pm — Evolution in Telecommunications ... Platform for Development and Growth
Eduardo Lebrija, Presales Project Management Engineer, Cable & Wireless Panama
Panama has historically been a center for international intermediation services, mainly for the banking, financial, commercial and transportation sector. The main focus of telecommunications and information technology was originally to satisfy local demand for telephony services. However, since 2001 telecommunication services have evolved, to not only provide a wider range of service for local markets but to capitalize on the potential of the central geographical position in the hub of Latin America to become an important competitor for international services at a global level.
    Cable & Wireless Panama has evolved and continues to dramatically affect the way in which business demands can be met. Mr. Lebrija will highlight the steps of development and advances in technology that have secured Cable & Wireless and Panama’s global success.

12:30 – 1:45 pm — Networking luncheon and Showcase

1:45 – 3:15 pm — United Horizons Panel and Discussion: Aligning Partnerships for Regional Growth
Panel includes: Barbados, Bogota and Guatemala
Facilitated by Estuardo José Robles, Consultant, Business & Economic Development

3:15 – 3:45 pm — Refreshment break

3:45 – 4:30 pm — Presidential Address: Winning in the Americas
His Excellency Samuel Lewis Navarro, First Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Panama
To include an official presidential tour of the Summit of the Americas sponsors plus reception.

Speakers | Register Now | Other Events | Home

How to become a Summit Sponsor

Learn more about Summit Circuit sponsorship opportunities for the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.