SME Finance Forum Immersion Program 2019: 

JD Finance and ICBC, Beijing, China 10-11 June 

and/or

G20 Forum on Aging and Financial Inclusion - Tokyo, Japan 7 June (by invitation only)

The Immersion Programs of the SME Finance Forum are aimed at providing our members with 1-2 day exposure visits to high performing financial institutions or fintech companies to gather in depth knowledge about an innovative aspect of their operations. The immersion programs allow members to hear practical first-hand accounts from the host institution about the unique challenges they faced and the motivation and process for change, as well as lessons learnt.  

The Forum will host its second regional Immersion Program to JD Finance and ICBC in China on 10 June and 11 June, 2019 respectively. SME Finance Forum members will also have an exclusive opportunity to combine this Immersion Program with a trip to the annual G20 Financial Inclusion Forum, which will be held in Tokyo on 7 June. This is an invitation-only event for which the SME Finance Forum is getting members an invitation. Members can of course choose to only attend the Immersion Program.  

Immersion Program hosted by JD Finance and ICBC 

JD Finance belongs to JD.com, China's leading one-stop e-commerce platform. Leveraging JD.com's proprietary data resources, ecommerce expertise and industry-leading risk control systems, JD Finance offers sophisticated financial solutions in areas including financing loans, asset management, payment solutions and crowdfunding. During the Immersion Program to JD Finance, participants will hear from the team about how the integration of JD Finance with JD's other operations contributes to new and innovative ways in which it can manage risk and offer greater financing options to customers. The Agenda will combine presentations and Q&A with senior management combined with a guided tour of the JD showcase hall and the Asia No. 1 No-human warehouse center, a fully automatic warehouse operated by robots. 

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC) is the world's largest bank by total assets, deposits, loans, number of customers and number of employees. It is one of China's "Big Four" state-owned commercial banks. Participants will learn how ICBC combines with JD Finance to offer innovative, real-time services to merchants participating in JD's platform, and how the JD platform data enables a customization and efficiency heretofore not possible in merchant financing. This collaboration presents one of the latest examples of a bank leveraging a technology firm's knowledge and capacity to offer credit services to online retailers as well as millennial customers. 

Japan Visit - Invitation-only G20 Forum on Aging and Financial Inclusion 

The SME Finance Forum is pleased to offer our members an exclusive invitation only opportunity to attend the G20 GPFI Forum on Aging and Financial Inclusion on 7 June, taking place during the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting under the Japanese G20 Presidency. The GPFI Forum is the annual open forum where the G20 showcases its work in financial inclusion and invites private sector participants. Please note that there are places for only 30 private sector representatives, with the SME Finance Forum afforded priority for its members. Members interested in attending should notify us at their earliest convenience.  

Eligibility and Registration 

Members of the SME Finance Forum are eligible to participate in the Immersion Program to Beijing and the invite only G20 GPFI Forum in Japan. Registration will be open mid-April and will be on a first come first serve basis. We will share more information on registration in the coming few weeks.  

Agenda
DAY 1, June 10: ICBC
10.00 Gather at hotel lobby (location TBC): introductions and instructions.
11.00 Arrive at ICBC HQ in downtown Beijing: overview of the Bank and tour
12.30 Light lunch
13.30 Overview of ICBC's digital strategy and history of adopting innovative tools
14.30 Digital financial inclusion: direct banking, robo-underwriting within seconds and retail innovations 
15.30 Partnership showcase: ICBC's partnership with JD.com and technology firms
17.00 Q&A
18.00 Closing
18.30 Arrive at hotel lobby (location TBC)

DAY 2, June 11: JD Finance
08.30 Gather at hotel lobby (location TBC)
09.00 Depart for JD HQ
10.00 Arrive at JD HQ
11.00 Showcase Hall and overview of JD Group
12.00 Working lunch
14.00 Partnerships: collaboration with traditional FIs and results
14.30 Digital empowerment: marketplace and sharing of technology and data 
15.00 Supply chain finance: how eCommerce platforms are financing small suppliers
16.00 Payment and cross-border eCommerce: how JD has worked with overseas partners 
17.30 Depart for hotel (location TBC)
19.00 Arrive at hotel lobby (location TBC)
 

Cost

Members will be charged $500 per attendee for the Immersion Program in Beijing, which is non-refundable. The fee can be transferred to another senior employee of the member institution. Attendees are responsible for their own travel, accommodations, meal and transportation costs. 

There is no cost for members wishing to attend only the GPFI Forum in Japan.   

Registration is open. Please note that spots cannot be guaranteed until registration fees have been paid. Registration fees cannot be refunded. In the event the visit is over-subscribed, applicants will be accepted in the order in which fees are received.