The CLSA Investors’ Forum was born out of a conversation between Jonathan Slone, CLSA CEO, and a colleague in a taxi in New York on 12th August 1993. The perfect fit for CLSA founder Gary Coull’s vision of ‘bringing the world to Asia & Asia to the world’, within 48 hours planning was underway.

In the second year of the Investors’ Forum, we organized more than 300 special meetings for over 400 investors, highlighting the value of IF in making connections.

In May 1996 we released a report titled ‘Hong Kong Post-1997’. 400 days before the handover, optimists were looking forward to closer economic integration with the mainland, whilst doom-sayers thought the territory would be vulnerable to a plunge in public and business confidence.

Beyond the hysteria was written in August 1997 at the start of the Asian financial crisis. CLSA’s analysis of these troubled times in southeast Asian stock & currency markets looked beyond the hysteria to determine the growth, inflation, exchange rate & interest rate outlooks for the Asean deficit countries.

At the CLSA Investors’ Forum in 1998, we brought together government, corporate and institutional investment representation to discuss Thailand’s economic prospects. Thai Prime Minister at the time, Chuan Leekpai, was of one of our keynote speakers.

In 1999 the CLSA Investors’ Forum became a five day event, with 20% more investors, 40% more attendees and 60% more meetings than the previous year. Specialist speakers proved popular so we doubled the number.

In 2000, the first edition of the IF Daily News was launched at the Forum, keeping attendees abreast of key trends and current CLSA research reports, specialist and keynote speakers, & the week long schedule of social events.

Over the years, the CLSA Investors’ Forum became renowned for its Gala party which grew from a dinner for 140 guests in its first year to become the most sought after private party in Hong Kong featuring global performers. In 2001, Irish band the Corrs captivated the crowd.

In 2002, CLSA released the seminal Asia’s Billion Boomers report on the rise of Asia’s middle class. The report outlined the compelling parallels between American boomers and their Asian equivalent, the latter alleged to be rising to the fore.

SARS hit Hong Kong in early 2003, forcing us to move the Investors’ Forum from March to September, where it has since stayed. In lieu of bringing investors to Hong Kong, CLSA organized a hi-tech ‘virtual odyssey’, consisting of three days and nights of webinars, screened by 800 investors globally.

Boomtown: Re-enter the Dragon was a unique CLSA research report published in 2004 covering the economic conditions forecasted to make Hong Kong boom, and the political problems that had the potential to derail it.

Freakonomics author Steven Levitt was a Keynote Speaker in 2005. He explored the hidden side of the modern world, riddles of everyday life and their startling conclusions.

In 2006, Bill Clinton and Alan Greenspan joined the 13th Investors’ Forum via videolinks, whilst former US Vice President Al Gore took to the stage to launch his ground-breaking documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ in Asia

Humanitarian rocker Bob Geldof received the first ever standing ovation for a keynote address. He spoke about his views of poverty, aid, debt relief, father’s rights and more.

“The Investors’ Forum must be close to investor nirvana. Speakers include some of the most challenging thinkers globally, and clients can question & connect with those driving some of the most investible companies in Asia.” Mitzi De Dios, CLSA Philippines

Touching Lives, a book about CLSA’s charitable foundation, the Chairman’s Trust, was launched at the 2009 Investors’ Forum. Subsequently, all Investors’ Forums feature a Chairman’s Trust session for charities to elevate their causes.

Rihanna, on the verge of being an international superstar, performed at the IF Gala in 2010. Her song with Eminem ‘Love the Way You Lie’ hit number 1 in over 20 countries that summer.

Oscar-winning actor, director & screenwriter George Clooney charms the audience in 2011, discussing his humanitarian work in South Sudan. He is later spotted in Mexico sporting the infamous yellow and blue CLSA backpack.

At the 2012 CLSA Investors’ Forum gala party, dancers in LED-lit bodysuits dazzled, and Katy Perry, flying the flag for CLSA in a blue and yellow outfit, performed to an adoring audience. A month after appearing in Hong Kong, she was named Billboard Woman of the Year.

Inspired by the 20th year of the CLSA Investors’ Forum, TransformAsian was released in 2013, documenting the tremendous change in Asia over the past two decades, and the principal structures and themes defining Asia over the next 20 years.

In 2014 we hosted a number of economists and geopolitical specialist speakers, including CY Leung, Chief Executive of Hong Kong at the time; Dr Zhu Jianfang, Chief Economist at Citic Securities; and Daron Acemoglu, MIT Economics Professor.

The 2015 CLSA Investors’ Forum in facts and figures: more than 7,500 lunches served; 347 different snack and lunch menu items; 20,000 CLSA coffee cups; 78, 950 sq. ft. of meeting space used for 4,000 meetings; 34 countries represented; 600 CLSA staff & coordinators.

At CLSA Investors’ Forum 2016, Global Head of Thematic Research Shaun Cochran released Theorality 2016. An indispensable guide to disruption-proofing investment portfolios, the report has become an annual review of investment themes transcending industries and geographies.

Science, technology & innovation were the focus of the 2017 Investors’ Forum. Ellen Jorgensen discussed gene-editing technology; Algorithm master Pedro Domingos dove into machine learning; and Seth Stephens-Davidowitz revealed why data is the digital truth serum.

In this report released in May 2018, we highlight Hong Kong’s pivotal role in the Greater Bay Area’s evolution, arguing that it will boost cross border collaboration and leverage strengths, building a world-class economic and business hub for Hong Kong.