MICROFINANCE EVENT: Encuentro Centroamericano de Microfinanzas Conference in El Salvador on September 9 -11, 2009, Organized by ACCION International and Citi Foundation

Event Name: Encuentro Centroamericano de Microfinanzas

Date: September 9 -11, 2009

Location: Real InterContinental Hotel, San Salvador, El Salvador

See Our Comprehensive Event Calendar Here: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events

Cost: USD 150 per participant

Summary of event: This two-day conference on microfinance will focus on “Responding to the regional financial crisis: Practical strategies for managing risk while planning for growth.” The program will be tailored specifically to Central America with useful, relevant and professional panels examining and discussing the challenges, trends and opportunities in the region.

Event themes and topics: Topics include: Challenges for Central American microfinance; Funding microfinance in Central America; Legislation, regulation & supervision; Institution building to manage risk; and Consumer protection in microfinance.

Day One:

· A Look at Today: Financial Inclusion in Central America

· Navigating the Regional Financial Crisis: Some Practical Experiences

· Funding Microfinance in Central America

· Learning from Previous Financial Crises in Latin America

· Reviewing and Managing Risks: Results from the 2009 Banana Skins Survey for Microfinance & their Implications for Central American MFIs

Day Two:

· Consumer Protection in Microfinance: Setting Guidelines & Standards for our Industry

· Collaborating to Advance Financial Inclusion: Working with Regulators, Governments and

Competitors

· Success Strategies for the Future: Efficiency, Products, Consolidation?

Background on organizers: This event is organized by ACCION International and Citi Foundation. Established in 1961, ACCION International is a U.S. non-profit, which heads a network of 27 microfinance institutions. ACCION claims that with its partners, they have disbursed more than 28.5 million loans totaling USD 23.4 billion; 97 percent of the loans have been repaid. According to its 2007 annual report, it has assets worth almost USD 353 million, 3.1 million active borrowers, and 700,000 clients with a savings account. Citi Foundation is a subsidiary of Citi, a global financial services company. Citi Foundation provides grant support for programs that are aligned with its priority focus areas, which include Microfinance and Microenterprise, Small and Growing Businesses, Education, and Financial Education and Asset Building. According to its website, it has provided USD 89.9 million in grants.

Registration: Registration is limited to 200 participants. Online registration began on June 25, 2009. See here to register online. For additional information, please contact conference@accion.org. No direct phone number was provided.

Submit Your Event: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events

By Uyen Tran, Research Assistant

Additional resources:

Encuentro Centroamericano de Microfinanzas: home

ACCION International: home

Citi Foundation: home