2016 Recap 

The Select LA 2016 Investment Summit was a huge success. 35 speakers relayed their experiences and expertise to an international and domestic audience of more than 350. The in-depth panel discussions and plenaries included Mayor Eric Garcetti's commitment to making sure Los Angeles is open for business. He affirmed that Los Angeles wants the most innovative foreign companies to call L.A. home. County Supervisor Hilda Solis extolled the region's advantage when it comes to its unparalleled workforce and talent pool, while Arun Kumar, Director General of the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, showcased why the United States is an advantageous location to conduct business..

In all, 33 countries were represented at Select LA, comprising 54% of all attendees. China was the most represented country with 47 Chinese business representatives. Over 40% of the audience were key decision makers at their respective organizations. The success in both the richness of content and audience make-up reinforced Select LA's designation as an official Select USA spin-off event. Select USA is the United States Government's annual investor forum that aims to attract international businesses to the United States. It took place just days after Select LA, which WTCLA and some Select LA attendees also participated in.

Agenda

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2016

5:30-8:30pm Fox Studios

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2016

8-8:50am Opening Remarks

9-9:50am Plenary Session: "Investments in Entertainment - Lessons Learned, Capital Flow, and Future Opportunities

10-11am Concurrent Breakout Session

• Session 1: Foreign Direct Investment Report Presentation

• Session 2: International Trade Outlook Report Presentation

11:10-12:10pm Plenary: “Insights and Opportunities in the Los Angeles Real Estate Market”

12:15-2pm Luncheon - Keynote Speaker & Plenary Session

12:45-1:15pm Keynote Speech: City of Los Angeles Mayor - Eric Garcetti

1:15-2:15pm Plenary: “Rethinking Mega Infrastructure Developments: How Los Angeles Infrastructure Projects are Shaping International Trade Patterns for the Nation”

2:20-3:25pm Plenary: "Trends in Technology - Deal flow, Structure, and Capital Sourcing"

3:35-5pm Plenary: "New Forms of Media Entertainment: How the Global Audience Will Consume Entertainment Content in the Future"

3:35-5pm Matchmaking Session

Speakers

Opening Remarks

Investments in Entertainment Panel

Jack Gao of Wanda Cultural Industry Group explained the company’s acquisition process of Legendary Entertainment, a $3.5 billion deal. This transaction was the first US movie studio purchased by a Chinese company. Nick van Dyk from Activison Blizzard also discussed his company’s experience with foreign investment from the Chinese Internet company Tencent Holdings.

Foreign Direct Investment Report

The long-awaited release of World Trade Center Los Angeles’ report on the FDI landscape in Southern California was presented to more than 200 attendees while the International Trade Outlook report was presented concurrently. The FDI report revealed that over 9,000 foreign firms are doing business in Los Angeles with close to half located in LA Country, and that 8.1% of all jobs in Southern California are supported by foreign establishments, with the most prevalent industry being manufacturing.

International Trade Outlook

The Los Angeles Real Estate Market

A presentation from CBRE’s Senior Vice President Todd Tydlaska explained capital flows and market trends in Asian economies and abroad as it relates to the real estate ecosystem in Los Angeles. He expressed that strong property fundamentals are central to Chinese investment in particular. His remarks were followed by a panel that illuminated these types of investments. OUE President and CEO Lucy Rumantir along with Hazens Group’s Executive Project Director Sonnet Hui and Brookefield Senior Vice President Michael Speer described the attractive nature of downtown Los Angeles for real estate investments in both hospitality and commercial properties. 

keynote

Rethinking Mega Infrastructure Developments

Top officials from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Los Angeles World Airports and LA Metro shared the recent shift in thinking about infrastructure investments. The main ideas of the discussion were the benefits that public-private partnerships bring to large infrastructure investments through set costs, defined timelines and support throughout the process for the benefit of the local economy and public writ large. Billions of dollars are being committed in the coming years at the ports, airports and public transportation, which will provide unique opportunities for inbound capital.

Trends in Technology

Thought leaders from BYD Motors, Virgin Galactic DJI and Edison International provided a stimulating discussion surrounding the feverish pace of innovation in the sectors of automobiles, drone technology and space exploration. TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY PANEL Comments also touched on the burgeoning innovation ecosystem throughout Los Angeles, a reason which motivated these companies to locate here.

New Forms of Media Entertainment

Vanguards in over-the-top and digital media content discussed how each of their companies are disrupting traditional models of accessing media content during this session. These L.A. -based companies discussed how the millennial generation is gravitating towards watching high-quality content through online and mobile platforms. Each panelist provided insight into how their company is approaching this media renaissance. 

Sponsors

The World Trade Center Los Angeles would like to recognize and extend its warmest thanks to this year's sponsors, including Summit Sponsor JPMorgan Chase & Co; Reception Sponsor Fox Studios; Premiere Sponsors American Airlines, East West Bank, and O'Melveny & Myers; Media Sponsors China Daily USA, Hurun Repport, and the Los Angeles Times; City Sponsors Los Angeles World Airports and Moreno Valley.