AGN's 13th World Congress took place in the ‘Fair Wind' city of Buenos Aires. 102 delegates and companions from 32 different countries attended the event. A combination of interesting sessions and city outings made it another unforgettable experience for all.
The Congress started on Thursday 25th September with a Welcome Cocktail held in the elegant foyer of the Caesar's Park Hotel in Buenos Aires. The pre-congress tour group and the newly arrived delegates and companions enjoyed an exquisite buffet from the famous chef Micaela Conesa.
“AGN Day”
The Chair, Esther Tan, welcomed all to the Congress, which was followed by a welcome from the local member firms Estudio Eduardo Schmilovich and Elizalde, Casares & Asociados .
Dr. Horst Schaffer then presented the draft revised Strategic Plan which was the topic of discussion for the open table session. Attendees actively discussed in groups what else could be contributed to this plan.
‘AGN Day' was then concluded with the Chair's report on 2007 and the Annual General Meeting.
In the mean time, the companions ventured out to squeeze in a necessary shopping session in Buenos Aires.
After an interesting morning of seminars (and shopping) the delegates and companions gathered for a lunch at the Costanera restaurant on the banks of the River Plate followed by a city tour of Buenos Aires. The group was taken through the strikingly different parts of the cities from the Plaza de Mayo, where Evita Peron once held her famous speech, to the oldest cobbled stone barrio of Buenos Aires called La Boca. The cultural tour didn't end there. The same evening, everyone was split up into two groups to enjoy a wine tasting evening in Palermo or San Telmo before venturing out for a dine around in some of the finest restaurants of the city.
“Latin America Day”
On Saturday, the 27th of September, the second part of the Congress took place as ‘Latin America Day'. The first presentation was done by Edgardo Lanzilotta about the accounting profession in Argentina.
This was followed by Ricardo Delgado and Rodrigo Alvarez from Latin Eco SA presenting ‘A macroeconomic overview of Argentina'.
After a short coffee break, the delegates listened to the presentation ‘Understanding Latin America' by Pablo Mlikota, the Senior Vice President of an international telecoms company on the opportunities and challenges for our members' clients, on doing business in the Latin America region.
Finally, following a presentation from the local member firms, the work shop ‘Managing Stress' was held by Lic. Maria Alejandra Garcia Fernandez, who provided guidance and exercises on stress relief techniques.
The Chair, Esther Tan, then closed the Congress and the AGN flag was ceremonially handed over to the hosts of next year's AGN World Congress: the North American firms, which will host the '09 World Congress Chicago at the Drake Hotel on October 18-21, 2009.
Companions, meantime, enjoyed a tour to the town of Tigre and the delta of the River Plate, which is considered a popular weekend break resort for the Porteños, the name for residents of Buenos Aires.
The 2008 AGN World Congress was concluded with a Gala dinner at the tango restaurant El Querandi. While having dinner in this intimately and elegantly decorated restaurant, the group enjoyed a performance of tango dancing and were even taught a few steps at the end before the party swung into gear.
For those who wanted more Argentina, on Sunday the 28th of September, a group of 20 visited an Estancia (ranch) located in the pampas some 120 km from the city, where they enjoyed a typical Argentinean barbeque and horse riding, before they left to return home.
In summary, AGN members enjoyed the World Congress. They met old and new colleagues and had the chance to actively participate on the strategic plan of the organization, as AGN wants the active involvement of every member firm. To increase the internal communications is one of the objectives of our Chair Esther Tan, and this will be achieved by organising more local and regional events where members will be invited to participate.
Pre-Congress Tour
As its 2008 World Congress was celebrated in a very exotic place, AGN organized a one-week Pre-Congress Tour visiting unforgettable locations in Brazil and Argentina.
The tour kicked off in the exotic city of Rio de Janeiro. The group of 50 delegates and companions were welcomed by Erico Canarim , the international contact partner of the AGN firm in Brazil, at the welcome buffet on Friday the 19th of September. The group flew in from 17 different countries to take part in an adventurous and memorable week.
On the first day of the tour, jeeps raced (literally) the group to the highlights of the city. Breath taking views were enjoyed from the ‘Christ the Redeemer' Statue on the Corcovada Mountain - one of the Seven Wonders of the World. On the return to the city, our jeep convoy had to pause while gunshots rang out close by – a local turf war, but luckily no AGN participant was harmed.
After a typical Brazilian Feijoada buffet lunch at the oldest coffee house of Rio – the Colombo Restaurant – the group continued on to the Sugar Loaf Mountain. Even the vertigo sufferers went up in the cable car, knowing that caipirinhas would be served half way up. After a meaty Churrascaria dinner the group was entertained by a samba show.
On Sunday the 21st of September, the group journeyed by coach to the coastal town of Paraty. They learned about the historical importance of this town during the 17th century in a walking guided tour. The following day, like conquistadors, the group flew the AGN flag on a two-masted schooner ship and sailed the waters of Sepetiba Bay. After a dip in the crystal clear warm waters of the bay the group enjoyed a lunch on Kontiki Island, a small island containing only that restaurant.
But just as everyone thought they had seen the best part of the tour, they continued on to Foz do Iguaçu, located by the three country border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay—surely the Eighth Wonder of the World. The group visited the Iguaçu waterfalls and some even braved the Macuco Boat ride. Once high and dry, the group split up to visit either the impressive Itaipu Dam or the beautiful bird park. The evening was concluded with a dinner and a folklore show with performances from all over Latin America.
On the final day of the tour, the group crossed the border to Argentina to visit the spectacular Garganta Del Diablo; the Argentinean side of the falls. It was worth the early morning start to witness the torrent of water flowing over the falls and to experience an extra “shower” or two while hiking in and around the Falls' tourist paths.
It was then time to leave for Buenos Aires and look forward to the AGN 2008 World Congress.
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