Championing African business in Europe

Hogan Lovells is gearing up to host its third annual Africa event in its Frankfurt office with this year’s instalment being introduced as Africa in Focus – European Chapter event. Hogan Lovells Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects Partner, Dr Tobias Faber and Senior Foreign Associate Camilla Fröhlich spoke to Africa Legal about the event.

“The event focuses on shining a light on both investment potential and lessons learnt on the African continent, and aims to bring Europe-based stakeholders together for lively discussions and an all-important opportunity to network,” explained Faber and Fröhlich.

According to Fröhlich, events like Africa in Focus – European Chapter help to strengthen the relationship between Africa and Europe. “We have noticed that our guests are always very keen to openly discuss various topics with each other and with our Africa Practice team. We were made aware of two deals that took place last year due to chance meetings at our event. This highlights the immense value of networking as well,” she said.

This year's event will feature thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions with guest speakers from diverse sectors and speakers from the law firm’s global offices. The speaker line-up includes Elvira de Jong of the independent investment group, Marula Square, Alex James of WaterAid, Prof. Dr Stefan Liebing of Conjuncta GmbH, Hafiz Mama of Mansa Stars as well as Vincent Rouget of Control Risks, and Mark Tierney of Crabtree Capital.

The keynote address will be delivered by Stefan Liebing. He is the owner and CEO of Conjuncta GmbH and an Honorary Consul of the Republic of Cameroon responsible for northern Germany and the former Chairman of Afrika-Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft e.V./ German-African Business Association. The event will feature two-panel discussions – one covering investment risks and the other covering start-ups and venture capital investments in Africa.

Emphasising the importance of having diverse speakers and panellists, Tobias Faber explained, “We learn when we listen to others with wide experience and perhaps even different views than our own. We aim to encourage productive and collaborative conversations at this event and we believe we have managed to achieve this at our previous events.”

He advised attendees to make the most of the networking opportunity at the event too.

With a focus on fostering relationships and championing African business, Hogan Lovells' Africa in Focus – European Chapter Event promises to be an enlightening and valuable experience for all attendees. The event takes place next Wednesday, 3 May 2023 at the Hogan Lovells Frankfurt office. To find out more click here.

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