Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen

Announcing: Forum for the Development of the Base of the Pyramid in Latin America and the Caribbean, BASE II: June 6-7, 2013 in Medellin, Colombia

For the most up to date and in depth information on how to develop and deploy successful Base of the Pyramid business models, join Opportunities for the Majority Initiative (OMJ) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Medellin, Colombia on June 6-7 2013.

Over a thousand top business people and leaders in international development, the non-profit sector, academia and the media will convene from around the world to delve deep into the nuts and bolts of business at the base of the pyramid, impact investing and the research behind it for the second Forum for the Development of the Base of the Pyramid in Latin America and the Caribbean, BASE II.

At BASE II, an intensive two-day gathering, the IDB will share its expertise and knowledge of identifying, designing, funding and disseminating BOP business models in Latin America and the Caribbean. Cornerstones of the event will be OMJ’s release of two reports with the latest research on BOP for the region as a whole and for Colombia, specifically.

“The Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid” measures the size of the BOP in the region—a crucial factor for businesses engaging with these consumers. This will be the first update of the report since its publication in 2007.

The report on Colombia will quantify the purchasing power and spending habits of Colombia’s BOP and for the first time identify and characterize the companies that provide goods and services to this group. The report will analyze strategies, trends and models and pinpoint business opportunities in the lower-income market. It will serve as a focal point of discussion on ways to advance the BOP market not just in Colombia but also in other countries in the region.

With strong economic growth, a robust business and investment climate, and innovative and successful BOP business models, Colombia is a great venue for BASE II. After financing several BOP projects in Colombia, OMJ concludes that Colombia’s private sector and government are more than ready to embrace market-based solutions as an important way to tackle development challenges.

For the event, OMJ is partnering with private social enterprise Comfama, a family compensation fund with nearly three million members in the Colombian department of which Medellin is the capital. OMJ is the first office within a multilateral finance institution dedicated to BOP operations and a leader in impact investing in LAC.

BASE I was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2011 in partnership with Grupo ABC, a giant marketing and communications group. The meeting convened over 800 influential experts and practitioners who left with new ideas and partners.

BASE II promises to build on the excitement and achievements of the first meeting. OMJ already has pledges from Citi Foundation SabMiller and Bancolombia and is still attracting partners and sponsors.

Categories
Education
Tags
Base of the Pyramid, impact investing, research