'Into Asia' trade conference for Perth (A/Min)

Significant corporate sponsorship has been secured for 'Into Asia', a major trade and investment conference to be held in Perth later this year.

The Acting Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development, Jim McGinty, said the companies that had confirmed their support so far included Woodside Offshore Petroleum Pty Ltd, engineering firm John Brown Engineering Ltd and the leading Australian law firm Blake Dawson Waldron.

"The 'Into Asia' conference is being organised with the support of the State Government for November this year and will concentrate on the economic emergence of the Asian region and the opportunities this will provide for Western Australia," Mr McGinty said.

"The conference will focus on four major areas - servicing the mining, oil and gas industries; new materials and advanced ceramics; food and agricultural processing and tourism," he said.

Mr McGinty said the conference was being co-ordinated by Corporate Location, an associate of the Euromoney Group and one of the world's leading publishers and conference co-ordinators on the subject of corporate direct international investment.

Two local companies - Joel Communications and Debrett's Travel - have been appointed to assist with the conference.

Mr McGinty said 'Into Asia' was one of the initiatives outlined earlier this year to promote WA in the 'WA Advantage' economic strategy.

"The Asia-Pacific trading area is growing faster than any other region in the world and WA has a great opportunity to grow with it."