The Australian Business Summit Council Inc. (ABSC Inc.) reaffirmed its growing role in strengthening ties between diplomacy and enterprise with the second edition of its networking event, Connect & Cheers 2: An Evening of Business and Diplomacy, held at the Hyatt Regency Sydney on 9 October.
The elegant evening gathered more than 140 guests, including ambassadors, consuls general, trade commissioners, and senior business leaders from across Australia’s multicultural business scene. Among them were H.E. Ambassador Anwar Muktar Mohammed (Ethiopia), Mr. Ahmed Abdelatif (Sudan), Dr. Vajiv Jafarov (Azerbaijan), and Mr. Richard Broinowski AO, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, South Korea, and Mexico. Consuls General from Italy, Serbia, Romania, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Paraguay, and Vanuatu also attended, alongside representatives from Japan, the United States, China, Thailand, and other nations—reinforcing ABSC Inc.’s growing reputation as a key diplomatic bridge.
Business leaders and civic figures added depth to the evening’s discussions, including representatives from the French-Australian, Korean, Cambodian, and Bangladeshi chambers of commerce, as well as local councils such as Ryde and Canada Bay.
ABSC Inc. President Dr. Frank Alafaci opened the evening with characteristic wit: “We like to say Connect & Cheers is Sydney’s most productive excuse to enjoy a cocktail—and tonight, we intend to prove it again, not just by sharing business cards, but by exchanging ideas, values, and opportunities in a space where a conversation could become the spark for a future partnership.” His words set the tone for an event where conversation flowed as easily as opportunity.
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