The gathering storm

This year's Sibos is haunted by the ghosts of Vienna in 2008, when a large chunk of delegates were called back to their home offices to deal with the fall out from the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

While (fingers crossed) there are no rumours of crashing banks yet (too much government money floating around now) the most exciting whisper in Hong Kong is an impending typhoon. 

If a strong typhoon hits, one delagates tells me, than the conference will be shut down and everyone will be confined to their hotels. If that happens will a shadow Sibos emerge where deals are done based on the residents of each particular Sibos hote?

As I watch the rain fall on Hong Kong harbour, we shall see if the hand of God rather than the hand of Fuld will have an impact on this year's show.

Comments

14/09/2009: Paul Penrose added...

Relax everybody. According to the lates bulletin from the Hong Kong Weather Observatory, the storm is forecast to pass south of Hong Kong later today, but to hit a Level 8 intensity over the Chinese mainland.

Rumours that Mr Michael Fish of the UK's meteoroligcal dept has been relocated to Hong Kong have not yet been confirmed. 

All the same, we have to ask: Who's bright idea was it to hold an international conference in the typhoon season in Hong Kong?

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