CW Summit Americas 2020: CW Group hosts successful Cement Strategy, Finance and Trade Summit in Miami

CW Group, a leading global and multi-industry advisory, research and business intelligence boutique, hosted another successful edition of CW Summit Americas, which took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Miami, on the 16th and 17th of January.

The global cement sector benchmark event gathered industry experts and decision makers across the value chain to deliver a series of interactive conversations on key topics currently shaping the global cement and building materials industry.

ÔÇ£The summit's primary objective has always been to be an effective interlocuter between the various market participants and provide the opportunity, information and context to make informed strategic decisions,ÔÇØ noted Robert Madeira, Managing Director and Head of Research at CW Group.

Along with Carolina Pereira, Business Analyst at CW Group, Robert Madeira inaugurated the summit with an overview of the prevailing global economic environment and its impact on projected cement sector demand, particularly for the Americas. Over the duration of the summit, CW took the opportunity to not only brief but also engage with industry leaders and market participants about their perspectives on the major opportunities and challenges for the cement sector but also for the construction industry at large.

Among the topics that elicited interest from both CW as well as the attendees were green construction and the demand for specialty cements (white, oil well and calcium aluminate). Additionally, there was an active exchange of information and ideas on the prospects of fuels and the possible evolution in prices in the short to medium term, and how that could potentially impact cement sector profitability as well as regional trading patterns and their evolution.

The CW Summit also provided a stage for industry leaders and market participants to present their views and expertise on a wide panorama of topics, including Mr. Ian Riley, CEO of the World Cement Association, the industry's pre-eminent body, who shared his insights on the evolution of the Chinese cement sector. Additional contributions included Mr. Blaz Jurko, of renowned equipment manufacturer Gebr. Pfeiffer, on its expertise on modular applications, and Mr. Miguel Senior, of Ficon, on what industrial contractors perceive as the defining trends, challenges and opportunities in the cement sector.

In line with the focus of this year's summit on how industry 4.0 has the possibility to revolutionize the way the cement sector operates and the potential impact of automation on processes, Eng. Alberto Rufino of Corcement shared insights and solutions on equipment optimization, particularly, on how companies can grow without new equipment, using real world examples.

In the end, CW Summit Americas 2020 allowed participants to extend their professional networks, and gain in-depth knowledge directly from fellow industry participants as well as CW's Research team, thus empowering them with current information that can be utilized for both strategical and operational uses.

Following another successful edition, CW Group is already looking forward to CW Summit Americas 2021!