HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — The Thailand Management Association and the Board of Trade of Thailand will organise a forum next month to discuss the impending ASEAN integration at the end of this year.

The commencement of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is a crucial and significant step for the countries of ASEAN, and will result in a change in the regional landscape, socially, politically and economically.

In recent years governments and corporations have stressed the importance of preparing for the challenges and opportunities that will arise in what will be a more integrated world.

As ASEAN prepares to take the stage as a united powerhouse and step up as a key global player, business leaders in the bloc must have an overall understanding of the world's economic and business landscape and engage with each other to realise the potential of the region through an alignment of goals.

A crucial part of this process is the understanding, establishment and upgrading of the region as part of the global value chain, the Thailand Management Association said in a press release.

The "2015 ASEAN Business Forum: Creating Value through ASEAN Connectivity" on October 14-15 in Bangkok is set to focus on the opportunities, challenges and limitations in redesigning intra -ASEAN and extra-ASEAN value chains following the integration.

It will be the sixth in a series initiated in 2009 to bring together regional and global executives to discuss key issues and promote mutual understanding and co-operation within the region.

This year's event aims to explore how ASEAN can operate as a single value chain and how to harness the potential within the global system. — VNS