As the global liquidity crisis spreads to the developing world, the resilience of microfinance as an asset class is increasingly clear and has enhanced the industry's appeal to investor's eyes. Concurrently, as the demand for microfinance amongst end borrowers reaches unprecedented levels, the need for MFIs to draw investment into the industry has never been greater.

Private and institutional investors, as well as development agencies, must understand how MFIs are addressing investor concerns regarding asset quality to identify the best investment opportunities, to better understand their own risk exposures and to make informed commitments going forward.  Practitioners must, in turn, communicate their requirements and also their efforts to meet investors' and donors' expectations.

C5's Second Annual Microfinance Investment Summit will provide a unique international platform for genuine interaction between MFIs and many other key industry stakeholders. This opportunity comes at a crucial time, when the pressures of the recent liquidity crisis call for the strengthening of practitioner-investor relationships, ensuring that the industry will thrive, survive and continue sustainable growth for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Our outstanding panel of more than 50 key industry speakers, will include more MFIs than any other investment conference, and will also feature central figures from institutional and private investors, the donor community and other experts from around the world.

Last year's C5 Microfinance Investment summit brought together close to 200 microfinance stakeholders from 30 countries around the world. If you attended in 2008, you already know that this event was the foundation of many key partnerships and drove discussions that had a major influence in the industry. This year's Summit will again bring together those at the forefront of microfinance in a forum integral to the industry's information sharing and relationship-building.

If you go to just one microfinance event in 2009, this is the one you cannot afford to miss. Be where your industry will be on 6 and 7 October.