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Thailand Ready to Welcome 191 Countries to the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group

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Showcasing Thai Soft Power to the World

BANGKOK, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Thailand jointly proclaimed Thailand’s readiness to host the “2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group”. This premier global economic and financial forum—often referred to as the “Olympics of Finance”—will take place on 12–18 October 2026 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok. Over 15,000 delegates from 191 countries, including global policymakers, economists, government representatives, private sector executives, and members of the media, will gather to discuss the future of the global economy. This marks a historic return after Thailand set a milestone with its successful and prestigious debut as host in 1991.

Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, stated that hosting this summit is a major opportunity to deliver tangible benefits to Thailand and its citizens. It will stimulate the economy, elevate Thailand’s global credibility, and internationally showcase local community capabilities internationally under the concept of “Empowering Community: From Local to Global.”

As host, Thailand has introduced the core theme: “Thailand’s New Horizons: Empowering People, Building Resilience.” This theme aligns with the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) a paradigm which promotes a balanced, sustainable, resilient, and people-centric development framework.

In driving policy on the global stage, the Thai government has linked its vision and fiscal policies to address today’s challenges, building economic strength and readiness to cope with change across all dimensions. This is achieved through four pillars that represent key strategic issues currently being addressed by countries worldwide, comprising:

Digital and AI Transformation for Inclusive and Resilient Growth: Thailand stands ready to serve as a model for other nations in developing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), highlighting success stories like PromptPay and Cross-Border QR payments, as well as the integration of data and AI to optimize public services and healthcare policies with precision.

Building Resilience in a Fragmented World: Showcasing Thailand’s potential as a “Trusted Hub” for trade, finance, and investment in Asia, while promoting highly resilient supply chains and innovative forms of international cooperation.

Building a New Financial Architecture for Climate Adaptation: Championing the reform of global financial structures to support equitable energy transitions and climate adaptation.

Demographic Change and the Longevity Economy: Turning the challenges of an aging society into economic opportunities and robust financial preparedness.

In addition to policy discussions, a major highlight of the event is the presentation of Thai identity and soft power to elevate the country’s image and impress global delegates. The venue will feature handwoven textiles with unique local patterns curated from 21 provinces and 26 communities, totaling 37 heritage designs—such as Tai Lue Teen Jok woven fabric, elephant-patterned Pakaoma, and hand-painted “Buppha Borom Rachineenart” batik—made with acoustic panels and integrated into the interior decor to showcase traditional Thai wisdom. Furthermore, Geographical Indication (GI) products will be showcased and served, giving international delegates a taste of authentic Thai flavors, including premium, hand-selected 100% Thai Jasmine Rice, reflecting the abundance of Thailand as the region’s agricultural “rice bowl.”

Mr. Ekniti added that the host government is accelerating efforts to establish the event as a national agenda through the “Road to Thailand” communication campaign. This campaign aims to engage all sectors—government agencies, academic institutions, businesses, and the public—emphasizing that this meeting is not just for policymakers and academics, but directly touches the lives of everyone. This is reflected in the active involvement of youth, local communities, and small enterprises in the preparation and execution of the event. In the short term, the influx of high-spending global visitors will immediately boost the tourism and hospitality sectors.

“Thailand’s preparations are meticulous, down to the finest detail. The government has elevated operations through three subcommittees: the Subcommittee on the Substance, ensuring a powerful driving force for the core theme; the Subcommittee on Protocol and Logistics, guaranteeing an exceptional experience that exceeds delegate expectations; and the Subcommittee on Security, ensuring a safe, orderly, and seamless event that inspires absolute confidence. Currently, Thailand is 100% ready. This July, delegations from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group are in Bangkok for their final evaluation, known as the ‘July Mission.’ Under a collaborative framework across all sectors, we have established a seamless control and operations system to ensure absolute readiness in all aspects,” said Mr. Ekniti.

Mr. Vitai Ratanakorn, Governor of the Bank of Thailand (BOT), highlighted that with Thailand’s global leadership in digital financial infrastructure—particularly through systems like PromptPay and Cross-Border QR payments—the BOT aims to showcase the future of the financial world under the concept of “Safe & Inclusive Digital Finance (SIDF).” This will demonstrate to the global community that digital finance must not only be fast but also highly secure and inclusive of all.

To achieve a safe and inclusive financial system, three key mechanisms are required: (1) managing digital fraud, scams, and digital crimes that directly impact confidence in the financial system; (2) mitigating cyber resilience risks to ensure the financial system can withstand technology-related vulnerabilities, given that the current system still relies on highly concentrated infrastructure and service providers; and (3) creating an accessible and fair enabling ecosystem to prevent financial exclusion and inequality, particularly in an era where unequal access to AI and digital footprints could create new forms of disparity if policies are not designed carefully.

The heart of this approach is a people-centric financial policy. Beyond protecting citizens from financial cyber threats, it unlocks fair access to capital and credit for small players, vulnerable groups, the elderly, and SMEs, ultimately enhancing their quality of life with safety and equality.

As the host central bank, the BOT is ready to make history by introducing the “Bangkok Blueprint” policy framework. Developed in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, this global output will serve as a policy compass that countries can adapt to their unique contexts to build trust in the digital financial era.

The framework will cover robust policy and legal foundations, fraud prevention and detection, enhanced inter-agency and international cooperation, and raising public financial literacy and digital resilience.

“The Bangkok Blueprint is designed to be one of the key deliverables of this summit, bridging Thailand’s national theme with global priorities. Since digital financial threats are a challenge faced by every nation, this blueprint demonstrates Thailand’s global thought leadership, turning concepts into actionable, concrete frameworks to address challenges and foster international cooperation,” concluded Mr. Vitai.

For more information on the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group and the “Road to Thailand” campaign, visit the official channels: Website: https://www.am2026thailand.go.th or Facebook: AM2026 Thailand https://www.facebook.com/AM2026THAILAND.

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SOURCE The Ministry of Finance of Thailand and The Bank of Thailand

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DAXIO Sets Three-Year Public-Market Pathway Towards a $1 Billion Valuation

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Founder-owned trade show and commercial-technology company combines 12 specialist US events, proprietary DealConnect technology, $35.7 million in annual commercial capacity and a high-margin AI-powered operating model

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — DAXIO today set out its three-year pathway towards a public-market listing and a $1 billion enterprise valuation.

“With 12 specialist events, proprietary DealConnect technology and $35.7 million in annual commercial capacity, DAXIO has a defined three-year pathway to a $1 billion valuation and public-market listing.” — Dawn Barclay-Ross, Founder and Chief Executive, DAXIO

Founded and wholly owned by international trade show organizer Dawn Barclay-Ross, DAXIO has established a portfolio of 12 specialist US events supported by proprietary DealConnect technology, qualified Hosted Buyer programmes and a portfolio-wide AI operating system.

The portfolio contains approximately $35.7 million in maximum annual commercial inventory capacity: $32.2 million in stand inventory and $3.54 million in sponsorship, advertising and Thought Leadership opportunities.

At 35%, 60% and 85% inventory realization, annual portfolio revenues are approximately $12.5 million, $21.4 million and $30.4 million respectively.

DAXIO’s current cost model indicates the potential for portfolio contribution margins above 90% at scale, reflecting its AI-powered infrastructure, centralized technology and capital-efficient operating structure.

“The next billion-dollar exhibition business will not resemble the last generation of exhibition groups,” said Barclay-Ross, Founder and Chief Executive of DAXIO.

“It will combine deep industry expertise with proprietary technology, intelligent automation and disciplined commercial execution. It will be faster, leaner and more accountable for the business value created at every event. That is DAXIO.”

Twelve events. One scalable commercial platform.

DAXIO’s 2027 portfolio comprises InfraBuild, PowerXpo, EnerWasteXpo, AgriTechXpo, BioGenomic Health Expo, Advanced Medical Device Show, NextGen MedTech Xpo, InsureCap, SmartMfg, AerospaceXpo, DefenseXpo and TalentTech.

Together, the events establish DAXIO across infrastructure, energy, environmental services, agriculture, healthcare, medical technology, insurance, manufacturing, aerospace, defense and workforce technology.

The portfolio has capacity for up to 5,856 stand-equivalent positions across the full commercially deployable event footprint.

Its multi-sector structure creates diversified revenue opportunities through stand sales, sponsorship, advertising, Thought Leadership, commercial partnerships and technology.

DealConnect moves the model beyond networking

DAXIO’s principal technology asset is DealConnect, created by Barclay-Ross to move business-event matchmaking beyond profile-swiping, unqualified introductions and chance encounters.

DealConnect assesses more than 500 data points across capability, compliance and financial dimensions to identify stronger-fit commercial opportunities during DAXIO events.

It operates alongside DAXIO’s qualified Hosted Buyer programmes. Approved buyers with purchasing responsibility and confirmed budgets may receive flights and hotel accommodation in return for agreeing to attend scheduled meetings with exhibitors during the event.

“Attendance is not the commercial outcome,” Barclay-Ross said. “The outcome is whether the right organizations meet, whether the opportunity is credible and whether that conversation can progress into business. DealConnect is designed around that standard.”

A three-year pathway to public markets

DAXIO’s public-market pathway is structured around five measurable drivers:

Converting revenue across the existing 12-event portfolioExtending the portfolio into further specialist and international marketsEstablishing recurring commercial revenues through DealConnectPreserving high margins through AI-powered executionAchieving institutional standards of governance, reporting and financial control 

Barclay-Ross has applied 25 years of international trade show and business-development experience to create an integrated exhibitions and commercial-technology company without the inherited cost base of a conventional exhibition group.

DAXIO is wholly founder-owned and independent of private-equity ownership, institutional exhibition groups and external corporate control.

“The first 12 events give DAXIO significant commercial scale. DealConnect creates proprietary technology value. Our AI operating system provides the execution capacity to operate across multiple specialist markets while protecting margin,” Barclay-Ross said.

“The pathway is already defined: convert the existing inventory, extend the portfolio, establish recurring technology income and enter the public markets as a high-growth exhibitions and commercial-technology company.

“The platform exists. The commercial capacity is quantified. The margin model is compelling. The route is repeatable. DAXIO’s pathway to a $1 billion valuation is underway.”

Strategic capital window closes September 25

DAXIO’s current $200,000 strategic-capital participation window closes on Friday, September 25, 2026.

The capital will be deployed directly into revenue-generating activity across the existing portfolio, including exhibitor and sponsor acquisition, qualified-buyer development, commercial marketing, technology deployment and sales execution.

The current financing provides a time-limited opportunity for eligible investors to participate at the beginning of DAXIO’s three-year public-market pathway.

Confidential company and investment information is available to eligible investors and professional advisers directly from DAXIO.

About DAXIO

DAXIO is a founder-owned, independent trade show and commercial-technology company headquartered in Florida.

Its portfolio comprises 12 specialist US business events supported by proprietary DealConnect technology, qualified Hosted Buyer programmes and an AI-powered operating infrastructure.

DAXIO is executing a three-year pathway towards a $1 billion enterprise valuation and public-market listing.

Media and investor enquiries

Dawn Barclay-Ross
Founder and Chief Executive
DAXIO
dawn@infrabuildXpo.com
+1 561 785 3120

Media Contact

Dawn Barclay-Ross, Capital Connect International Events Inc dba DAXIO, 1 5617853120, dawn@capitalconnectevents.com, https://www.infrabuildxpo.com/

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SOURCE Capital Connect International Events Inc dba DAXIO

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OpenCV Introduces Enterprise Support for Companies Building Products with Computer Vision

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Three service tiers offer long-term maintenance, OpenCV-certified binaries and direct engineering support. OpenCV remains free and open source.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OpenCV today announced OpenCV Enterprise, a paid maintenance and engineering offering for organizations that depend on OpenCV in their products. The program brings together support for established deployments, priority help with production issues and ongoing engineering collaboration through three tiers: OpenCV Enterprise LTS, OpenCV Enterprise Premier and OpenCV Enterprise Partnership.

Organizations can explore the tiers and register at opencv.org/enterprise.

OpenCV Enterprise is a maintenance and engineering offering for organizations that depend on OpenCV in their products.

OpenCV Enterprise builds on OpenCV’s existing engineering collaborations with companies including Qualcomm Technologies and Arm. These efforts include strengthening native OpenCV support for Windows on Snapdragon through builds, automated testing and optimization, and improving performance on Arm-based platforms through integrations such as Arm KleidiCV. The Enterprise offering brings this platform engineering experience to organizations maintaining their own OpenCV-based products.

For companies building industrial inspection systems, medical imaging applications, robotics and embedded devices, maintaining a computer vision library is an ongoing engineering responsibility. An upgrade can require extensive integration and regression testing. Staying on an older version means continuing to assess security issues, maintain builds and resolve defects. OpenCV Enterprise helps companies manage that work within an agreed support scope and product lifecycle.

“Companies need to support the products their customers already use while continuing to develop what comes next,” said Dr. Satya Mallick, CEO of OpenCV. “OpenCV Enterprise gives those teams a direct engineering relationship with OpenCV, with clear responsibilities for maintenance, testing and support. The library remains free and open source.”

Three tiers for different product needs

OpenCV Enterprise LTS — US$150,000 per year. For teams maintaining a stable OpenCV integration over a defined product lifecycle. LTS includes applicable security backports, covered severe-defect remediation, agreed regression testing, a named service owner and 10 engineering days annually. It helps companies keep established products supported while planning upgrades around their own release schedules.OpenCV Enterprise Premier — US$250,000 per year. For teams that need priority engineering support when OpenCV issues affect production or delay releases. Premier builds on LTS with a named technical lead, product-specific qualification, monthly technical reviews and 30 engineering days annually. It gives engineering teams a clear escalation path and additional capacity to address deployment-specific problems.OpenCV Enterprise Partnership — from US$400,000 per year. For organizations requiring continuing engineering collaboration across custom forks, platforms and hardware generations. Partnership builds on Premier with 60 reserved engineering days annually, an agreed development backlog and quarterly roadmap planning. Work can include optimization, fork maintenance, test integration and scoped migration or porting. 

Every delivered Enterprise binary will be certified by OpenCV

Certification ties each supplied binary to its source, build configuration and qualification results. Deliverables include signed builds, source and patches, a software bill of materials, test results, change notes and a release certificate for the supported configurations.

For companies maintaining private OpenCV forks, the service can also address gaps in automated testing and ongoing maintenance. An internal fork may not have the breadth of build-and-test coverage available through OpenCV’s continuous integration infrastructure. Enterprise qualification defines the configurations and regression checks needed for the customer’s deployment; it does not imply testing on every hardware platform.

OpenCV certification applies to the supplied software and agreed configurations. Customers retain responsibility for final product validation and any required regulatory or functional-safety approvals.
The tiers use three-year agreements billed annually. Initial qualification is priced separately, and support for older releases or private forks begins with a supportability assessment. Covered components, configurations, service windows and maintenance commitments are defined in the agreement.

Organizations can explore the tiers and register at opencv.org/enterprise. Registration creates no purchase commitment. OpenCV Enterprise is an optional paid service; OpenCV remains free and open source.

About OpenCV

OpenCV is an open-source library for computer vision, image processing and AI. It is operated by the Open Source Vision Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the beneficial use of computer vision through open collaboration and freely available software. Learn more at opencv.org.

Media contact

Phil Nelson 
Director of Content & Creative, OpenCV 
phil@opencv.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opencv-introduces-enterprise-support-for-companies-building-products-with-computer-vision-302885058.html

SOURCE OpenCV

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NICB Announces Leadership Transition

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OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the insurance industry’s association dedicated to predicting, preventing, and prosecuting insurance crime and fraud, announces that David Glawe will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer in October after six years of service leading the nonprofit organization.

“On behalf of the Board of Governors, I want to thank David for his six years of service to NICB and his commitment to its important mission,” said Nick Seminara, Chairman of the NICB Board of Governors. “We appreciate his contributions to the organization and wish him well as he prepares for his next chapter.”

Glawe reflected on his time with NICB and the organization’s mission:

“It has been a privilege to serve NICB and to work alongside such a talented and committed team. I have tremendous respect for the work they do every day and for the mission we share—bringing together the insurance industry, law enforcement, and our many partners to fight insurance fraud and crime and protect the public.

I am proud of what we have accomplished together over the past six years and grateful for the dedication, expertise, and commitment I have seen throughout the organization.”

Glawe will work with the Board and NICB leadership team through his departure to support an orderly transition. The Board will announce its leadership transition plans at the appropriate time.

NICB remains focused on its mission and on continuing to strengthen its capabilities and partnerships in the fight against insurance crime and fraud.,

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. To learn more, visit NICB.org.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nicb-announces-leadership-transition-302885047.html

SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)

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