Antigua and Barbuda was among the Caribbean nations represented at the inaugural Caribbean Economic Forum (CEF) 2026, a landmark gathering that brought together global financial leaders representing more than US$24 trillion in institutional assets, lending capacity and balance sheet strength.

Held from June 18 to 19 at the Hilton Barbados Resort, the Forum convened an unprecedented assembly of international investors, sovereign representatives, multilateral development banks, Wall Street investment banks, private equity firms, central bank governors, government ministers and corporate executives to explore investment opportunities across the Caribbean.

Hosted by ACERO CAPITAL, the Forum was designed to position the Caribbean as a unified, investment-ready market capable of attracting significantly greater flows of global institutional capital.

For Antigua and Barbuda, the event presented an opportunity to further showcase its economic resilience and investment prospects to some of the world’s largest sources of capital.

Discussions throughout the two-day event focused on mobilising investment into key sectors that closely align with Antigua and Barbuda’s development priorities, including infrastructure, renewable energy, climate resilience, technology, food security, logistics, financial services and the blue economy.

The Forum also emphasized the importance of innovative financing structures and strategic partnerships between governments, international financial institutions and the private sector to transform regional development projects into bankable investments.

Founder of the Caribbean Economic Forum and Managing Partner of ACERO CAPITAL, Gregory N. Hill, said the region must move beyond the perception of being a collection of small, fragmented economies.

“For too long, the global community has misread the Caribbean as a collection of small, isolated markets. We completely reject that narrative. The Caribbean is one of the world’s most strategic investment frontiers,” Hill said.

He noted that the Forum seeks to reposition the Caribbean as a unified investment destination capable of attracting institutional capital at scale through stronger project preparation, innovative financial structures and strategic partnerships.

The gathering attracted participants from across the Caribbean, Latin America, the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Türkiye and Africa, reinforcing the region’s growing importance in global capital markets.

The Caribbean Economic Forum concluded with a commitment to accelerating investment across the region and establishing a new model for connecting Caribbean opportunities with the world’s largest pools of capital.

For Antigua and Barbuda, the Forum represents another avenue to strengthen international partnerships and attract investment that supports sustainable economic growth and national development.