The recent recession drastically slowed down economic growth in the countries of CE/SEE, although its impact varied widely across economies. Fortunately, there are signs that growth and consumption are picking up again and that CE/SEE economies are returning to the growth path.

For companies it is critical now to shift from cost-cutting to a growth-orientation again. Marketing and sales are considered major initiatives to recover performance in the region. Today’s proactive management is laying the groundwork for future success. The ongoing industry consolidation process offers the “winners” a good opportunity to gain market share and to expand their CE/SEE business. After reviewing and overhauling their CE/SEE strategy they are now well prepared for the coming upswing.

At this conference, we will discuss the future of CE/SEE economies, how consumers cope with the recession, and how companies respond to the new market conditions. Presentations will center around the following questions:

• What is the mid- to long-term economic growth potential of the
  region? Why does CE/SEE remain attractive for foreign investors?
• Which countries should be targeted by investors and exporters?
• When will cash-strapped CE/SEE consumers start spending again?
  Which product categories will benefit mostly from the surge in
  demand?
  
• Why are some local and Western companies more successful than
  others - what is it that the “winners” are doing right?
  
• How did the international top-brands enter the CE/SEE markets and how did they adapt their retail strategy?
  
• How do “local heroes” outperform global brands in CE/SEE?
• Going on-line: why are social media the new drivers of brand
  awareness in CE/SEE? Why is social media implementation in CE/SEE different to a Western-style Facebook approach?
• Examining the human resources agenda for CE/SEE: How to keep and attract the best people for the coming upswing? Will we face a bottleneck of qualified managers yet again?