Conference Locations:

Conference Partners


Embassy of Croatia to Germany

Embassy of Afghanistan to Germany

Embassy of Uganda to Germany

Berlin Economic Forum 2017

"Innovative Nation Branding: Sustainable Economies, Tourism & Responsible Foreign Investments"

Held Parallel to the Berlin International Tourism Trade Fair (ITB)
(Berlin; May 9th - 12th, 2017)

Forum Agenda

Thursday, March 9th, 2017
09:15 Registrations, Morning Coffee, Tea and Refreshments
10:00 Welcome Words President Emil Constantinescu
(Former President of Romania)
10:30 MALTA CASE STUDY
Keynote Speech
Paul Bugeja
(CEO, Malta Tourism Authority)
11:00 GERMANY CASE STUDY
“Innovative Nation Branding: Germany - Land of Ideas” 
Presentation
Anke Müller
(Project management, “Germany - Land of Ideas” Place-Branding Initiative)
11:30 MOROCCO CASE STUDY
Keynote Speeches, followed by Lunch Reception with Moroccan delights


Keynote Speech
Tarik Sadik
(Director of Strategy and Cooperation, Ministry of Tourism Kingdom of Morocco)

Keynote Speech
Khalid Lahsaini
(Minister Counsellor, Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco)
12:30 Morocco Lunch Reception with Moroccan delights
14:00 UGANDA CASE STUDY
Keynote speech, followed by Cultural Performance, and Reception
with Ugandan delights, Complemented by Exhibition

Keynote Speech
The Hon. Minister Ephraim Kamuntu
(Minister of Tourism of Uganda)
14:30 Cultural Performances along with Reception with Ugandan delights,  complemented by Exhibition of Ugandan Cultural and Creative Industries products 
15:00 “The Association of Danube River Municipalities “Danube”- а Model of Common Concept and Strategy for Regional Development”
Keynote Speech
Maria Tzankova
(Executive Director of the Association of Danube River Municipalities "Danube")
15:30 “Innovative Nation Branding: Creative Economies, Sustainable Tourism, and Responsible Foreign Investments”
Keynote Speech
Patrick Torrent
(Director of the Catalonia Tourism Board)
16:00 PAKISTAN CASE STUDY
Cultural Tourism Event
 
Documentary film, Keynote speech, followed by Reception with Pakistani Cuisine

Welcome Words
H.E. Amb. Jauhar Saleem
(Ambassador of Pakistan to Germany)

Keynote Speech
Chief Minister Muhammad Barjees Tahir
(Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan)  
18:30 LATIN AMERICA AND COSTA RICA CASE STUDY
18:30 “Latin American and Eastern Europe: An Overlooked Opportunity”
Presentation
Joshua Rodriguez
(MA graduate in Cultural Diplomacy and Global Governance, University of Siena and the ICD Academy for Cultural Diplomacy)
19:00 Keynote Speech
Alejandro Castro
(Director of Costa Rica Tourism Board)
19:30 Conclusion of the Day
Friday, March 10th, 2017
08:30 Morning Coffee, Tea and Refreshments
9:00 Keynote Speech
The Hon. Markus Meckel (MdB)
(Former Foreign Minister of the German Democratic Republic, Former Member of the German Bundestag)
9:30 Keynote Speech
The Hon. Dirk Glaesser
(Director of the Programme for Sustainable Development of Tourism at United Nations World Tourism Organization)
10:00 “Innovations for Sustainability and social activities of Bosch”
Keynote Speech
Bernhard Schwager
(Head Sustainability Office, Corporate Communications, Brand Management, and Sustainability, Robert Bosch GmbH)
10:30 “Globalisierung in der Zeitenwende”
Keynote Speech
The Hon. Rupert Scholz
(Former Minister of Defence of Germany)
11:00 “Trade Wars or Open Markets”
Keynote Speech
Jürgen Trittin (MdB)
(Member of the German Parliament; Former German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation & Nuclear Safety)    
11:30 Welcome Words in Honour of President Edmund Stoiber
Keynote Speech
President Emil Constantinescu
(Former President of Romania)
11:35 Europa im Umbruch
Keynote Speech
President Edmund Stoiber
(Former Minister President of Bavaria)

An Interview with the Hon. Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi
13:00 Lunch Reception
15:30 Keynote Speech
The Hon. Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi
(7th Director-General of the World Trade Organization; Former Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD))

An Interview with the Hon. Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi
17:00 KYRGYZSTAN CASE STUDY
Keynote Speech
The Hon. Deputy Minister Azamat Djamankulov
(Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic)
17:30 MONTENEGRO CASE STUDY
“Nation Branding - Example of Montenegro”
Presentation
Jovo Rabrenovic
(Director General, Directorate for Development of Nation Branding and for Consumer Protection in the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro)
Marija Cvorovic
(Head, Department for Development of Nationional Brand, Directorate for Development of Nation Branding and for Consumer Protection in the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro)
18:00 AFGHANISTAN CASE STUDY
Keynote speeches, followed by Dinner and Cultural Performance

Keynote Speech
H. E. Amb. Ali Ahmad Jalali
(Ambassador of Afghanistan to Germany, Former Minister of the Interior of Afghanistan)
18:30 Dinner and Cultural Performance
Saturday, March 11th, 2017
09:00 Morning Coffee, Tea and Refreshments
9:30 “Central Banking in the New Era”
Presentation
Bilal Bagis
(Assistant Professor at the Bingöl University of Turkey)
10:00 CYPRUS CASE STUDY
“LIMASSOL: steps towards sustainable tourism and innovative branding”
Keynote Speech
Maria Stylianou Michaelidou
(Manager, Limassol Tourism Board)
10:30 “Regional Growth through Joint Initiatives in Economic Growth Tourism and Joint Investment”
Keynote Speech
Nondas Cl. Metaxas
(Director General - CEO, Cyprus Stock Exchange)
11:00 Keynote Speech
Philipp Lengsfeld (MdB)
(Member of the German Parliament)
11:30 Keynote Speech
Hon. Gert Weisskirchen
(Former Senior Member of the German Parliament)
12:00 Keynote Speech
Tiaan Bazuin
(Chief Executive Officer, Namibian Stock Exchange)
12:30 “Investing into Indigenous Experiences for a More Human and Conscious Tourism”
Keynote Speech
Aurélie Debusschère
(CEO, Native Immersion)
13:00 ESTONIA CASE STUDY
The Good Country Guide: e-Estonia - A Digital Society
Presentation
Bruno Farace
(MA graduate in Cultural Diplomacy and Global Governance, University of Siena and
the ICD Academy for Cultural Diplomacy)

Keynote Speech
Kristiina Omri
(Diplomat in Economic Affairs, Embassy of Estonia to Germany)
13:30 Lunch Break
15:00 GUINEA BISSAU CASE STUDY
Keynote Speech
The Hon. Minister Fernando Vaz
(Minister of Tourism and Crafts of Guinea-Bissau)

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM THROUGH ECOTOURISM IN GUINEA
Keynote Speech
The Hon. Rui Duarte Barros
(Former Prime minister, Guinea Bissau)
15:30 “Economic Development, Conflicts and History”
Keynote Speech
The Hon. Erkki Tuomioja
(Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland)
16:30

“Invest in the USA after Trump”
Panel Discussion  
Chairman: The Hon. Dirk Niebel
(Former German Minister for Economic Cooperation)

President Emil Constantinescu
(Former President of Romania)
The Hon. Erkki Tuomioja
(Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland)
The Hon. Rui Duarte Barros
(Former Prime minister, Guinea Bissau)
The Hon. Nondas Cl. Metaxas
(Director General - CEO, Cyprus Stock Exchange)
The Hon. Tiaan Bazuin
(Chief Executive Officer, Namibian Stock Exchange)

17:30 Keynote Speech
Amb. Dietrich von Kyaw
(Former German Ambassador to the European Union)
18:00

URUGUAY CASE STUDY     
Keynote Speech
H. E. Amb. Alberto Guani
(Ambassador of Uruguay to Germany)

Keynote Speech

18:30 HONDURAS CASE STUDY
Keynote Speech
H. E. Amb. Ramón Custodio Espinoza
(Ambassador of Honduras to Germany)
19:00 "Nation Branding: Scotland's Competitive Identity”
Presentation
Prof. Jürgen Kamm
(Professor of English Literature and Cultures, Universität Passau)
19:00 Conclusion of the Day
Sunday, March 12th, 2017
10:30 Morning Coffee, Tea and Refreshments
11:00 “A Disenfranchised Response to Globalism: The Communicative Practices of ISIS for Recruitment and Power”
Presentation
Cody Bijou
(Researcher, Political Science, the University of Arkansas - Monticello)
11:30 The New Golden Age: Arts and Culture as a Growth Engine”
Presentation
Christian Have
(Public Debater, Author; the Creative Director of “Have Communications”)
12:00 "The tension between sustainable developments, host State interests and investor demands under international law"
Presentation
Bernhard Maier
(Attorney-at-law admitted with the Supreme Court of New York, Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, Associate, DLA Piper)
12:30 Conclusion Words
13:00 Optional Excursion: Visiting the ITB