After the third European Economic Congress, Katowice for the second time this year will become a European center of business meetings. From 6th to 7th of October 2011, the first European Congress of Small and Medium-Size Enterprises will take place in the City. The event will be accompanying by the two-day SMEs Business Expo fair.
Organizers expect more than two thousand guests from Poland and abroad, and 20 foreign delegations. 80 Polish and foreign lecturers will attend 12 panel discussions. The Congress will be held under the honorary patronage of the President of Poland – Bronisław Komorowski, who already confirmed his attendance and will inaugurate a plenary session on 6th of October.
The event is addressed mainly to SME’s representatives, local governments and academic institutions. The European character of the Congress is emphasized by foreign guests, among others: from Spain, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Russia and 6 countries involved in the Project called Eastern Partnership.
They will present European experience in the field of support for SME’s based on methods of acquiring knowledge concerning business activity and entrepreneurship, procedures and expenses related with starting-up a business as well as the possibility of representing SME’s interests towards authorities.
Participants will also take part in debates concerning the analysis of SMEs situation in Poland and in the European Union, preparation of legislation postulates and recommendations for the authorities, cooperation of small and medium size enterprises with local self-governments and scientific institutions.
The SME Congress has been included in the six-month celebration of Polish Presidency in the EU Council. Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European Parliament, confirmed the participation as one of the main panelists. “One of the objectives of Polish Presidency is to improve the position of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises throughout the European Union. Today such organizations generate approximately 60% of the Community GDP and offer nearly 70% of work places. […] Let us remember that thriving and effective entrepreneurs today mean wealthier, more competitive and safer European Union tomorrow” – Jerzy Buzek said.
During the Congress, the SMEs Business Expo fair will be held at the Krystyna Bochenek Center of Culture in Katowice located at 2 Sejmu Śląskiego Square. According to the organizer, the fair will gather almost 200 exhibitors. “An aim of Business Expo is to create a platform for the exchange of contacts, offers, knowledge and experience between entrepreneurs and business support organizations, facilitating the access to financing and introducing new technologies and innovative solutions” – said Tadeusz Donocik, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice.
The Chamber is the organizer of the European Congress of Small and Medium-Size Enterprises. Katowice meeting will be one of the biggest business events addressing Small and Medium size Enterprises in East-Central Europe.
- All the debates will be held in the following venues in Katowice:
– Krystyna Bochenek Center of Culture in Katowice (2 Sejmu Śląskiego Sq.)
– Silesian Voivodeship Office (25 Jagiellońska St.)
– Marshal Office of the Silesian Voivodeship (26 Ligonia St.)
– Silesian Library (1 Rady Europy Sq.)
Participation in the Congress is free of charge. All the participants have to register until the end of September 2011 at http://kongresmsp.eu/registration/en/
based on kongresmsp.eu