By: Mugdim Šehalić
With the slogan “We educate the next generation of business people” another WEBIZ training event was held at the Hotel Palisad in Zlatibor. In two modules, over the course of three days, participants discussed current issues in the field of digital economy and internet marketing, with numerous case studies.
Mugdim Šehalić talked about WEBIZ with Vladimir Kovač, CEO of Creative Media Art, who, together with his team, launched the project a little more than four years ago.
What was the underlining idea for the launch of WEBIZ? Has it changed in the meantime, and, if so, in what way?
Vladimir Kovač: The idea of starting WEBIZ arose from a desire to do something for my home town of Zrenjanin, which, like most cities in Serbia, has suffered enormously during the transition, and since there are a lot of smart and young people, I wondered what could be a way out for them. I think the development of the IT industry is the right solution, so WEBIZ is the driver of the development of IT in Zrenjanin.
The initial idea of WEBIZ changed about a year after the first conference in Zrenjanin, when we realized that in addition to young people, who primarily need direction and motivation, the economy also has a great need for education, especially about the potential of the Internet as a global network and market. So from 2014, in addition to the WEBIZ Conference, which was held this year for the fourth time, we have also developed the Program of Business Education – an educational program for businesses in which we go over current issues on commercial applications of the Internet. WEBIZ Business Education has so far been carried out six times: three times in Zrenjanin, just before the WEBIZ Conference, twice in Subotica, and a few days ago for the first time in Zlatibor, in the Palisad Hotel.
So in total, this is the tenth WEBIZ event. What do you consider the greatest successes of WEBIZ and where do you see opportunities and ways to develop it further?
Vladimir Kovač: The greatest success of WEBIZ is definitely that we have managed to survive for the fifth consecutive year, and at the same time to expand our field of action and increase the number of events. This year we were able to realize the goal that we set ourselves a few years ago, and now we cover a large part of Serbia with our WEBIZ events. Of course there is space for further development – there are plans for more expansion into the region – and of course, we strive for each subsequent event program to have more content and of higher quality. We are taking small but sure steps forward and we hope that next year we will have at least one event more than in this year.
Who has shown the most understanding of your activities? Serbia declared this year the “year of small and medium enterprises”. Is there a wind of change coming from that area into your sails?
Vladimir Kovač: The companies that use the Internet and digital technologies in their business best understand the benefits of new techniques and technologies. They are our partners and our greatest support. From the very beginning of WEBIZ we have had a pool of partner companies with which we have built the story of WEBIZ and, fortunately for us, the number of companies has been growing from year to year. I would like to mention companies such as Telekom Serbia, Erste Bank, Toyota, Idea, Frikom and Dijamant as companies that have so far been the most receptive to our activities. On the other hand, the state is still quite sluggish and not interested in supporting initiatives such as WEBIZ. We have a certain level of support from local institutions and governments in the places where we realize our events, but this support should be more concrete and more extensive.
You are oriented towards companies, but also towards all who wish to use the potentials of the Internet to develop their business. What feedback on WEBIZ do you get from the participants and lecturers, and what would you single out as the most inspiring part of your work?
Vladimir Kovač: We see our biggest success in the fact that people come back and visit our events multiple times. This is a sign that we’re doing something right. We have also acquired a very good reputation among the people of the profession, so we manage to hire some of the top practitioners in the field of digital marketing, e-commerce, etc as lecturers. The most inspiring aspect of our work is when we get feedback from people who, thanks to attending one of the WEBIZ events, have managed to achieve concrete results, to implement their idea, or who tell us that they met their new business partners at WEBIZ and are moving into new joint business ventures.
What are the reactions to WEBIZ in the region? Are there any plans on more intensive development of the regional, or international, component of the event?
Vladimir Kovač: In the four years of implementation of WEBIZ events, we have gained quite a lot of respect in the country and in the region. There are few initiatives and projects that have lasted for so long, and which constantly record growth, so WEBIZ is quite well known and talked about in the region, to our great satisfaction of course. We are working with our friends from Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have ideas for mutual cooperation and expansion of WEBIZ to the region, but it is still in its infancy, so I can’t give any more information at this time.
After more than four years of WEBIZ, what are the most significant changes you have noticed in the use of the opportunities provided by the Internet in businesses of local entrepreneurs and companies?
Vladimir Kovač: The most significant change is definitely the fact that we no longer have to tell people that the Internet is the future, and that it’s necessary for everyone. People are now aware of this. Some come to it a little faster and some a bit slower. The stories that we tell at our events and lectures today have progressed a lot, and we are slowly catching up with the West.
Do you already know what the next format and destination of WEBIZ will be?
Vladimir Kovač: The next WEBIZ event will be held in November in Subotica. This will be the third WEBIZ Business Education Program in Subotica, so we can say that we already have a traditional WEBIZ event at this location. It’s only been a few days since the WEBIZ Business Education in Zlatibor and we have already received excellent reviews, so we’ll have to try hard to show in Subotica in November that we can do even better, and not disappoint our audience.
