Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović
For the fourth year and running, the Creative Republic of Bihać will gather the elite of the regional communications industry. Confirmed participants at this year’s conference, which will take place on September 8 and 9, at the Museum of the First Session of AVNOJ, include: Bane Brkljač, Ivan Stanković, Slavimir Stojanović, Tomislav Ricov, Vesna Beganović, Ismir Omeragić, Darko Bosnar, Boris Vukić, Milena Mijatović, Dijana Tepić and Kristina Ercegović.
Considering all the great names of the communications industry who have been present in Bihać at the previous three conferences (Davor Bruketa, Damir Ciglar, Bojan Hadžihalilović, Nikola Vrdoljak, Božo Skoko, Vladimir Čeh, Ejub Kučuk, Davor Runje, Slavimir Stojanović, Imelda Ramović, Kamilo Antolović and many others), a logical question is asked: What is it that attracts people fed up with travels, conferences and festivals and makes them come to the Creative Republic of Bihać? It’s not the speaker fees, because there are none. There are no points like those gained at similar events which serve personal affirmation. There’s something else that can’t be found anywhere else. First and foremost it is a trait of the leaders – big players – to go where the spotlight lights are not that bright, in order to share their experience and knowledge with entrepreneurs who really want to improve their business. Another important reason is the warmth and the enthusiasm of Nermin Nino Kasupović and his associates, organizers of the Creative Republic. Their call simply cannot be answered differently than: I’m coming! If we add to this the unique atmosphere of the AVNOJ Museum and the beauty of Una river, on whose banks they can spend two days, then the answer is complete.
The organizer’s vision is that the Creative Republic becomes Bosnia and Herzegovina’s main motivator for the development of the communications industry. For this, some other circumstances will have to fall in place, not just the enthusiasm of the organizers and their guests. Bosnian-Herzegovinian agencies and advertisers need to enter the Creative Republic into their calendars and come to Bihać, before they decide to cross the border and go to other festivals and conferences abroad. If the development of the Creative Republic remains leaning only on a few enthusiasts, the vision will never be realized.
Sponsors should also recognize their own interest here. Croatian, Slovenian and Serbian companies aren’t poring cash when they sponsor their own local conferences and festivals. Nobody today has surplus money. They invest, because they have recognized their interest in it. In addition to their own, they also recognized a wider interest. Such events contribute to economic development, promote creativity as one of the main drivers of development and thus create conditions for a more economically prosperous state. They just need to understand this. The Creative Republic of Bihać is industry’s brightest event in Bosnia and Herzegovina and should be supported. Financially, of course. Have a peek in the corners of your budgets, perhaps some unplanned funds might pop up. Send a mail to Nino Kasupović (nermin.kasupovic@gmail.com) and make a big step. Be part of the success that the Creative Republic will surely achieve in the coming years.