CEE-SPI 2009 will be held at the

Golden Tulip Times Bucharest

Address:
19, Decebal Blvd
030964.
Bucharest-3

Romania

www.GoldenTulipTimes.com

People registering to CEE-SPI 2009 will get a special discount. Please mention CEE-SPI 2009 while booking.

Ramona SCARLAT
e-mail: events@no_Spam.goldentuliptimes.com
Work phone no: 0040 21 316 65 18
Mobile phone no: 0040 746 261 093

Bucharest is the capital city and industrial and commercial centre of Romania. It is located in the southeast of the country, at 44°25′N, 26°06′E, and lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River. It was originally known as Dâmboviţa citadel.

By European standards, Bucharest is not an old city, its existence first being referred to by scholars as late as 1459. Since then it has gone through a variety of changes, becoming the state capital of Romania in 1862 and steadily consolidating its position as the centre of the Romanian mass media, culture and arts.

Its eclectic architecture is a mix of historical, interbellum, Communist-era and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of the "Paris of the East" or "Little Paris" (Micul Paris). Although many buildings and districts in the historic centre were damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes and Nicolae Ceauşescu's program of systematization, many survived. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom.

Romania is a country of enormous promise and potential with a marketplace of 22 million consumers (9th largest territory and the 7th largest population among the EU member states). It is rich in agricultural lands, energy and mineral resources, and human capital, with a well-educated and productive labor force. Their talent, skill, and ambition are already turning Romania into a key player in the region and beyond.

One of the Romania’s great success stories can be found in the Information Technology sector. Not only is it recognized as one of the strongest in the region, boasting 85 percent American products and continuing to attract high-levels of investment; Romania’s own innovations have become globally recognized products. The legislation governing the sector has served to encourage investors and helped stem the so-called “brain drain” experienced in other sectors. The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Romania ahead of India, Russia, and China in terms of IT sector competitiveness.

On the occasion of the inauguration of Microsoft’s Global Technology Support Center in Bucharest a year ago, Bill Gates was asked “why Romania?” His response was simple - great geographic location, great engineers, and great foreign language speakers. They say that after English, one of the languages heard most often at Microsoft’s Seattle headquarters is Romanian, spoken by the 300 plus Romanians employed there. Bill Gates knows a thing or two about the war for talent…

But Microsoft is not alone. Leading U.S. and European companies have moved eagerly into the Romanian market. Airline connections throughout Europe and beyond are proliferating. I. Foreign Direct Investment in Romania from the U.S. and Europe is up over 600% since 2000.