Spark.Me 2022

Spark.me, one of the largest business conferences in Southeast Europe, this year will be held on 4-5 June in the Auditorium Porto Montenegro in Tivat, under the organization of the company doMEn d.o.o, a private company which is in charge of Montenegro's national internet domain - .ME.

Since 2013, Spark.me has hosted over 3,000 participants from 30 countries around the world and 80 internationally recognized speakers. It is an interactive conference designed to encourage the creativity of participants, to enable them to improve their knowledge thanks to internationally recognized speakers, to help them improve their business, as well as to design and start new business ventures. This is the eighth edition of Spark.me, and the second time that the conference will be held in Porto Montenegro, the heart of nautical tourism in Montenegro and one of the most exclusive marinas on the Adriatic coast. Previously a historic naval base, Porto Montenegro’s reincarnated as the Mediterranean’s leading luxury yacht homeport and marina village. The village attracts a vibrant year-round international crowd, with the scene of an event that extends to conferences, exhibitions, and cultural events.

THIS YEAR’S SPARK.me SPEAKERS: 

• Christopher S. Penn, a world authority in the field of digital marketing whose special expertise is in the fields of analytics, data science, and machine learning. The audiences gathered in Tivat will have a unique opportunity to hear the five-time award-winning data and artificial intelligence expert, according to IBM, while Brand24 ranked him in the top 100 digital marketing experts. The prestigious software company Onalytica counts him among the 100 most influential people in the field of artificial intelligence in marketing. Penn is currently co-founder and director of data analytics at Trust Insights, and some of his products have helped brands such as Twitter, Citrix Systems, GoDaddy, AAA, and McDonald’s.
• Fredrik Härén, a creativity researcher who has so far given over 2,000 lectures in more than 70 countries on six continents.Haren has spent the past 25 years traveling the world exploring human creativity. He has worked with world-renowned brands such as VISA, HP, KPMG, BMW and IKEA. Haren was awarded as the speaker of the year in Sweden, and he was included in the 10 best Swedish speakers of all time. He is the author of 10 books, including The Idea Book, which was selected among the 100 best books in the field of business of all time.
• Pete Blackshaw, an internationally recognized digital marketing and branding expert, innovator, author and leader in digital and social media at Nestlé, Nielsen and Procter & amp; Gamble. After successful work in these corporations, he is currently the CEO of the startup catalyst and investment fund Cintrifuse.
  Bleksho was the global vice president of digital and social media at Nestle, the world's largest food company, where he led innovative digital projects for hundreds of Nestle brands. He was previously the Marketing Director of NM Incite, a partnership formed by Nielsen and McKinsey. In his rich career, he also founded a team in charge of digital marketing in the global giant Procter & amp; Gamble. After leaving the company, he launched the site PlanetFeedback.com, one of the first online portals where consumers could express their opinions about products.
• Michael G Jacobides, one of the 50 greatest business and management thinkers in the world in the regular biennial Thinkers50 selection.
  Jacobides is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Professor of Strategy at the prestigious London Business School and is one of the leading international experts who helps startups and companies how to overcome the challenges of change in the digital environment. He is working on developing strategies for world-renowned organizations such as Haier, Huawei, Spotify, MasMovil, Vodafone, Nokia, SAP, Enel, Santander, Helvetia, Zurich, CS, Airbus, DeBeers, Burberry, Merck Serono, and the NHS. He has worked with the British Parliament on the future of financial services, as well as with European Council on Innovation in Europe.
• Sir Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. Professor Collier is the director of the International Growth Center as well as the British Council for economic and social research in the field of macroeconomics (Economic and Social Research Council). His research focuses on the weakening of the state and institutions, the transformation of the economy from poverty to poverty development and progress, migration and refugees, the consequences of group psychology on development, and urbanization in poor countries. He dealt with the topic of the crisis of modern capitalism in his book - 'The Future of Capitalism'. In 2014, Collier was awarded the title of knight for his merits in promoting research and change in public policy in Africa, and he was named one of the 100 most influential thinkers in the field of public policy.
• Daan Roosegaarde, a Dutch artist and innovator who was named the initiator of creative change by Forbes and Good 100 magazines. Roseharde is also the second TED speaker to appear at this year's Spark.me conference. As an artist and innovator focusing on the relationships between people, technology and the universe, Roseharde founded Studio Roosegaarde in 2007, where he and his team of designers and engineers are making prototypes of the smart and sustainable cities of the future. He describes himself as a creator inspired by nature and technology, which is best seen through his designs such as Water Light (virtual flood), the Smog-Free Project (the largest external smog purifier that makes jewelry) and Space Waste Laboratories (mission to recycle space - based waste recycling).
• Victoria Taylor, a British consultant who has worked with brands such as Warner Bros., Aston Martin, Kempinski Hotels & Resorts. She focuses on hospitality and luxury brands in her work to help create a unique experience for the customers, and her approach is based on the connection of imagination, world of the future and focus on man. Taylor helps brands increase customer engagement, emotion and loyalty through strategies driven by a different experience. The organizers of the conference believe that Taylor, as someone whose ideas are an inexhaustible source of inspiration, will encourage the audience to think about how products, services and experiences in the business world can be exceptional, because Taylor as a researcher and leader always starts from that question.
• Dean Johnson, a British consultant in the field of design, technology and innovation and president of the International Professional Association of Designers. Johnson has 30 years of experience working with different brands in industries such as film, TV, publishing, music and education, and aims to push boundaries and connect design, technology and innovation to create the future of the creative industry. His book ‘Digital Publishing: The Next Steps’ is among the 20 best-selling design books on the Apple Books platform in the last 10 years. Johnson's special sphere of interest and research is Virtual Reality, in which he spent 48 hours in 2017, creating innovations that he will talk about to the audience gathered at the Spark.me conference.
• Katy Leeson, the host of the popular podcast ‘I Shouldn’t Say This, But’ who has been the director of the multi-award winning digital marketing Social Chain for years. Leeson has twice (in 2019 and 2020) been named an influential thinker in the field of social media by LinkedIn, the largest online network of business professionals in the world. She focuses on the challenges faced by people in management positions, and is deeply committed to breaking down barriers to leadership and job creation.
• Dave Birss, author, lecturer and consultant focused on creativity, innovation and presentation skills who has spent many years as the creative director of some of London’s most famous and largest advertising agencies, including OgilvyOne, Poke and recently co-authored his new book Friction with popular American-Taiwanese writer Soon Yu. Birs is, among other things, an educator who has published several courses, both on the LinkedIn Learning platform and on his website - www.davebirss.com, where there is a virtual presentation academy that served many individuals, companies and startups during the corona virus pandemic to acquire presentation skills for online events and competitions.

Tickets for the Spark.me 2022 conference can be purchased on the official website  - www.spark.me. The full price of the ticket is €300, but those interested can currently buy their ticket at a special price of €100 (limited promotional tickets). Additionally, as a motivation for all young people eager for knowledge, student tickets are also available at a price of only €50, which are intended for high school pupils and students under 27 years of age. The ticket price includes access to all lectures (June 4-5), startup competition (June 4-5), lunch for both days of the conference, refreshments at all coffee breaks during both days of the conference, as well as a cocktail reception (June 4).

Spark.me has come a long way from a meeting point for a couple of dozen of tech enthusiasts and geeks to a must-visit tech and marketing event for the Balkan region and beyond. We are looking forward to seeing you there!