• Anvaraly Jiva, President of the Ismaili Council for the European Union, welcomes the delegates at last year’s Euroventures Conference.
    Sameer Vasta | 26 September 2008 | France

    Second Euroventures Conference aims to build on past success

    Anvaraly Jiva, President of the Ismaili Council for the European Union, welcomes the delegates at last year’s Euroventures Conference. Tiago Brarens

The 2008 Euroventures Conference will take place in Paris between 4 – 5 October 2008. The two-day symposium will feature many successful business leaders from Europe and other parts of the world., and promises unique networking opportunities.

Euroventures Conference Logo. Photo: Ismaili Council for the European Union

Last year's Euroventures Conference brought together Ismaili entrepreneurs and professionals from across Europe for a weekend of learning and networking in Lisbon. The 2008 conference assembles Ismailis in Paris, France for a two-day symposium featuring many successful business leaders from Europe and other parts of the world.

Taking place between 4 – 5 October 2008 at the Palais des Congrès in Porte Maillot, Paris, the 2008 conference will feature workshops, panels, and speeches by luminaries such as Jean Philippe Peugeot of PSA Peugeot Citroen SA, Malik Sacoor of Sacoor Brothers, and Shiv Nadar of HCL Technologies. The event will also provide delegates an opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs and professionals from seven or eight countries across the continent. In addition, a gala dinner has been planned at Paris's esteemed Pavillon Gabriel.

The Palais des Congrès in Paris is the venue for the 2008 Euroventures Conference. Photo: Mark Turner The Palais des Congrès in Paris is the venue for the 2008 Euroventures Conference. Photo: Mark Turner

The conference is an initiative of the Euroventures programme of the Ismaili Council for the European Union (ICEU). The programme aims to promote a culture of collaboration within the businesses and professional sections of the European Jamat, and the conference is one of the major initiatives of the programme. ICEU member and programme co-convenor, Hanif Lalani, hopes that the conference will serve as a “catalyst to encourage entrepreneurs to explore joint investment projects and to achieve economic growth through targeted partnerships.”

The three themes for this year's Euroventures Conference reflect the ICEU's vision for business and professional development in Europe. The License to Skill theme will examine the development of human resources and capital, leadership, and innovation capacity; the Stepping Stone theme will provide delegates with tools and skills to take their businesses to the next level; and the Launch Pad theme is suited to those seeking concrete opportunities for investment and collaboration.

At its core, the ICEU Euroventures programme is about bringing people together. Looking ahead to the conference, ICEU member and programme co-convenor Richad Soundardjee is excited about “providing an enabling environment for entrepreneurs and professionals to network, share experience, knowledge, and best practices, and find areas of common interest to achieve growth and career development.”