The best way to break down barriers between business communities is to create a meeting place where businesspeople can meet up and start a conversation. That was the main idea behind two business networking events that took place in early February in Marosvásárhely/Targu Mures. Although both events were organized on the same day, they actually showed that local business owners are open to connecting with international businessmen and aligning their values accordingly.
On February 7, a group of 92 people gathered in the conference room of the Imperial Inn for an event organized by Maros/Mures County BNI members under the umbrella of International Networking Week. Those present included local business owners as well as people from Bucharest, Brassó/Brasov, Galati and Budapest, event organizer Botond Peres told TransylvaniaNOW.
“My main goal was to build a bridge between Hungarian and Romanian businessmen, so we can all overcome the lack of confidence characterizing the two communities. From what I’ve seen so far, we are open to buying each other’s products, but when it comes to collaboration, a joint business, the approach changes. This is my experience, and everyone I’ve talked with about my goal to bring the communities together supports the initiative. So, there is no actual problem – from what I can see – and it is becoming our role to build that bridge between the Hungarian and Romanian business communities. We do that by inviting them into the same room, holding regular meetings and discussing a variety of options,” Peres told TransylvaniaNOW.
On the same day, Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mureș Culture Palace hosted the first Carpathian-basin business conference organized by Central European Economic Development Network Nonprofit Ltd. (CED), and St. Georgius Manager Club. The latter gathers local Hungarian businesses under its umbrella; Botond Peres is also a member of this club.
Counting more than 300 participants from Hungary, Upper Hungary (now Slovakia) and Serbia along with Hungarian businesspeople from Transylvania, the event’s main focus was networking. But as the speakers highlighted, it was also meant to show off success stories from Marosvásárhely and Maros/Mures County. On the second day of this event, participants visited ten local businesses and received firsthand information about local merchandise and services.
