CEE Forum Info Session recording: Click here to find out more about the event.

In co-operation with: 

For the 9^th time already, one of BME International’s biggest annual event will be organized on the 14^th and 15^th of November 2023. We are particularly excited as this time CEE Forum moves to a new location and will take place in in Krakow, Poland.

CEE Forum will take place for the first time in Krakow in a spectacular new location: CKF_13 Fabryczna Conference Centre. In fact, already the pre-event program offers a great opportunity to network and meet new potential business partners during a pre-evening dinner combined with a guided tour of the vodka museum, as Mercure Hotel, which is also part of the premises, used to be a polish vodka factory.

BME is holding the CEE Procurement and Supply Forum again this year as a face-to-face event. Exactly like the previous ones, the event combines highly informative lectures and discussions with extensive networking options and individual B2B meetings with suppliers from numerous Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

Eastern Europe moves into focus as an alternative sourcing region
“We are aware of the major challenges our buyers face with regard to the currently porous supply chains. In almost all industries, companies are in the process of looking for second-source suppliers or finding alternatives," says Olaf Holzgrefe, Head of International Affairs at BME. "As part of the CEE Forum, BME and its partners, German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK), offer participants the chance to speak on-site with suppliers from several countries in the number one procurement region."

Forum combines lectures with individual B2B meetings
In the conference part of the CEE Procurement and Supply Forum, renowned procurement experts from the region will present and discuss current developments and trends in Eastern Europe. "The BME CEE Procurement & Supply Forum has always combined B2B, information and networking," underlines Lisa Immensack, Senior Project Manager at BME. "We are looking forward to provide tailored support to our buyers with their procurement challenges once again on-site."

Date:           14-15.11.2023

Venue:         Pre-evening event: Utopia Vodka Bar

                    Conference day: CKF_13 Conference Center                             

Address:      Fabryczna 13, 31-553 Krakow, Poland

Event form: conference and B2B meetings

Agenda:       Download here (PDF) 

Agenda: 

PRE-EVENING EVENT, TUESDAY, 14TH NOVEMBER 2023

18:00 Guided tour of the vodka museum

19:00 Networking dinner in the Utopia Vodka Bar

CONFERENCE AGENDA, WEDNESDAY, 15TH NOVEMBER 2023 

08:30 Check-in and reception with coffee and tea

09:00 Opening address CEE Procurement & Supply Forum 2023

Olaf Holzgrefe, BMEnet GmbH, Head of International & Affairs

Dr. Lars Gutheil, AHK Poland, Executive Member of the Board of Management (tbc)

09:15 Keynote speeches: Current procurement challenges and situation

Michael Mayhaus, AMAZONEN-WERKE H. Dreyer SE & Co. KG, Head of Procurement

Simon Wollenschläger, SCHERDEL Group, Director Parts & Components Global Purchasing 

10:00 Facilitating business in challenging times

Alena Akulich, German Eastern Business Association, Head of Service Desk Ukraine

11:00 Coffee break

11:30 B2B-Matchmaking and Meet & Greet Tables

18:00 End of conference

Travel information:

The Fabryczna Conference Centre is located at 13 Fabryczna Street in the historic part of the multifunctional Fabryczna City complex, at the site of the former Polmos vodka distillery, in a well-connected district of Kraków.

Travelling possibilities:

a) Public transport (10 minutes from the Kraków Główny railway station and central bus terminal, 50 minutes from Kraków Airport):

• Tram stops on
  → Pokoju – Fabryczna 01, Fabryczna
  → Cystersów 01, Cystersów 02
• bus stops on:
  → al. Pokoju – Ofiar Dąbia 03, Ofiar Dąbia 04, Ofiar Dąbia 05

b) Travelling by car (10 minutes from the Kraków Główny railway station and central bus terminal, 30 minutes from Kraków Airport):

• GPS coordinates of the CKF_13 FABRYCZNA CONFERENCE CENTRE: 50°06’06’22’’N, 19°97’38’17’’E
• Two paid parkings in the Fabryczna 13 complex:
  → Outdoor car park (approx. 200 parking spaces),
  → Underground parking (approx. 160 parking spaces on two levels)

Hotel recommendation:

Mercure Krakow Fabryczna City

To receive 10% discount off the daily rate, please follow the instructions:

1. Choose hotel MERCURE KRAKÓW FABRYCZNA CITY
2. Select dates of stay
3. Select special rates and provide promo code EXB10

For more information please contact: Joanna Chrzanowska, [email protected], +49 6196 5828 186

Voices from participants of previous CEE Forums
"Excellent organization and good set-up for B2B meetings and networking. I liked the open and positive atmosphere." Klaus Lawory, Vice President Procurement, Kirchhoff Automotive Deutschland GmbH. "The CEE Forum is an extremely efficient format which allows us to conduct supplier screening for Eastern Europe in one day. We have found many suitable suppliers as a result." Dominik Breitbach, Supplier Development Engineer, Stabilus GmbH

Impressions 8th CEE Procurement & Supply Forum

Finding suitable suppliers in Eastern Europe
The supplier search is based on individual needs and requirements of the registered buyers. These company profiles will be sent to supplying companies from more than 15 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Buyers can select suppliers and either additionally book an individual table to meet them in pre-scheduled B2B meetings or reserve a meet & greet table, where meeting times are not scheduled in advance. Participation in the event, individual supplier list and Meet & Greet Table – all for the price of 995 euros (plus VAT) per company! B2B Table with pre-scheduled meetings costs additionally 250 euros. With the BME Sourcing Guarantee, participants take no risk - if no suitable suppliers are found, no costs will be incurred.

First steps to participate in this event 

➀ Register first as buyer or supplier for BME Matchmaking Service free of charge.
➁ Fill out and send the questionnaire to BME. Mark the events you are interested in.
➂ BME will inform you as soon as you get access to the profiles, can select your preferred B2B partners and

    register for the events.

Prices for suppliers

• Registration for BME Matchmaking service: free of charge
• B2B Booking Costs per company: 395€
  2^nd Person 20% discount
• B2B Booking Cost for company, registered as premium-supplier on www.bmeopensourcing.com or on AHK-ISF Platform: 295€
  2^nd Person 20% discount
• Please note: Cancellation 7 days prior to the event: 50% of the price
  Participants, who do not show up at the event without prior cancellation are obliged to pay the full participation fee.

Prices for buyers

• Registration for BME Matchmaking service: free of charge
• Supplier List, which gives you access to supplier profiles for upcoming event in 2023: 395€*
• 1 Year Flat Rate All Supplier Lists, which gives access to supplier profiles from all upcoming events in 2023: 995 € p.a.
  Subscription expires on: 31^st of December of the current year**
• Supplier Lists of past BME matchmaking events, with all details of supplier profiles, per list: 595

B2B booking Costs for buyers

• Per company: 995€*
  Incl. 395€ Supplier List und Meet & Greet Table - individual table with a company name, a list of all registered suppliers, no pre-scheduled meetings and one participant
• Per additional person: 395€
• Per person for customers of 1 Year Flat Rate All Supplier Lists: 695€
• B2B Table per company: 250€
  Individual table with company name and pre-scheduled meetings / meeting schedule with chosen suppliers.
• Cancellation fee: 395€
• Non-Buyers (Service-Providers/Consultants/IT-Platforms): 1,295€

• Please note: Cancellation 7 days prior to the event: 50% of the price
  Participants, who do not show up at the event without prior cancellation are obliged to pay the full participation fee.

(*)BME charges EUR 395 for the supplier list for booking events, regardless of event participation. Exception: BME-Sourcing-Guarantee for BME members and companies which have the Flat Rate.
BME-Sourcing-Guarantee: if no suitable suppliers are found, no costs will be incurred. Necessary for this: short feedback, no further use of supplier data, in some cases feedback talks with partners.

**The contract will be extended for another year (price: 995€+VAT) unless terminated 2 months before the end of the current year in the BME shop or by sending an
email to: [email protected]

Note: Prices plus VAT, applicable at the time of invoicing

For participation & information