“This conference was a great success and I think the organizers have tapped into something here in Davos,” said Kimble. “We shared a lot of expertise, particularly about the deployment of new and social media techniques, the importance of CSR and the developing sophistication of political communications.

“Next year I think the focus has to be around the criticality of comms in boardroom decision-making, and how we make the case for that. The industry still has a long way to go there. I look forward to working with the organizers to help them raise the profile of the conference,” he said.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The annual global forum “Communication on Top” aims to bring together best practices, new developments and creative ideas in the communications world.  It promotes an open dialogue with a focus on uniting high-ranking managers of leading companies, political and state-run institutions, NGOs, research centres and media experts. 

The First Forum Davos was held from February 8-9 at the Kongress Centre Davos.

More information on the event and the speakers can be found at http://www.forumdavos.com.

Topsy seeks to address the effects of HIV and AIDS by intervening in the lives of individuals infected and affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as addressing the plight of affected children, by attending to their basic needs.

Rob Burlison, Associate Director at Sovereign Strategy said “It is really important that we all do our bit. Sovereign has an excellent history of helping charities, and is pleased to support Topsy. Seeing firsthand the passion and commitment the foundation has to helping communities in Africa is truly inspiring.”

For further information about Topsy please visit www.topsyfoundation.org.uk

Mark Field MP

Mark Field MP, Syed Kamall MEP and Sovereign CEO Michael Quigley were among the speakers as well as Dr. Thomas Grant and Kate McCarthy representing Republicans Abroad and the CLWCA respectively. Both Mark and Syed stressed the importance of the special relationship between Britain and the US, as well as paying tribute to the work of Republicans Abroad and the CLWCA in strengthening the bond between Conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic.

Sovereign CEO Michael Quigley said: “It is an honour for us to support this important event at the Conservative Party conference, which we hope will become a regular fixture going forward. The transatlantic relationship remains a source of strength and inspiration for British and American politicians alike, and we hope this event can play an important role in reaffirming that bond.”

About Sovereign Strategy

Sovereign Strategy is a communications consultancy staffed by leaders in the fields of politics, journalism and business. Over the last ten years, we have advised some of the world’s most recognised brands on public policy, communications and social responsibility. Our client list reflects our core strengths in financial services, energy, sports and technology issues.

About Republicans Abroad UK

RAUK provides a political home away from home for Republicans overseas and offers a chance for members and like minded individuals to meet up and discuss the political topics of the day either over a pint or in a formal setting with guest speakers from the US, the UK and the EU from both the political and the business world. Republicans Abroad UK is a chapter of Republicans Abroad International.

About the WCLCA

The Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association is a modern forward-looking Association of like-minded people from all walks of life – rich, poor, young and old – with a common belief that their country should be run by a Conservative government. The Association has an elected Executive Council, which oversees the administration of functions such as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Selection, Campaigning and Constituency events.

The night was organized by K’S PATH Founder and Director, Ayeshah AlـHumaidhi and supported by major companies including platinum sponsors AlـSayer Group, Silver Sponsors Animal Care and Sovereign Strategy.

AlـHumaidhi described K’s PATH as a non-profit organization designed to meet the needs of every animal in Kuwait. In her address to the audience, she noted the urgency of conserving Kuwait’s wildlife.

“Getting the message out about our work and our organization is the key to raising awareness. Our habitat and our animals are under threat, and the way that the people of Kuwait, and Lulu AlـSabah, supported this major event and the premiere of our groundـbreaking documentary was tremendous,” she said.

Jolyon Kimble, Director of Middle East, Africa and Asia for Sovereign Strategy said: “It was a privilege to be able to help K’s PATH stage this hugely successful event. Ayeshah is a genuine pioneer and her efforts are making a big difference. This is what we at Sovereign believe social responsibility and sustainability is all about.”

Over 300 guests attended the ball, most dressed in full costume and hand-made Venetian Masks. Those wishing to support K’s PATH can contact the Society at http://www.kspath.org/.

Kimble spoke for 20 minutes, firstly on the context and culture of operating in the Gulf. He then presented a six-step methodology he has devised that provides an integrated communications strategy for companies to establish and protect reputation. The methodology has been devised to help companies understand the importance of mitigating political risk, and a simplified version is available on the ACE website. Kimble used the example of Britain’s Crossrail to highlight some basic differences between infrastructure projects in the west and in the Gulf, then took questions for 10 minutes before joining a panel of journalists to discuss the issues raised under the Chatham House rule. CEO Nelson Ogunshakin and Chairman of ACE International Business Group Gavin English moderated the session.

Sitting on the panel were Frank Kane, Senior Business Correspondent of The National newspaper, Sean Brierley, Content Director for EMAP Middle East, and Rob Denman, Editor in Chief and CEO of Pathfinder Business. The panel discussed issues critical to successful lobbying and press engagement in the Gulf. Other speakers discussed key legal, contractual, health and safety and insurance issues that consulting engineers operating in the GCC have to consider.

“[ACE CEO] Nelson Ogunshakin and the team at ACE have been working on behalf of their members since it first became apparent that there would be a squeeze in the Gulf,” said Kimble. “The background to the issues in the UAE is similar to elsewhere, but the culture is very different. I thought delegates would benefit if I could illustrate how they might employ public affairs to their advantage regionally and internationally. I would like to thank Frank, Rob and Sean for their time and their insight – it was a heavyweight discussion.”

The project is designed to build on KNPC’s existing strengths in environmental, social and economic strategy and Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting. By the end of the project, it is anticipated that KNPC will become one of the first companies in the world to comply with the new ISO26000 Corporate Social Responsibility Guidance Industry Standard (due to be launched in 2010/11).

The program will deliver a world-class CSR report within three years. The first draft KNPC Corporate Social Responsibility report will be circulated to internal and external audiences in 2009, the interim, first international report will be published in July 2010, and the final internationally recognized world-class report will be delivered by August 2011.

Alongside this, Sovereign Strategy will be launching a series of initiatives with KNPC, including a Foundation to effectively structure all KNPC’s social, cultural and educational contributions, and a KNPC National Volunteers Program to encourage its staff to get involved in projects in their communities. It is planned that this program will eventually be rolled out regionally and internationally. Sovereign Strategy will also advise KNPC on how to address the environmental impacts of its industry, and look into all the ways it can reduce the effects of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Executive Chairman Alan Donnelly said: “My company is proud to be advising KNPC on this landmark project. Through our work with companies and organisations such as Bloomberg, the City of London, the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the Kuwait Global Forum, Toyota and the governments of countries such as the UK and Luxembourg, we have come to understand the fundamental importance of corporate social responsibility.

“I believe that KNPC’s extraordinary vision, matched to our unique experience, can really create something special here in Kuwait.”

The project will be managed by Sovereign Strategy’s Director, Middle East and Africa Jolyon Kimble.

One of the most high-profile speakers was Bader al-Saad, Managing Director of Kuwait’s $250bn Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Kuwait Investment Authority. He said that US and European plans to make SWFs more transparent could threaten the global economy, and accused those pushing for a Code of Conduct for SWFs of “placing handcuffs” on state investments, at a time when SWFs were helping to alleviate the worst effects of the Credit Crunch.

Another speaker, David Wright, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission, argued that the proposals weren’t an attempt to ‘impose’ new regulation, more an effort towards “voluntarily formalizing what already happens in practice”.

Other speakers putting their views before the 70 international guests included Dmitriy Pankin, Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation.

Michael Quigley, European Managing Director of Sovereign Strategy, said the event had been an ‘enormous’ success. “The calibre of the speakers and the quality of the discussion was incredibly high. The scrutiny of SWFs is a massive issue at the moment, and that generated broad press interest in the conference. I’d like to thank Jeannot Krecké and the Luxembourg government as well as all our speakers and guests. We look forward to organizing the 2nd Luxembourg Foreign Trade Conference soon,” he said.

The conference also enjoyed the backing of the Prime Minister Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, and Nick Brown MP, Minister for the North East. The Prime Minister said:

“The North East has much to be proud of – its cultural and economic transformation has been remarkable. A new social and economic strategy is being built in the North East which captures the distinctive advantages of the region both as a business location and as a place to live. The Annual North East Economic Forum is a great opportunity to discuss these issues as the region faces the future.”

The Forum – the first to be addressed by a Tory leader – addressed the theme: “Celebrating success, preparing for future challenges.” The conference focussed on the region’s continuing cultural and physical transformation and highlighted the challenges the North East would face all through the coming year and beyond. Much discussed were the strict targets the region has to meet under the Regional Economic Strategy.

Keep an eye on this website for details of the next NEEF conference later this year.

Addressing the invitation-only audience, President Barroso said: “Kuwait is an important player in a region of crucial strategic importance to the EU. Your role in the Gulf Cooperation Council is a prime example of the leadership you take in this region, and the EU recognizes the value it draws from close cooperation with you.”

Discussing negotiations on the EU-GCC Free Trade Area (FTA), he added: “We are extremely close to the end, and I would like to stress the EU’s full commitment to concluding negotiations at the earliest possible opportunity. Once the FTA is in place it will enable us to sustainably diversify and increase our mutual trade and bring additional security and preferential market access for companies seeking to develop activities in our markets. The result will be more jobs and opportunities for young people in the gulf region and across the EU.”

Jawad Bukhamseen, Chairman and Founder of the Bukhamseen Group of companies, also backed the call.

“Kuwait has developed and expanded tremendously over the last half century and plays a significant role in the economic and social development of the GCC region, and its relations with the European political and trade bloc will be increasingly important to its future ambitions,” he said.

For more information on the 1st Kuwait Global Forum, please go to www.kuwaitglobalforum.com