Ecommerce Conference Brochure 2021

E-commerce CONFERENCE

A Word from the President and Chair of the Conference Welcome to the 4th edition of the Macedonian Annual E-commerce Conference.

The idea for organizing the first e-commerce conference four years ago was born because of the need of the industry to gather in one place and start raising the voice about the potential of e-commerce in North Macedonia, the barriers that hinder its growth, the needs of the industry and discuss best practices and strategies for growth of the e-commerce businesses. Following and learning from the leading e-commerce conferences and events across the globe in developed markets the Association hosted the First E-commerce Conference in North Macedonia that shortly became a well known brand in the region attracting participants from many countries.

Each year we carefully select the theme depending on the development and the needs of the industry. The theme of this year’s conference is “E-COMMERCE: READY, STEADY, GROW!”.

COVID-19 accelerated e-commerce and pushed businesses to find quick ways to adapt with opening a new sales channel (online) or investing in improving their existing ones in order to survive and thrive - to compensate for the decline in business at their physical locations but also to reach new potential customers and grow their business. The restrictive measures imposed by the Government due to Covid-19 aslo pushed people to 2

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change their behavior and increase their digital skills. The selling propositions of e -commerce during the pandemic were no longer “saving time and more convenience” but rather protecting our health or simply not having another choice during lockdowns and restrictive measures imposed by the Government.

The e-commerce learning curve got much steeper due to COVID-19 and today the companies are more READY and their processes and minds are SET to GROW their business at a much greater speed.

A high quality program is one of the key pieces of the conference puzzle (kind of one of those in the very heart of the puzzle). Each year we pay a lot of attention to the program and the selection of speakers - according to the needs of the market, the expectations of the participants and the current trends. The conference program includes five main topics organized in thirteen keynote presentations, one fireside chat and three panel sessions. We know that a high-quality program is key to a successful conference so we have put lots of effort into creating a great tailored program that will be delivered by 28 experienced and insightful speakers today coming from ten countries.

We will start the conference with digitalization and the track named “We Want a Digital Nation” because this is a prerequisite for the development of e-commerce, as an integral part of the digital economy.

Then we will talk about “The COVID-19 push on e-commerce” in North Macedonia, but also in Europe and we will hear examples of the impact and strategies undertaken by two big brands. Next we turn to “Safe, Sound & Innovative E-payments” and we will talk about the “triangle” of trust, technology and regulation, and the new e-payment experiences.

During the fourth track “More Women for Better Performance: The Why, What & How of having more women included?”, we will have the pleasure to hear from three strong women in leading positions who are creating great performances for their companies. And the fifth track is the biggest one in the program dedicated to “Digital Marketing and New Trends”. It features six keynote presentations delivered by top speakers who will share their insights, tips and tricks on topics such as social e-commerce, customer engagement with messaging apps, cognitive technology and many more. We will have the opportunity to hear also from the leading regional marketplaces about what works 3

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and what doesn’t when it comes to marketing tools and tactics. And traditionally we will finish with gamification, a quiz competition with valuable prizes for the winners, followed by networking with cocktails powered by the gold sponsors.

This conference would not be possible without our general partner Mastercard, who has been supporting the work of the Macedonian E-commerce Association since the beginning; our digital partner А1 Makedonija; our gold partners Casys, Payten, Pivara Skopje and Kara5; our organizational partner the Fund for Innovations and Technology; our silver partners Haselt and Halkbank; bronze partners Komercijalna Banka, Iute Credit, Eurolink, ELS and Red Bull; and our supporters SwissEP, GIZ, IWM Network, DoubleTree by Hilton; our wine partner Tikves Winery and PR partner Popularno.mk. We are thankful to all of them and to all of our media partners as well.

I would like to thank all members of the Macedonian E-commerce Association who are supporting our work and who recognize our work and contribution in creating a more favourable climate for e-commerce development and growth.

And last but not least I would like to thank you all for being here today (physically and virtually). I hope you will learn new things that will help your businesses grow, meet new people and enjoy this day.

My team and I invite you to share your thoughts and photos on social media using our hashtag #eCommerceMK

Nina Angelovska, PhD,

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

About the Organizer The Macedonian E-commerce Association was established four years ago with a mission to create a more favorable climate for e-commerce development and unlock its potential. Through activities such as research, training, advisory and support, conferences and other educational events, networking opportunities, and implementation of various initiatives and projects the Association strives to contribute to eliminating the barriers that hinder the growth of the industry, meet the needs of its members and build a strong environment for faster progress and development of e-commerce in North Macedonia.

The Association has 120+ members coming from all sectors from the e-commerce ecosystem that support its work and has established itself as “the voice of e-commerce”.

The Macedonian E-commerce Association closely monitors the development of e-commerce in North Macedonia and the progress compared to the neighboring countries and to the European countries. The analysis of the state of e-commerce, along with the mapped barriers and recommendations for further progress and development consist in the comprehensive E-commerce Analysis Reports published by the Macedonian E-commerce Association. The recommendations that are part of the analysis are a result of the mapped barriers and serve as a guide for future initiatives that the Association undertakes, but also can serve as guides to all key stakeholders including government, non-governmental institutions, international organizations and donors and all other stakeholders that are willing to contribute in creating a more favorable climate for e-commerce development.

The contribution and the role of the Association became even more pronounced, with the onset of the pandemic as e-commerce was the key for businesses to adapt so they can survive and thrive.

It has successfully implemented many projects, and one of the great recent projects is the launch of the resource and knowledge platform for e-commerce called Ecommerce4all.mk that was developed as part of the project “E-commerce for all” with the support of USAID’s Business Ecosystem Project. In addition to the platform, the Association provided advisory and financial support to 40 MSMEs to open their e-shop, and organized learnathons for capacity building. Among the other implemented initiatives is the first student hackathon “Hack the grey economy in e-commerce”; the “eTrade for Women Masterclass” for the Balakans co-organized with UNCTAD under the leadership of Nina Angelovska as UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate; the introduced “badge for verified e-shops”; the launch of the “e-shops registry”; and many other educational and informational sessions and events organized throughout the year for its members.

The Macedonian Association has an ongoing collaboration with many regional Associations and great market knowledge of the e-commerce ecosystem in the Balkan region. And it remains committed to work jointly with all stakeholders to put the transformation towards a digital and smart society in ‘fifth gear’, because it means a more equal society that provides greater equity, more opportunities, and faster, greener and more sustainable economic growth of our country.

Want to join the Ecommerce community?

Become a member and join us at www.ecommerce.mk/join-us 5

E-commerce CONFERENCE

Program & Agenda A high quality program is one of the key pieces of the conference puzzle (kind of one of those in the very heart of the puzzle). Each year we pay a lot of attention to the program and the selection of speakers - according to the needs of the market, the expectations of the participants and the current trends.

This year’s agenda consists of five main tracks.

We are starting the conference with the track named “We Want, We Want a Digital Nation” and we will have the chance to learn from Europe’s role model for digitaltion, Estonia. We will talk about digitalization and a digital nation, because this is a prerequisite for the development of e-commerce.

The second track titled “E-commerce Has Come a Long Way: The COVID-19 Push” includes a presentation of the overview of e-commerce development in North Macedonia and the progress in Europe, and we will have the opportunity to hear examples of the impact and strategies undertaken by the leading Dutch marketplace, Bol.com and Coca Cola.

Security and trust are key to e-commerce so the third track is dedicated to “Safe, Sound & Innovative E-payments”. This track will feature two keynote presentations and a panel session that will address the “triangle” of trust, technology and regulation.

Inclusiveness and equality are needed for growth and development in every field, so the fourth track consists of a panel session “More Women for Better Performance: The Why, What & How of having more women included?”.

And the fifth track, which represents almost half of the whole program, is dedicated to “Digital Marketing and New Trends”. In today’s world of rapid change, quick learning and adaptation in applying new tools and tactics is key for growth. Top speakers coming from big international brands like Alibaba Group, Spotify and Viber will share their insights, tips and tricks with the audience on the carefully selected topics This track includes six keynote presentations and one panel session with the regional leading marketplaces who will talk about their marketing lessons learnt and will share what works and what doesn’t from their experience on the local markets.

And last but not least we will traditionally end the conference with gamification - a quiz competition with valuable prizes for the winners, followed by networking with cocktails powered by the gold sponsors.

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08:00-09:00

Registration & coffee

09:00-09:05

Official Opening Gorast Cvetkovski, Actor and Host

09:05-09:10

Welcome Speech Nina Angelovska, President @ Macedonian eCommerce Association

WE WANT, WE WANT A DIGITAL NATION [1 keynote presentation + 1 fireside chat] 09:10-09:30

How Estonia is building the next generation e-government Ott Velsberg, Chief Data Officer of the Government of the Republic of Estonia

09:30 - 09:45

Fireside Chat: “Access to finance is key for the ecosystem transformation” w/ Kosta Petrov, Director of Fund of Innovation and Technological Development Moderatred by Ivana Stankovikj, Strategic Advisor @ FITD

E-COMMERCE HAS COME A LONG WAY - THE COVID PUSH! [4 keynote presentations] 09:45-10:05

The COVID-push on e-commerce in North Macedonia / Ecommerce Analysis Report Nina Angelovska, President @ Macedonian eCommerce Association

10:05-10:25

The way forward for E-commerce in Europe Sara Lone, Lead Research Analyst in e-commerce, development, digitalization @ Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

10:25-10:45

Predicting the unpredictable Catia de Jesus Silva, Senior Data Scientist @ bol.com, The Netherlands

10:45-11:00

Sneak Peek into CocaCola’s Ecommerce Venture [powered by Pivara Skopje] Milkica Gerinska, Ecommerce Manager @ Pivara Skopje AD

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11:00-11:15

Coffee Break

SAFE, SOUND & INNOVATIVE E-PAYMENTS! [2 keynote presentations + 1 panel] 11:15-11:35

E-commerce: Episode 2 – A new beginning Gabriel Ghita, VP Business Development for CEE @ Mastercard, Romania

11:35-12:10

Panel Session #1: The Triangle of Trust, Technology & Regulation! [Powered by Payten] Igor Kuzevski, Deputy Director @ Personal Data Protection Agency, North Macedonia Vanja Manova, Country Manager for Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania & Kosovo @ Mastercard, Bulgaria Kiro Chadikovski, Manager of Cards and Current Accounts Department @ Komercijalna Banka AD Skopje Moderated by Damjan Dano, Digital Transformation Specialist and Partner @ IWM Network

12:10-12:30

Bringing new e-commerce payment experience Orhan Gazibegovic, Unit Manager / Business Development Manager for BiH, MNE @ Monri Payments, Bosnia and Herzegovina

12:30-13:15

Lunch

MORE WOMEN FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE & FASTER PROGRESS [1 panel session] 13:15- 13:50

Panel Session #2: The Why, What & How of having more women included [Powered by Casys] Filomena Pljakovska Asprovska, CEO, President of the Management Board @ CaSys / Country Ambassador for North Macedonia @ European Women Payments Network (EWPN) Milica Vesovikj Denkovska, Digital Executive @ Philip Morris International Marija Tomeska, President of the Management Board (CEO) @ Eurolink Insurance, Member of GRAWE Group Moderated by Nina Angelovska, UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF DIGITAL MARKETING & NEW TRENDS [6 keynote presentations + 1 panel session] 13:50-14:15

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Social-E Commerce Developments - Live Streaming, Blind boxes, Virtual Bots: Lessons From China Sharon Gai, Director of Global Key Accounts @ Alibaba Group, China

E-commerce CONFERENCE

14:15-14:40

The power of messaging apps: How to engage customers and achieve digital marketing success Konstantin Kostadinov, Senior Sales Director CEE & CIS @ Rakuten Viber, Bulgaria

14:40-15:30

Panel Session #3 - Regional Marketplaces Marketing Lessons: What Works and What Doesn’t? [Powered by GIZ] Intro address from Ilir Rexha, Project manager for e-commerce sector, Open regional fund for Foreign Trade project @ GIZ Ljiljana Ahmetovic, CEO @ Shoppster.com, Serbia Valer Pinderi, Founder & CEO @ aladini.al, Albania Dragana Gjokikj, Sales Director @ Grouper.mk, North Macedonia Jasmin Maric, Business Development Manager @ Olx.ba, Bosnia and Herzegovina Moderated by Darjan Radenkovic, Chief Business Development Officer @ Vidi Vaka

15:30-15:45

Coffee Break

15:45-16:05

How Cognitive Technology is Changing Customer Care - The Perfect Combination for Satisfied Customers Borche Gjorgjeski, Head of Customer Contact Center @ A1 Makedonija

16:05-16:25

Digital strategy that works like a Swiss watch Vojdan Karapetkovski, CEO @ Kara5

MUSIC & TRAVEL & ECOMMERCE 16:25-16:45

Enterprise innovation using ‘Design Thinking’ and ‘Jobs To Be Done’: Learnings from travel app development Srdjan Prokic, Head of E-commerce @ AirSerbia

16:45-17:05

How advertising at Spotify can help with building brand awareness Anna Gorka, Spotify Partner Director @ Httpool

17:05 - 17:15

Quiz & prizes time [Powered by A1 Makedonija]

17:15 -17:20

Closing remarks Nina Angelovska, President @ Macedonian eCommerce Association

from 17:20

AFTER-CONFERENCE NETWORKING SPONSORED BY THE GOLD PARTNERS

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

GROW! GROW! GROW!

Keynote Talks The keynotes of the Fourth Annual e-Commerce Conference will tackle some of the most current topics in the digital world starting from the need for digitalization & secure e-payments to the latest trends in digital marketing.

The keynote talks lineup includes 28 speakers coming from 10 countries. Each of them with relevant vast experience and expertise will share successful tactics, strategies and practices.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Ott Velsberg Chief Data Officer of the Government of the Republic of Estonia

Ott Velsberg is the Chief Data Officer for the Estonian government.

He leads strategic coordination and development of data science and data governance in Estonia, including domains like artificial intelligence and open data. He is also a Ph.D. researcher in the department of Informatics at Umeå University. His research concentrates on the use of information systems in the public sector, with a special focus on the use of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Keynote presentation topic: “How Estonia is building the next generation e-government” Estonia is an undoubted leader in digital governance and has launched an ambitious AI strategy to transform e-governance. As part of its ambitions, Estonia has the goal of making public services radically easier to use and more accessible, while creating a completely seamless and proactive citizen and business centric government. To achieve this, the Estonian government has implemented more than 80 AI use cases during the last three years. Some of the use cases involve a government virtual assistant #bürokratt to provide public services through voice-based interaction. During his keynote, Government Chief Data Officer Ott Velsberg presents how far along the Estonian government is with its plan, what its greatest successes have been thus far – and what hasn’t worked.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Nina Angelovska President of the Macedonian E-commerce Association, UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate

Nina Angelovska, PhD is an entrepreneur, UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate, President of the Macedonian E-commerce Association and the former Minister of Finance of the Republic of North Macedonia.

She co-founded and was heading the first deal platform and leading e-commerce company in Macedonia, Grouper.mk, launched in 2011 that transformed the e-commerce market.

Angelovska’s passion for e-commerce and drive for change led her to establish the first Macedonian E-commerce Association in 2017.

She was a member of the Board of the European Ecommerce and Omnichannel Trade Association (EMOTA). Currently, she is a member of the Board of Directors at Makedonski Telekom. Angelovska works as a consultant in business development, digital economy and e-commerce on various projects, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events striving to infuse passion and awaken the potential of many young people.

Her hard work and impact have been widely recognized. In 2018 she was named Forbes 30 Under 30 and in 2019 she was named one of the seven global UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocates. Recently she made a successful exit when the Polish Group Asseco SEE acquired her company, Grouper.mk.

Keynote presentation topic: “The COVID-push on e-commerce in North Macedonia / Ecommerce Analysis Report” Covid significantly accelerated the growth of e-commerce. Macedonian e-commerce recorded triple-digit growth rates. How much of this growth is retained after a year since the onset of the pandemic and how are recent developments moving? What is the profile of the Macedonian e-user and e-shopper VS the Balkan and European one?

How prepared is Macedonia for putting e-commerce development in ‘fifth’ gear?

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Sara Lone Lead Research Analyst in e-commerce, development, digitalization, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

Sara is a lead quantitative and qualitative research analyst in the field of global digital trade at the Centre for Market Insights of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. She works with international organisations, firms and policymakers to understand and tackle challenges in the global digital economy, particularly those surrounding digitalisation, sustainability, and inclusivity. Sara’s goal is to use data to make the world better by creating and sharing the tangible links between applied research and real-world solutions.

Keynote presentation topic: “The way forward for E-commerce in Europe” The European continent is home to numerous e-commerce markets, all quite different from one another. This presentation will showcase the European e-commerce market size(s), highlighting differences between 37 European countries (incl. Russia, Serbia, etc.) and the EU-27, and will offer insights into the activities of leading online webshops (i.e., corporate social responsibility, delivery methods, etc.).

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Catia de Jesus Silva Senior Data Scientist, Bol.com, The Netherlands

Originally from Portugal, Cátia moved to The Netherlands in 2011 to pursue a masters and later a PhD degree in Astrophysics, both at the University of Amsterdam. After successfully finishing her PhD in 2018, Cátia joined the Forecasting team at bol.com as a Data Scientist. In her daily work, she enjoys developing and improving data science solutions for time series forecasting which positively impact the business in various fronts and domains. Cátia is also part of the Diversity and Inclusion circle at bol.com and in her free time she enjoys designing and creating her own clothes.

Keynote presentation topic: “Predicting the Unpredictable With Reliable Data Forecasting” The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people around the world and in very different ways. While governments and health organizations seek to find solutions to this global humanitarian crisis, online retailers have been put to the test of how well they can serve their customers’ needs during these difficult times. With online shopping behavior going through a major shift and demand for essential and non-essential products rapidly increasing, reliable demand forecasting has never been more important.

In this talk, Catia will highlight the challenges her forecasting data science powered team faced during this pandemic, and how they implemented solutions to predict the unpredictable.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Milkica Gerinska

E-Commerce Manager, Pivara Skopje AD, North Macedonia

Milkica Gerinska is responsible for developing and implementing the company’s strategy in e-commerce, to support the growth of this channel and digital commercialization and to build long-term partnerships with key customers. She is also working on implementing solutions that contribute to the company’s business growth in the digital world, implementing best practices from Coca – Cola HBC and HEINEKEN, two big corporations where Pivara Skopje belongs. At this conference Milkica will talk more about the E-commerce strategy of Coca – Cola HBC, with significant focus on domestic practices.

Keynote presentation Ecommerce Venture”

topic:

“Sneak

Peek

into

CocaCola’s

In her keynote presentation, Milkica will guide you through the Pivara Skopje digital commerce transformation that is enabling better customer service & collaboration. Implementation of new technologies, talents, processes in order to improve business operations and satisfy customers has taken on heightened importance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Gabriel Ghita VP Business Development for CEE, Mastercard, Romania

Gabriel Ghita holds the position of Vice President, Business Development, Mastercard Central and Eastern Europe, leading the business development team within the Central and Eastern Europe division. Gabriel and his team’s responsibilities are focused on deploying emerging payment technologies and identifying business opportunities in fields such as e-commerce, online payments, instant payments, digital wallets or cyber security.

Keynote presentation topic: “E-commerce: Episode 2 – A new beginning” In his keynote Gabriel will lead you through the history, present and future of e-commerce. How an idea became the preferred shopping method for millions of customers and what lies behind the success.

He will talk to you about the new beginning where intelligence controls fraud and on UX “only the best is good enough.”

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Orhan Gazibegovic Unit Manager / Business Development Manager for BiH, MNE, Monri Payments, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Over 20 years of working experience in the Financial, IT, and Marketing sectors, leading and coaching teams of various backgrounds and affinities. Over the last 10 years, led successful digital banking product development and customer engagement projects with emphasis on digital payments. Currently focused on innovative payment methods and the improvement of the eCommerce segment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, philanthropy, and vital initiatives for digital transformation at the state level.

Keynote presentation topic: “Bringing new e-commerce payment experience” Unrestricted access to the growing eCommerce market has never been so important! What are the benefits for users in Macedonia, coming from the newest partnership of important regional brands like Grouper - Monri?

Find out what are the “must-have” essentials when launching a successful eCommerce Website, and what additional state-of-the-art Payment Gateway services can boost online sales through the roof.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Sharon Gai Director of Global Key Accounts, Alibaba Group, China

Sharon Gai started her career in e-commerce at a Fortune 500 systems integrator, enabling SMB’s to conveniently order computer hardware online. She was part of Alibaba’s globalization initiative in the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy, which strived to internationalize Alibaba’s domestic business units. In her tenure as a Category Manager in Tmall, China’s largest e-commerce platform, she worked with FMCG brands from large customers to emerging internet-viral brands in crafting their digital marketing and online e-commerce strategy in China. She currently serves as the Director of Global Key Accounts in the Tmall Overseas team, enabling global brands to leverage Alibaba’s overseas e-commerce platforms.

Keynote presentation topic: “Social-E Commerce Developments Live Streaming, Blind boxes, Virtual Bots: Lessons From China” In her keynote presentation, Sharon will talk about the most recent developments of social e-commerce and all the lessons there are to learn from China. She will offer a broad overview of the Chinese ecommerce ecosystem,and also explain about the difference between the Chinese ecosystem and the western ecosystem. The presentation will also focus on new trends such as live streaming, blind boxes, chatbots & talk about how Chinese nationalism is paving the way for a new set of internet direct-to-consumer brands.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Konstantin Kostadinov Senior Sales Director CEE & CIS, Rakuten Viber, Bulgaria

Konstantin Kostadinov joined Viber in 2016 as a Sales Manager.

Currently, he is a Senior Sales Director CEE and CIS, mainly responsible for identifying and building potential partnerships, developing business plans and strategies for boosting sales within Viber for the whole region. Currently he oversees more than 25 key markets globally. Konstantin is also in charge of all Special Projects that involve all Viber tools for Businesses. Previously he worked at KPMG Bulgaria as a Senior Sales lead as well as Deloitte.

Keynote presentation topic: “The power of messaging apps: How to engage customers and achieve digital marketing success” With a third of the world’s population using messaging apps, retailers should consider applying messaging platforms to their mobile marketing strategies. Viber’s CEE and CIS Senior Sales Director Konstantin Kostadinov will break down trends in customer communication, explain Viber for Business solutions and show how to increase customer satisfaction, strengthen user engagement and drive revenue through the messaging apps on real market examples.

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Borche Gjorgjeski Head of Customer Contact Center, A1 Makedonija, North Macedonia

Borce Gjorgjeski is the head of the Contact Center of A1 Macedonia.

As a synonym for customer care, the Contact Center of A1 Macedonia is fully focused on providing a superior customer experience by introducing new and innovative solutions and tools that enhance customer satisfaction, enabling them to use the services quickly and smoothly. The main focus of his work is the automation of the Contact Center and increasing interactions with users through the digital channels of A1 Macedonia. Borce is responsible for the introduction of the chat “”Slavcho”” - the first digital assistant in the region who understands and speaks Macedonian and Albanian and through which users have the opportunity to get answers to their questions without visiting stores or calling the Contact Center. Within the other activities related to the digitization of customer care, Borce has a special contribution in promoting digital channels - web support, support through social networks, improving the functionality of voice machines, the introduction of video support, and the promotion of the first virtual store A1 Live Shop. He is actively involved in cross-functional teams by applying modern work methodology and contributes to strategic projects of the A1 Telecom Austria Group, and these are just some of the experiences he has gained in the telecommunications sector in the past 12 years.

Keynote presentation topic: “How Cognitive Technology is Changing Customer Care - The Perfect Combination for Satisfied Customers” Digitalization has significantly changed the way we work, opened new channels for communication with users, and thus increased their expectations. Chatbots are here to stay, artificial intelligence has found great application in customer service, as they not only influence support, but can automate functions through sales or marketing 20

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verticals. Using bots, it became easy to provide fast communication with users, streamline processes and increase user engagement.

Chatbots are the first step towards responding to user needs, which currently address about 30-50% of user requests.

A1 Macedonia as a company focused on providing a premium user experience and an active factor in digitalization in the field of telecommunications presented the Chatbot solution “Slavcho” which is the first digital assistant in the region who speaks and understands Macedonian and Albanian and has an answer for all users’ issues related to A1 services.

Vojdan Karapetkovski CEO, Kara5, North Macedonia

Vojdan is the founder & CEO of Kara5, a next-gen digital agency that helps clients accelerate their digital transformation in Switzerland, the DACH region and globally. Committed to providing first-class digital solutions and with its proven track record of successful digital transformation projects, Kara5 takes pride in being a key factor for the strong growth and rapid development of numerous clients of all sizes and industries, such as CVA Silicone, SpiroChem, Joh Springer’s Erben, Connect, Prima and many others. Vojdan’s unique approach to strategy, web and digital marketing — along with his 18 years of evolving marketing & sales experience — empowers Kara5’s clients to unlock unique possibilities for sustainable growth and meaningful transformation.

Keynote presentation topic: “Digital strategy that works like a Swiss watch” In his keynote presentation, Vojdan will guide you through a digital strategy that brings strategic clarity and is powered by tech know-how and creative inspiration, with which businesses deliver winning digital campaigns across different digital channels. A tailored, detailed and data-driven digital strategy that helps businesses win in an era of connected digital communication and allows them to meet their growth plan for years to come...and most importantly works perfectly every time, just like a Swiss watch.

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Srdjan Prokic Head of E-commerce, AirSerbia, Serbia

Srdjan is a data & design-driven product leader who is passionate about solving customer problems with innovative products and processes.

Currently, he is leading a team in charge of building a next-generation eComm travel platform consisting of a hybrid app, headless CMS, CDP, and supported by multiple external services. In his previous role, he was in charge of the digitization of banking processes and services such as cash and consumer loans, and online account opening. He is passionate about finding simple solutions to complex problems and making technology more user-friendly.

Keynote presentation topic: “Enterprise innovation using ‘Design Thinking’ and ‘Jobs To Be Done’: Learnings from travel app development” In his presentation Srdjan will take us through the process of designing a travel app and the challenges of using agile methods in traditional enterprise. He will cover how to select and onboard the right design partner, how to perform continuous customer discovery with online feedback tools and interviews, ideation techniques and best tools to use, how to best align stakeholders and get their support. We will also focus on how to do all of this with remote teams.

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Аnna Gorka Spotify Partner Director, Httpool, Poland

Anna has 11 years of experience in the international digital field, gathered from online networks, media agencies and big data companies where she was setting sales structures and building divisions from the ground up. She is a business development professional skilled in Mobile Advertising, Digital Strategy, Advertising Sales, E-commerce and Media Buying. In her current role she is responsible for running Spotify sales at 35 markets where Httpool is an exclusive reseller of the platform. Working in the international environment is her passion. It brings a lot of challenges but also satisfaction when reaching the goals. In private life is a Premier League fan, spending free time traveling and spoiling her dog.

Keynote presentation topic: “How advertising at Spotify can help with building brand awareness” How can a streaming music platform can highly increase brand awareness among users? Find out insights about Spotify users in North Macedonia and learn from the best practices and gain knowledge from implemented solutions.

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#1

Powered by

Panel Discussions

“The Triangle of Trust, Technology & Regulation!”

We are at an inflection point - the impact of technology on society is not confined to one sector or industry, but has become truly embedded in all aspects of our lives and has a huge impact. It has never been more important to ensure public trust in technology and its providers, but we have never seen such a fast pace with innovation and development of new technologies, a pace that requires proactive regulatory approach instead of reactive one. How can an effective regulatory system be put in place to regulate the new technologies to increase the trust factor in them - its the main topic of this discussion panel.

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Moderator

Damjan Dano Digital Transformation Specialist and Partner, IWM Network, North Macedonia

Damjan is a co-founder and managing partner of IWM Network, an ICT company founded in 2008 with a simple idea to help companies better understand the ever-emerging digital world and use its advantages in a smarter way. For the past 10 years, Damjan has worked on developing IWM Network into a digital holding agency with a portfolio of businesses that includes several brands, SaaS products, companies, and strategic partnerships. Over the years, IWM Network has provided services to over 100 domestic and international clients. The list of his main specialties includes: digital business transformation, web design and development, e-commerce, blockchain consulting and development, digital marketing, and IT security. Damjan has over 15 years of experience in the ICT industry and has been featured as a speaker, panelist, and lecturer on many events around the world.

Damjan is a Board member of MECA, member of the Supervisory board of IAB Macedonia and member of the national Digital forum for ICT.

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Panelists

Igor Kuzevski Deputy Director, Personal Data Protection Agency, North Macedonia

With an educational background on legal science and an extensive experience in the field of data protection, Igor Kuzevski is the Deputy Director of the Personal Data Protection Agency (PDPA) and his main activities and responsibilities include managing all employees in the PDPA and providing guidance to management and other administrative officials, especially in the context of human resource management, and personal data protection. He is also a representative and delegate in the Committee for Personal Data Protection within the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

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Vanja Manova Country Manager for Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania & Kosovo, Mastercard, Bulgaria

Vanya is responsible for managing the development of regional business and market strategy for the highly dynamic Balkan countries. Since March 2019, she has been responsible for developing and implementing the company’s strategy to support the growth of card and electronic payments across the four countries, to introduce Mastercard’s innovations and technology solutions, and to build long-term partnerships with key customers, government and public sector.

Kiro Chadikovski Manager of Cards and Current Accounts Department, Komercijalna Banka AD Skopje, North Macedonia

Kiro Chadikovski has over 23 years of banking experience, of which over 18 years in managerial positions. He has gained all his work experience in Komercijalna Banka AD Skopje. He is currently the Manager of Cards and Current Accounts Department, directly responsible for the organization of operations in the field of payment cards and all new technologies related to them.

In addition, he is responsible for new product development, digitalization, payment system development, new payment channels etc.. His formal technical education acquired at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Skopje, master studies in financial management, as well as long banking experience make him one of the few experts in our country in the field of fintech industry, IoT, as well as impetus of development of hybrid banking products.

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#2

Panel Discussions

casys

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International

“The Why, What & How of having more women included” Inclusiveness and equality are needed for growth and development in every field. We strive for greater equality and equal rights and opportunities, and technology is the key driver that does not differentiate between gender, race, and ethnicity. But even besides that, the digital world today is predominantly “male”. Three women in leadership positions will share their views and endeavors in the field of e-commerce in their companies.

E-commerce CONFERENCE

Moderator

Nina Angelovska President of the Macedonian E-commerce Association, UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate

Nina Angelovska, PhD is an entrepreneur, UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate, President of the Macedonian E-commerce Association and the former Minister of Finance of the Republic of North Macedonia.

She co-founded and was heading the first deal platform and leading e-commerce company in Macedonia, Grouper.mk, launched in 2011 that transformed the e-commerce market.

Angelovska’s passion for e-commerce and drive for change led her to establish the first Macedonian E-commerce Association in 2017.

She was a member of the Board of the European Ecommerce and Omnichannel Trade Association (EMOTA). Currently, she is a member of the Board of Directors at Makedonski Telekom.

Angelovska works as a consultant in business development, digital economy and e-commerce on various projects, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events striving to infuse passion and awaken the potential of many young people.

Her hard work and impact have been widely recognized. In 2018 she was named Forbes 30 Under 30 and in 2019 she was named one of the seven global UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocates. Recently she made a successful exit when the Polish Group Asseco SEE acquired her company, Grouper.mk.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Panelists

Filomena Pljakovska Asprovska CEO, President of the Management Board @ CaSys / Country Ambassador for North Macedonia @ European Women Payments Network (EWPN), North Macedonia

Filomena Pljakovska-Asprovska, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Casis AD, the only processor in the field of card operations, electronic commerce and certified card personalization bureau in the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

By vocation BSc in Electrical Engineering, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Master’s Degree at the Faculty of Economics at UKIM, alumni of the Schulich School of Business, York University Toronto CA and a fellow of the Kellog School of Management USA. Advocate and motivator of the motto that learning is an endless process, and every investment in itself is a value for the company, the environment and the society in which we live.

She started his working career as a System Administrator in the company, then as a Sector Director and for two terms a member of the Board of Directors During her 18 years of work experience, as an expert she has the opportunity to participate in many important projects for the implementation of innovations and new products in the field of the card industry. Proud of the company’s team for the first successful personalized chip cards in the country, the implementation of the highest security standards for data security PCI DSS and ISO27001, the introduction of secure e-commerce with 3D models and many other projects.

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At the same time, she is a member of the National Council for Payment Systems at the NBRSM and the commission for encouraging non-cash payments with active participation and maximum support in the initiatives for encouraging and improving the use of electronic payment channels.

During her career she has been engaged as a speaker and panelist at several domestic conferences in the field of payment systems, security of card payments and topics in the field of e-commerce. She continues to achieve her mission and goals through continuous professional cooperation with banks and the entire ecosystem in which the company operates for equal participation in the modern global digital economies.

Milica Vesovikj Denkovska Digital Executive, Philip Morris International, North Macedonia

Milica Vesovic Denkovska has vast experience in leading projects for digital solutions and digital marketing, both local and international projects starting from strategic concept, up to the final implementation. As digital executive at Philip Morris, she is working on implementing solutions that contribute in extension of the company’s business growth in the digital world. She is also a member of the project team that works on the complete digital strategy for placing IQOS on the Macedonian market as well as managing the digital channels for this product. At this conference Milica will talk more about the importance of involvement of women in development of digital businesses and society by sharing the best practises of working in an international company that supports full equality and employee diversity.

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Marija Tomeska President of the Management Board (CEO) at Eurolink Insurance, Member of GRAWE Group, North Macedonia

Marija Tomeska has received her education at the world’s most prestigious universities, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the London School of Economics, UK and an MBA from IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. Her extensive working experience in the insurance sector includes 19 years as a part of Eurolink Insurance.

Since 2013, she has been the head of Eurolink Insurance and together with her team has led the company to the first market position. She is the initiator of private health insurance, which made Eurolink Insurance the first insurance company to introduce this insurance product on the market.

In addition, she continuously contributes to the development of the insurance sector by introducing numerous innovations in the company, especially in the field of e-commerce, such as online sales of insurance, mobile application, e-payment etc. Marija Tomeska is the Vice President of the MATTO Economic Chamber of Macedonia-Turkey and the Vice President of the National Insurance Bureau.

E-commerce CONFERENCE

#3

Panel Discussions

“Regional Marketplaces Marketing Lessons: What Works and What Doesn’t?”

The panel “Regional Marketplaces Marketing Lessons: What Works and What Doesn’t?” will focus on the marketing efforts and tactics of marketplaces and will discuss best practices, tools, and channels that proved the most successful and led to business growth, but also the ones that turned out to be a waste of resources. In this session, four representatives from major online marketplaces from different countries from the Balkans and top digital entrepreneurs from the region will present and confront their perspectives on using different digital marketing tools while opening up more opportunities to build a prosperous and inclusive digital economy.

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Moderator

Darjan Radenkovic

Chief Business Development Officer, Vidi Vaka, North Macedonia

Introductory Address

Ilir Rexha Project manager for e-commerce sector, Open regional fund for Foreign Trade project @ GIZ

Ilir has over twenty years experience in project manager positions in development aid, mostly in private sector development, specialized in quality, and business and management advisory services in the private sector, in IT sector development and start-up support promotion and innovation as well in the manufacturing sectors.

Held senior positions and has long experience in project management and consultancy on organizational management and development, strategic planning, and institutional capacity building in private sector, government institutions and different international and local non-governmental organizations, especially in the development sector in designing development aid, with a focus on development programs for the private sector.

E-commerce CONFERENCE

Panelists Darjan is an outcome-driven and output-focused business & marketing strategist with strong experience in growing teams and empowering them to deliver results across all channels. Passionate for learning and knowledge sharing, always willing to test new approaches, while levelling the arguments with data.

Currently working on designing immersive storytelling experiences for the digital era and leading the 20+ people team in one of the SEE’s most innovative storytelling studios. Core competencies: business development, marketing strategy, lead generation & nurturing, digital advertising, digital analytics, brand communication development.

Ljiljana Ahmetovic CEO, Shoppster.com, Serbia & Slovenia

Ljiljana Ahmetović joined United Group in 2018, as a CEO of Shoppster. After more than 10 years of extensive retail experience in top management positions in trading, FMCG and retail loyalty, she established the new regional ecommerce business platform Shoppster. com, a unique, integrated TV and online shopping platform. Her goal is to provide a superior user experience, and to create synergy between e-commerce, media and customers. Prior to work in United Group, Ljiljana was the CEO SuperKartica, a leading multi-partner loyalty program in Serbia. Before that she spent 6 years leading renowned retailers Idea and Mercator in Serbia, where she held a range of leadership positions, primarily in trading and category management.

Throughout her career she has always been passionate about mentoring and employee development. She holds a master‘s degree from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics.

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Jasmin Maric Business Development Manager, Olx.ba, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Jasmin has always been engaged in IT, sales and business development projects. His academic background is in business but his true passions are IT products and services and digital business models. Most of his recent working experience involves sales (enterprise and retail) marketing consulting, digital marketing, research and business development in OLX BA (OLX Group, Naspers). OLX Group is one of the world’s fastest-growing networks of trading platforms, operating in 30+ countries around the world.

OLX helps people buy and sell cars, find housing, get jobs, buy and sell household goods, and much more. With more than 20 well-loved local brands including Avito, OLX, OLX Autos, Otomoto, and Property24, OLX’s solutions are built to be safe, smart, and convenient for our customers. OLX is powered by a team of 11,000+ people, working across 5 continents in offices all around the world. Aside from corporate IT solutions Jasmin is an active member of the local startup scene where he works with and mentors several startup projects.

E-commerce CONFERENCE

Dragana Gjokikj Sales Director, Grouper.mk, North Macedonia

Dragana is the Director of Sales in Grouper.mk, the first deal platform and leading e-commerce company that operates almost ten years on the Macedonian market. With an educational background in e-business and marketing, she joined Grouper’s team in 2014 working in the sales department and managing marketing campaigns. The fields of her main specialties include sales and project management, marketing research and analysis, reporting, content marketing

Valer Pinderi Founder & CEO, Aladini.al, Albania

Valer has 10 years of experience in ecommerce with creation of more than 10 ecommerce brands. He has helped with the development of the ecommerce sector in Albania by training and helping a big number of companies increase their ecommerce strength. His vision is to create an international brand that operates from the region and sells in different countries of the world. Now managing Aladini, the biggest ecommerce platform in Albania and Bukinist, the biggest seller of Albanian books in the country.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Fireside Chat In this interactive discussion, Kosta and Ivana from FITD will share with you the initiatives that the Fund is taking to facilitate access to finance for Macedonian startups and innovative companies. During the discussion, they will present the initiatives and draft legal amendments prepared by the National Startup Council for the transformation of the Macedonian startup ecosystem, as well as the necessary steps that the private sector and banks should take to facilitate access to finance for Macedonian innovative companies.

Moderator

Ivana Stankovic Strategic Advisor, Fund of Innovation and Technological Development, North Macedonia

Ivana Stankovic is a financial expert with 14+ years of experience in the private and the government sector. Currently she is engaged as an adviser at the Fund for Innovations and Technology in North Macedonia, a leading government organization responsible for the development of the Macedonian startup ecosystem. At the Fund, she has been instrumental in developing the organization’s new portfolio of products, including the Corporate Innovation Program, the National Startup Council, the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (in development), and the government’s first ever Investment Fund.

Previously she held the position of Special Adviser at the Ministry of Finance where she provided advice and expertise on matters related to financial system and macroeconomics, international finance, and public debt management, as well as overall public finance management. She was responsible for communication with major international financial institutions related to public debt and providing financing for capital investments and other projects. She organized and supported the process of passing legislation for several laws in the field of public finance management. From 2015-2019 she was an Investment Manager at South Central Ventures, a VC 38

E-commerce CONFERENCE

fund with 40 million EUR of assets under management focused on tech companies in the Balkan region. There, she was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Skopje office as well as the business development for the Macedonian, Kosovo, and Albanian markets. She led 5 investment processes in companies, ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 EUR initial investment each, from the initial stage of deal sourcing to closing and monitoring of the investment.

One of the companies went on to raise over 30 million EUR later on and is one of the most successful ones in the portfolio. She holds a Graduate degree in Financial Management from the University Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, North Macedonia and has passed Level I of the CFA Program provided by the CFA Institute.

Kosta Petrov Director, Fund of Innovation and Technological Development, North Macedonia

Kosta Petrov is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, PR expert and a bestselling business author in North Macedonia. He is the founder of P World, one of the world’s leading events agencies with operations in 40 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Asia and North America.

For two years in a row, Kosta was included in Kongres Magazine’s list of Most Influential Events Professionals in Southeast Europe.

He is a contributor for the US edition of the Huffington Post and MENA’s Digital Boom, former Head of Professionals Development at IABC EMENA and a regular speaker at events around the world on the topics of entrepreneurship, public relations and leadership. Kosta is also a bestselling author in his native Macedonia and the author of the internationally acclaimed book The Fear. He is also the editor of the Little Black Book of PR, the first ever book on public relations written

by PR practitioners for PR practitioners.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Sponsors Section General Partner

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

In 2021 the Republic of North Macedonia launched its first National Digital Identity scheme – in partnership with Mastercard – to advance the country’s digital economy aspirations. The partnership between Mastercard and Macedonian Ministry of Information Society and Administration (MISA) – first announced in early 2020 – brings local digital identity and related services, such as digital document signing and verification, to Macedonian citizens.

The infrastructure for the National Digital Identity Service is provided

by ID Service – a Mastercard digital identity service operated by Evrotrust – providing an all-in-one digital identification service on smartphones. This enables documents to be signed electronically with the same legal standing as handwritten documents, representing a further step towards the digitalization of administration and services in North Macedonia.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Digital Partner

A1 Makedonija is a member of A1 Telekom Austria Group, a leading provider of communication and digital solutions in Central and Eastern Europe, operating in seven countries and providing services to around 25 million users.

A1 offers the fastest mobile internet in the country, confirmed by the official tests of the Agency of Electronic Communications (AEC).

A1 mobile data transfer speed proved to be superior in 28 out of a total of 30 cities where tests have been done and reached up to 97 Mbps, compared to the mandatory speed of 55 Mbps. Currently, A1 Makedonija is in the phase of final testing of the 5G network, which is performed in the center of Skopje. With this, A1 as a company with the largest number of mobile network users and the fastest mobile internet, is one step closer to the commercial launch of 5G technology for all users.

In accordance with the digital way of life, A1 stays focused on providing the best telecommunications and digital services, offering a wide portfolio of services.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

GOLD PARTNERS

casys

International

TOGETHER with CaSys, 20 years of BALANCE in your WORK CaSys cPay e-commerce system enables fast and proven integration within any merchant’s website. More than 1000 merchants, over 30.000 clients, and over 300.000 transactions per month are proof of CaSys system success.

20 years of Security, Successful Transactions, Secure Payment, Advice and Learning, Digital Transformation, and very Satisfied Customers.

In an era of invasive digital transformation, CaSys is a synonym for a successful and secure transaction. As an inventive, modern, and responsible company, it always aims to ensure high quality as a service provider. Satisfied customers are a motive for the constant knowledge upgrade in trend with the new digital challenges, as well as excellent service and advice always available to the customers.

As a certified Mastercard MSP and VISA TPP for processing of chip payment cards and additional domestic and proprietary schemes, CaSys is an important segment for promotion and development of e-commerce solutions, and an independent processor that offers services for electronic payments with debit/credit cards for banks, financial and non-financial organizations and certified personal bureau for contact/contactless chip cards.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Payten Macedonia is a leading provider in the region of complete payment industry solutions, for non-financial and financial institutions, supporting card and cardless transactions.

Our main focus is to provide the payment industry with innovative solutions and value-added services to our clients. The offering includes solutions for ATM and POS related services, Banknote Processing Machines, Processing as well as solutions for eCommerce, mPayments.

We deliver equipment, software and solutions, providing the highest level of expertise, maintenance and support through the entire portfolio.

With the Prospect platform we offer customer experiences that expand above standard ATM transactions. Payten Macedonia provides POS services and solutions are not limited to EFTPOS, mPOS, Android POS, terminal management, and remote key loading, POS infrastructure, and outsourcing.

As one of the key players in the online payments industry, Payten Macedonia offers a variety of e-payment processing solutions to financial institutions. Payment Gateway, Virtual POS, tokenization, switching, and 3D secure solutions have been preferred by numerous clients throughout the region.

Since 2019, Monri has been part of the Payten/ASEE Group. Monri is an omnichannel provider, which means they support merchants in all payment segments (payment gateway, POS, mPOS, and eWallet), according to the latest security standards and technological advances.

There are more than 1.500 merchants in the Monri network and more than 9.000.000 successfully processed transactions a month.

From this year Grouper.mk is also part of the Payten/ASEE Group.

Grouper.mk is the leading e-commerce website in Macedonia and is recognized as the game-changer in e-commerce in Macedonia.

Today it serves over 270,000 users in cooperation with over 3,500 merchants. Its contribution and success has been widely recognized internationally.

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

GOLD PARTNERS

Digital champions for meaningful progress – Kara5® Kara5® is a next-gen digital agency that helps clients accelerate their digital transformation in Switzerland, the DACH region and globally.

Committed to providing first-class digital solutions and with its proven track records of successful digital transformation projects, Kara5 takes pride in being a key factor for the strong growth and rapid development of numerous clients of all sizes and industries, such as CVA Silicone, SpiroChem, Joh Springer’s Erben, Connect, Prima and many others.

Kara5’s unique approach to strategy, web and digital marketing — along with our own decade of evolving — empowers its clients to unlock unique possibilities for sustainable growth and meaningful transformation.

We shape the future with our clients, together. – Kara5® “In the space between next and now is how. We know the why, which is more important than how, and we have the know-how with which we provide the wow.

No matter if we’re developing the next big web platform, a new winning digital strategy or simply starting data research - we look for boundaries we can break with disruptive ideas to get us to the desired future.

We are a team of dedicated professionals, driven by progress, passionate about digital.”

Discover more: kara5.com

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

Pivara Skopje is celebrating its 100 years anniversary next year. As a soft drinks and beer market leader we are continuously growing & sustainably developing. Pivara Skopje is a joint venture between Coca-Cola HBC AG and HEINEKEN N.V. It is in our DNA to live and breathe customer and consumer needs. As Pivarci we are consistently building our organization driving growth for the company, the market and the community. We have a clear vision and targets, and we are committed to achievements for the benefit of all. The foundations of our vision, mission and strategy are embedded into both our beginnings and our rich heritage.

We as a company want to maintain a high level of trust and satisfaction among consumers in the values and opportunities of our brands, as well as to offer them a unique experience, through continual investing in innovations. Despite our development in the area of e-commerce, one of our top priority remains customer satisfaction in what we as a company are investing continually and we are working hard to achieve it.

Pivara Skopje is also committed to contribute to a better and sustainable future, through investments in the protection of natural resources and implementation of effective waste management programs.

Pivara Skopje is an authentic story which started back in 1922 and we have just started!

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNER

The Fund for Innovation and Technological Development is a leading government institution for supporting startups and innovative companies in the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

Currently, the Fund, through its financial instruments, co-finances 686 projects with a joint investment of 86 million euros. As much as 51% of the FITR portfolio, i.e. 326 supported companies are startup companies, mostly founded by young people. With almost 1.5 million euros, the Fund also supports the development of three accelerators in the country: X Factor, Seavus Accelerator and Business-Technology Accelerator UKIM. The main priorities of the Fund are improved access to financial support for innovation and technological development and promotion and encouragement of innovation activity in North Macedonia.

Our activities include:

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Co-financing of startups, micro, small and medium enterprises, registered in the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

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National Startup Council whose goal is the transformation of the Macedonian startup ecosystem

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Corporate Innovation Program to encourage collaboration between the private sector and startups

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Partnership with Amazon Web Services through which the Fund provides loans for the use of this global platform in the amount of 10,000, 25,000 and 100,000 US dollars

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Development of a National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence

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Mentoring support for potential and current users

E-commerce CONFERENCE

As part of the four Challenges for Young Researchers, 109 school projects were awarded to over 728 students and mentors from across the country. For the first time, we implemented a Challenge for the establishment of production laboratories “Young people create”.

Through the support of Junior Achievement Macedonia and the Entrepreneurship Education Program in all high schools across the country, 728 students and 100 teachers. Under the UPSHIFT program, the Fund awarded 32 most successful ideas.

SILVER PARTNERS

HASELT (acronym from: Hyper Advanced Solutions Engineering with Leading Technologies) is a software development, engineering and consulting company.

Our main focus is to provide best-of-class software development services and deliver products that go beyond customers expectations. We love to innovate, research and work with cutting-edge technologies.

Our team consists of passionate technology experts, recognized individuals and certified professionals who work together with the idea to improve the world of technologies, help other businesses grow and support our partners in achieving their success.

We strive to develop and improve the intelligence of the digital world.

For more info visit the website www.haselt.com

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

HALKBANK is one of the strongest brands on the Macedonian financial market. With 28 years of history as a financial institution in Macedonia, here is where Halkbank AD Skopje stands at the end of 2020: •

The fourth largest bank on the market with assets, amounting to 1.085,93 million euros.

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The fourth largest bank with a profit of € 9,02 million.

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Wide branch network that includes 43 branches.

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Employment for over 570 employees.

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Wide ATM network of 133 ATMs.

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A network of over 7,000 POS terminals available to numerous trading partners.

Leaders in offering personalized banking services, as well as introducing new technologies and providing fast service through a highly developed, modern alternative channel platform.

A socially responsible company dedicated to enhancing the common good of people, nature, the environment, culture and sports.

Our motto “People matter” which is the basis of our work, means care for the employees, care for our customers and business partners and care for the community in which we work. It is the backbone for many of our activities and motivation to act in social spheres.

Our attention remains focused on all social phenomena and monitoring the conditions around us. Based on this, we react, initiate and organize wider actions and build our social responsibility, in order to help and cause positive change in the community or for the individual, because for us truly the most important are the people.

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SUPPORTERS

Swiss Entrepreneurship Program (SwissEP) strengthens emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems to create a thriving, sustainable world.

We do this by supporting ecosystem builders - those entrepreneurs founding incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces; those forming angel networks or VC funds, those developing startup support programs, and those driving other activities focused on building the startup community itself. Swiss EP is a global program operating in 7 countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Vietnam and Peru).

Through our network of international entrepreneurs and subject matter experts we support our partners to strengthen performance, improve programs and deliver services of high value to the entrepreneurs, through strategic practical advice and valuable international connections.

For all curious, collaborative, culturally aware entrepreneurs and startup professionals who yearn to make a difference by accelerating the growth of startups and build entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging economies, you can learn more and join us on our mission through our Entrepreneurs-In-Residence program: swissep.org/entrepreneurs-in-residence

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E-commerce CONFERENCE

We work to shape a future worth living around the world. This is GIZ’s vision and long-term goal.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH provides tailor-made, cost-efficient and effective services for sustainable development. As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, GIZ is dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. It has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.

Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe - Foreign Trade (ORF FT) On behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union, GIZ implements the Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe - Foreign Trade. The project aims at improving the implementation of the reform agenda for trade and competitiveness in the CEFTA, in line with the requirements of the EU approximation process, with the ultimate goal of creating a common market. The project assists, in various aspects, governmental agencies, enterprises, start-ups, and e-commerce organizations in CEFTA.

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Supporting Regional Electronic Commerce in CEFTA The value of electronic commerce, as one of the key drivers in economic development, is growing constantly in the region and is, therefore, one of the key intervention areas for deeper regional integration and cooperation. Regional e-commerce brings enormous opportunities for economic and social development by fostering innovation, introducing new trade models and consumer trends, and creating new job opportunities. To unlock the potential of e-commerce within the region and meet the growing demand for intra-regional e-commerce, the CEFTA parties agreed to cooperate on improving the framework conditions for regional e-commerce.

In order to support this process, a sub-project on e-commerce is implemented within the ORF FT. It addresses challenges at the level of regulatory frameworks as well as on the side of the private sector.

In the first area, it supports the alignment of key rules and procedures within CEFTA with the EU acquis communautaire, while in the second it encourages companies to engage in regional e-commerce activities.

A key activity in the first area was the analysis of the level of harmonization in CEFTA parties with the European e-commerce directive and consumer protection acquis. Based on this a CEFTA decision on regional standards for harmonization has been prepared. After the adoption the project will support its implementation in selected key areas. A similar assessment is being conducted in the area of parcel delivery and should lead to agreements on regional improvement and harmonization of inter-party parcel delivery. Furthermore, current customs procedures will be assessed with a focus on trade facilitation of inter-party electronic commerce including proposals for harmonization of respective customs procedures. In addition, capacity-building measures will be offered to facilitate the translation of the new legislative frameworks and agreements.

As the second area, activities are jointly pursued with the private sector, the project supports e-commerce providers to engage in regional e-commerce. This encompasses support for the establishment of a regional e-commerce platform to make information on e-commerce available for e-commerce providers and interested companies. Regional trust-building mechanisms based on EU best practices to strengthen the trust of consumers in e-commerce providers is being implemented using the Lab of Tomorrow (LOT), an instrument which practices design thinking methodology to develop innovative solutions to existing challenges. In addition, measures to raise awareness among businesses about regional e-commerce opportunities, as well as the cooperation between e-commerce associations, will be supported by the project.

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Wine Partner

Founded in 1885 in the heart of the Tikveš vineyard, Tikveš Winery is a supreme leader in the regional wine industry. The combination of benefits from the unique region for grape production, the innovative way of thinking, the long tradition and the specific wine culture, results in world-recognized Macedonian wines with an authentic character.

As the largest, but also one of the most modern wineries in Southeast Europe, Tikveš pays special attention to improving the production process in order to create a product according to the tastes of its customers. Tikveš is one of the most awarded wineries in Europe and a true ambassador of Macedonia in the world.

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Bronze Partners

Partners

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PR Partner

Media Partners

популарно.мк

Marketing365 marketing

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media

PR

E-commerce CONFERENCE

MEMBERS OF THE MACEDONIAN E-COMMERCE ASSOCIATION

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