The City That Loves You

The FINANCIAL — The Tbilisi Mayor’s office in partnership with German Technical Cooperation, World Bank, EU Delegation to Georgia, Asian Development Bank, ILO, Embassy of France, Cities Alliance, City of Vienna, City of Warsaw, AmCham, Georgian National Investment Agency, Business Association of Georgia, Tbilisi Agglomeration Development Agency and The FINANCIAL hosted the largest international business forum dedicated to the development of Tbilisi.

Different sessions offered four thematic umbrellas: City Promotion – key factors for success, Local Authorities for Better Cities, Agglomeration Development, Environmental Dimension of the City development. All the key directions of city development were discussed.

The private sector was broadly represented by large and medium sized companies, analysts, experts, commercial banks, multi-laterals and donors, consulting groups, project developers, investors and financiers. Local and external senior representatives of Governments, Municipalities, Associations, Ministries, International Institutions, NGOs and governmental organizations were also represented.

On the third day of the Tbilisi Forum, Tbilisi City Hall together with German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) organized the exhibition “Produced in Tbilisi”, where companies based in Tbilisi and producing different types of goods and services were exposed. The event was supported by marketing company Global Idea, which awarded BLC and Private Concierge Georgia with special coupons offering full coverage of these companies in Golden Book.

Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava and Vice Mayor Mamuka Akhvlediani welcomed guests and participants of the event. 

“This is a great chance for companies to promote their products and services,” said Natia Jincharadze, Global Idea Director. “We are happy to cooperate with the Mayor’s office, which is very actively involved in local business development.”

“We get involved in Tbilisi promotion program initiated by City Hall voluntarily. It is a part of our CSR strategy. We already got good feedback from local government. They are really willing to cooperate and change things”, says Zviad Pochkhua, Director of Intelligence Group, international media group. “City branding is crucial for local business development and in terms of attracting new foreign investments. We see Tbilisi as the largest convention centre of Caucasus that attracts tourists and businessmen. Tbilisi is rapidly developing its new architecture, underlining unique mix of old and new modern design, expressing ancient and future culture of Georgians”, Pochkhua commented.  

“Our company will contribute Tbilisi development with massive news coverage in international print and online media. We will offer innovative online platforms and tools for investors, industry professionals, tourists and students willing to build their future in Georgia. We expect that investments we are making in city’s development will bring its positive results in coming 2 or 3 years”, Pochkhua said.

Local and international experts, marketing specialists, governmental and non-governmental organizations recently prepared a strategy of city rebranding, which aims at developing the capital as a regional centre for business and entertainment, tourism and leisure. Six key directions were named: wine, star cooking, top spa, youth & health preservation, garden centre and puppet theatre.

The City That Loves You – the new slogan of the city should encourage people around the world to visit Georgia’s capital. The brand new image of Tbilisi has already appeared in local and international media.

Gocha Tskitishvili, IPM Director, says the branding strategy should be implemented very carefully. “It’s important to know what the result of this strategy should be. What we are witnessing today is the destruction of the old face of Tbilisi without knowing what the new one will be. The time of the image is gone. Now every brand is changing. Today we live in a very fast communicating society,” Tskitishvili said.

Another panelist, Irakli Maktava, Director of Georgia’s Investment Agency, described Georgia as the country offering attractive investment opportunities. Although Fady Asly, Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce in Georgia said the country needs new reforms to improve the local business climate and rights of entrepreneurs.

Asly said foreign investors are better protected in Georgia than local businessmen. “That is very dangerous,” Asly said. “Everyone should benefit from equal opportunities,” he added.  He also stressed that development of local business is hampered by bad crediting. “How will Georgian business develop if locals are offered loans with 15% interest rates and foreigners can borrow financing at 2%.”

Gilbert Hie, CEO of Bank Republic, Societe Generale Group, said that Georgia in terms of loans and crediting is not attractive.

Ahmed Eiweida from World Bank said organizing events like Fashion Week are very effective in terms of attracting tourists. He believes Georgia should advertise its beauty on CNN instead of its negative aspects.