The first MED CCI Hub under the CREACT4MED project was held via the online platform Airmeet on the 26th and 27th June. The event brought together the CREACT4MED entrepreneurs, experts in the cultural and creative industries, and other players from around the Southern Mediterranean.
To open the event, Project Co-ordinator María Ruiz de Cossío, Senior Project Officer at Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association – EMEA presented the work the CREACT4MED project is undergoing to boost the cultural and creative industries in the Southern Mediterranean and encouraged all participants to get involved as much as possible with the sessions and to make the most of the networking space.
The event then kicked off with an expert panel discussing Building Partnerships in the Cultural and Creative Industries to set the tone. The session was moderated by Ouafa Belgacem, CEO and Co-founder at Culture Funding Watch with the panellists:
- Marwane Fachane, Executive Director at Fondation Hiba, a non-profit association promoting cultural sectors such as Cinema, Music, Photography, Arts, Design and Theatre based in Morocco,
- Samer Makhlouf, of Al-Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque, a cultural NGO based in Ramallah, Palestine, and
- Leila Hizaoui, Project Manager at Minassa – INCO Tunisie, the leading incubator of the Tunisian cultural and creative scene, acting as CREACT4MED local partner.
The session discussed the different kinds of partnership, and the importance of recognizing the thought and strategy forming partnerships requires. The session also discussed the practical obstacles that entrepreneurs may face in building partnerships and how to overcome them. The final lesson learned was that networking is a key activity that entrepreneurs must put time and energy into in order to develop strong partnerships. In addition to this, the speakers mentioned key events that the entrepreneurs could get involved in as well as practical tips to building lasting partnerships.
From there, the CREACT4MED entrepreneurs presented their projects in three breakout rooms and participated in a question-and-answer session with their peers. Until now, the CREACT4MED entrepreneurs had not met their fellow CREACT4MED peers across borders meaning the event was a great opportunity to seek out cross-border collaborations.
Then, in a series of roundtables, the entrepreneurs heard from 3 experts covering, International Funding Opportunities, Marketing Strategies, and Networking and Cooperation. The experts were Samer Makhlouf of Al-Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque dealing with International Funding Opportunities, Sherif Moody, Public Awareness Campaigns Expert discussing Marketing Strategies, and Ahmed Emad, an independent expert talking about Networking and Cooperation.
To close the day, Project Co-ordinator María Ruiz de Cossío, Ouafa Belgacem of Culture Funding Watch and Cristina Valero, Project Manager at IEMED gave the closing remarks. María Ruiz thanked all the participants for joining and encouraged the participants to engage in networking speed meetings with the aim of discovering potential synergies and collaborations.
Cristina Valero, Project Manager at IEMED, opened the second day of the hub event and kicked off the speed meetings where entrepreneurs had the chance to meet 1-to-1 or in groups through a fluid networking space after the previous day’s interaction to strengthen the ties and collaborations made.
The next MED CCI Hub event will take place in the next few months so stay tuned!
CREACT4MED is a project funded by the EU through the EuropeAid Programme, and seeks to strengthen CCI ecosystems in the MENA region and unleash the full potential of CCI to create empowered and flourishing societies. It aims to support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs, create jobs, and foster sustainable economic growth in the Southern Mediterranean, with a particular focus on young people and women.
It is led by Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) (Coordinator), with the partners Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (iED), European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), Union of Mediterranean Confederations of Enterprises (BUSINESSMED), Redstart Tunisia, Confédération méditerranéenne pour le développement (MED Confederation), Beyond Group, Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta (LUMSA Università), Association of Organisations of Mediterranean Businesswomen (AFAEMME), Positive Agenda Advisory, and Womenpreneur.
