The 32^nd PODIM Conference will gather experts from different countries to exchange ideas and share experiences of developing and exploiting potentials of companies in cultural and creative industries. For more than three decades, PODIM Conferences on Entrepreneurship and Innovation PODIM have been addressing important issues and contributing to a better understanding of entrepreneurship, innovation, innovative society, and how to unleash the creative potential in individuals, companies, and regions. Last year, more than 300 participants were engaged in a two-day event during which the contributions of 48 authors from 10 countries were discussed regarding driving forces of creating global ventures. This year, we will discuss a broad array of issues focused on development and growth of companies in cultural and creative industries, as well as discuss business opportunities offered by the products and services created in those companies.

Issues to be addressed

The rise of creative class and knowledge society gave push to rapid growth of cultural and creative industries which are becoming one of the most important drivers of the development of cities, regions and countries. Not only the cultural and creative industries replace old industries and create many new innovative products and services they also provide valuable inputs to many other industries. Creativity is the focal pillar of the new economy and art and culture demonstrates outstanding economic potential if imaginatively transformed in products and services that serve the needs of companies and consumers.

The ever increasing number of employed people and high value added created in cultural and creative industries have attracted the attention of broad business, policy and academic audience to search for answers to new challenges of developing and exploiting unlimited potentials of imagination and creativity.

Some of the issues that we expect to be discussed at the conference:

• Entrepreneurship in creative industries
• Economic picture of national cultural and creative industries
• Commercial value of culture and creative products
• Impact of CCI products on company innovativeness
• Business models in CCI
• Modes of cooperation between creators and consumers of creative products
• Expressive value of technology
• Spill – over effects of creative industries
• National and regional innovation systems and CCI
• Clustering of CCI
• Key drivers of creative industry
• Design thinking methods for problem solving
• Creative and smart cities
• Education models for CCI
• Absorption capacity to exploit CCI products
• Importance of talent, technology and tolerance for CCI
• European Cities of culture and their influence on development of cities and regions
• National CCI policies. 

At the oldest and most prestigious Slovenian conference on innovation and entrepreneurship we expect some 300 participants. The 32^ndt PODIM conference will assemble innovation and entrepreneurship researchers, opinion-makers, entrepreneurship and technology transfer advisors, consultants from incubators, technology parks, and development agencies, investors, successful entrepreneurs, development managers from big companies, start-ups, and future entrepreneurs, students, and young researchers.

The conference will take place in Hotel Habakuk (www.termemb.si), which lies on the slopes of Pohorje, a ten-minute drive from the centre of Maribor – the economic, business, cultural and university centre of the region. This five-star hotel has been chosen because of its excellent conference facilities and top-class service.