In media the numbers and figures already appeared about participants and the sums of the concluded bargains but it is the official information. Let us consider more detailed: what was the Forum and what are results?
1. The arrangement of a Forum: "blunders" and achievements. Forum was attended by many high-ranking officials that have predetermined the level of its organization. Prime minister of Russian Federation V.V.Putin has attended the Forum because of that the given security measures were extraordinary strong. But not perfect, my own experience showed it very well: I carried the bag that supposed to be put for radiography, but I automatically put in on the table near the turnstile than passed myself and picked up the bag from the near table without any radiography check and even without regular check. This accident with me is not only one with such quantity of people seems not possible to look over everybody. Anyway this made me witness that the security system is not perfect.
Another blinder happened at the first day of a Forum: all participants have come to the plenary session. However, this meeting has appeared for very narrow circle of people, and most of participants simply have not been admitted in a hall. There was no any announcement that plenary session is not for all. Being perplexed people continued hang around on a very little space. This incident has kept unpleasant impression which meant only one: the administrative elite isolated itself from other participants of the Forum. In general nothing very particular about that but the question is: why not to put the clear information into program of the Forum and avoid the confusion of people. Looks like somewhere during the stage of creating program some glitch has been made.
This morning confusion has been definitely compensated with the perfect performances and food during all three days. The shows were high quality. All the bands were perfectly fit the level of event. The British star of show business Rod Stewart and his amazing band got special attention and sympathy of a public.
In exhibition hall the main attention got caught by the aquarium with water nymphs – the girls in special suit swam there looking at the public from time to time carefully got on water surface and with a sip of air immediately return to inside the water. Reaction of public was very different, some were amazed some revolted. I heard that one woman commented: “What a sick imagination”. Girls that created the show in aquarium were professionals of simultaneous swimming.
2. The forum and mass media. Perhaps, one obvious arrangements glitch had happened at the last day of the Forum. The last and planned press-conference of co-chairmen of organizing committee has been cancelled. This press-conference supposed to became for the most significant of many mass-media that usually gives opportunity to ask all collected questions, something to specify, receive the additional information for the wide public. However instead of detailed conversation with journalists organizers of the Forum gave 20-minute interview in a lobby of with the Minister of Regional development Dmitry Kozak and the Governor of Krasnodar Region Alexander Tkachev.
Representatives of media asked primitive and dull questions and that looked like they did not know what to ask. So the interview was formal and insipid.
In general, the relations with mass-media were much closed. The authorities almost ignored the press, without having shown to it any interest. Many journalists in a lobby among themselves had a bit strange conversations for such event. The main refrain that happened in that conversations: where to go, where it is possible to see and hear something interesting?
Some representatives of regions didn’t show openness to mass-media and tried to avoid undesirable meetings. For example, small and average news agencies wished to interview regional Ministers of Economics, but they were busy and inaccessible. But brands in businesses press were not interested to take interview with the small regional bosses with these regional bosses. The Result is none for all parties.
However it would be unfair to extend this line to all regions. Among them there were also those who showed really a surprising openness and honesty in conversation with journalists. That completely saved impression about the Forum from the obvious negative tendency.
Thus, at the Forum we can see two groups of officers: federal and some of regions that were much closed to the press, and the other regions (the majority) which went into open dialogue with mass-media.
3. A business component of the Forum. The sneering attitude to mass-media partly can even be understood: the main thing at the Forum – business connections. It is possible to tell that mass-media even unnecessary element of investment forums.
How it has been in the sense of business? Regarding to almost all participants of the Forum, the meeting of this year was much weaker than the previous. Big number of transactions consisted, significant business contacts and administrations, people actively cooperated with each other during the last year Forum. It would be possible to assume that the crisis on markets which captured all countries is the reason for it, but the spirit of the Forum gave the impression that "Sochi-2008" was self-sufficient with-life, not connected with other world.
Actually, if to assume that slackness of the Forum is not connected with world crisis other conclusion arises: we observe natural fading of the institute of the Forum. It is possible consideration that the Sochi Forum has already executed the mission by having started an interaction of Regions and administrations with business. Certainly, it is only the hypothesis. But in any case next year serious challenge.
In favor to the stated hypothesis - following fact: migration of participants during the Forum had such format that there was an impression as if on one participant from business was surrounded with several representatives from administrations of all levels. It is necessary to assume that business participants simply did not have any interest to possibilities of regions and to projects offered by them. In any case the behavior of business at the present Forum was not adequate.
By the way, the facts of business agreements that happened there looked rather artificial specially using the recording on camera. All agreements were prepared in advance and, the signing facts were at the Forum to give to event a luster and to show activity of region and business. In this sense Forum usual rate on demonstration of its concluded bargains is already a bit obsolete and requires updating.
4. Difference of regions. The last Forum once again proved that in the country has no present common regional policy. There were rather rich regions like Krasnodar region and Hunty-Mansijsk region – for them the Sochi forum was the platform for game of their financial muscles. There were the regions, that have strong competitive advantages as Saratov region, and for it participation really makes sense – demonstration of the true possibilities and search for investors. But there were also poor regions who almost have nothing to offer as a matter of fact, and for them the Forum.
Expenses are easily to see. For example, beautiful booklets of the Perm region about its tourist possibilities. The information, totally, true, but the interested was not much. During representatives of this region distribute the booklets to all successfully; many participants in the same place at the Forum throw away these booklets. It is very unpleasant and prodigal, because printed at high quality it definitely costs not cheap.
As a whole the Forum was "fragmentary": there were no uniform purposes, interests and possibilities.
5. Positive shifts in consciousness. It is not necessary to overestimate business significance of the last Sochi Forum. But it is no need to underestimate its significance. Even such regional meeting makes sense. Confidential conversations with participants of a meeting testify that in regions significantly changed. What exactly?
Actually the management of regions to the regions was changed. Whatever cynical bureaucrats were regional administrations, they began real struggle for economic well-being of the territories. The regions developing and that is the most positive tendency. Some regions showed really deep knowledge of an economic conditions and possibilities of the territories, and also very actively concerning potential investors.
Meetings of heads of regions and their commands allow them to be compared with each other. Everybody wants to be in significant level. When you see someone's success you start also do something for success of your region. Now there nothing to say about stimulating influence of the Forum on innovative behavior of the regional authorities but after all and it can vary in a positive direction. If it so - the Forum executes some mission. Officially it sounds banal, and substantially I would formulate it so: to direct movement of thoughts of regional leaders in a progressive direction. If it will be valid to work in a correct direction it is possible to consider extraordinary expenses will bring benefits.
Вузы и школы: зарплаты или подработки?
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