MORNING PROGRAM

9:30 - 10:00

Warm-up Time

Get your laptop, tablet or smartphone on stand-by and find a comfortable place to sit. Enter the virtual conference room, have a look once again at the program, the speakers and get ready for an awesome Conference day! During this warm-up time our international guests and supporting partners will greet you and wish a very good morning.

10:00

Message of the Co-Founders

Pavel and Ludo together with the Supporting Partners are welcoming all participants to their  7th International East meets West Conference and introduce in their original way, the theme of the Conference: ‘Riding the Waves of Change!’

• Ludo Swinnen & Pavel Šubrt, Co-founders of East meets West

Official Opening

Welcoming the participants of the 7th International East meets West Conference

• Petra De Sutter, Vice Prime Minister of Belgium, Belgium

• Krzysztof Jan Śmiszek, Member of Parliament, Poland

10:15 - 10:50

An East meets West reality check on Poland

Poland has a bad press on the treatment of members of the LGBTIQ community. Homophobic declarations from the authorities and the news about ‘LGBT free zones’ caused a global outcry for action. As guest in Poland, East meets West wants to give members of the local LGBTIQ community the opportunity to offer you a unique reality check on the LGBTIQ status in their country, the existing situation and their hopes for the future. 

• Julia Maciocha, President of Warsaw Pride, Poland

• Mateusz Gędźba, President of the Board of the Federation Signs of Equality, Poland

11:00 - 11:50

A Look from the East and a Look from the West

Having been on the agenda of the 6 previous conferences, this item has acquired the seal ‘traditional’. The idea behind it is as simple as it is successful. From our ever-growing network we select 2 participants from the “East” and 2 from the “West”. In a panel discussion, they share with you positive but also saddening testimonials but always realistic updates on the happenings in their local LGBTIQ communities.

• Paula Fagan, CEO at LGBT Ireland, Ireland

• Damla Umut Uzun, KAOS GL/Human Rights Program, Turkey

• Justin Nelson, Co-founder and President at the NGLCC, USA

• Lestat Monroe, Founder & Board Member at the RDCC, Romania

12:00 - 12:30

Business and human rights in diverse worlds

In many places, there have been impressive changes in the acceptance and recognition of LGBTIQ individuals. This includes their role and contribution to creativity, dynamics, and success of companies in markets and economies. However, a closer look reveals a multifaceted picture in Europe and the world, says economist and author Jens Schadendorf. In his keynote, he explains, why the LGBTIQ equality movement in global workplaces and markets faces a watershed moment: it can win or lose – in diverse ways. In order to win, the fast-growing LGBTIQ ecosystem of states, individuals - including allies -, companies, their c-suites, NGOs, and further organizations has to be smart and flexible. In any case, a new game is on - one that is more political than ever. Jens charts 10 key drivers, trends and fields of action describing what can and should be done to be a winner in the respective local context and to reach the next (local) level of inclusion.

• Jens Schadendorf, Author and Economist, Germany

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

13:45 - 14:00

Surfing the Waves of Change, 2nd Part!

Pavel and Ludo welcome the participants to the 2nd part of Conference with a quick overview of what can be expected. They will also mention the many activities they are/were involved. Since 2020 they run successful East meets West SPOTLIGHT Series - every month they select an inspiring individual, organisation or proud business and bring them to an online stage for either an interactive session with the audience or a podcast. Recently they announced the start of new Executive MBA Fellowship from the Central European University (CEU). The fellowship will be awarded to a LGBTIQ manager or entrepreneur with a proven track record of successfully defying barriers and prejudices facing LGBTIQ people in the CEE Region and of achieving high professional recognition levels.

• Ludo Swinnen, Pavel Šubrt, Co-founders of East meets West

• Thomas Lammel, Senior Program Manager Executive MBA at Central European University, Austria

14:00 - 14:50

Your NGO in a Changed World… Time for a New Story?

We all work with or at least know a number of LGBTIQ NGO’s. These groups have contributed since many years to the improvement of status of our community. But they also are confronted with changes and they should not be afraid to face these changes but try to reinvent themselves. We have with us representatives of active NGO’s who found new ways to play their role in society. In a panel discussion we discuss with them the reasoning behind their development. Use this opportunity to learn from their best practices and why not copy them in your own activities?

• Melinda Miklós, CEO at WeAreOpen, Hungary

• Aida Malkić, Program Manager at Sarajevo Open Centre, Bosnia & Herzegovina

• Simeon Vasilev, Chairman & Co-Founder at GLAS Foundation, Bulgaria

• Óscar Muñoz, Co-director at REDI & María Ortuño Deputy Director at REDI, Spain

15:00 - 15:50

Corporate Social Responsibility in action!

East meets West has presented in previous events the Corporate Social Responsibility as a huge opportunity for the LGBTIQ community. Today we look at CSR from the point of view of a Corporate to get an inside view of how they deal with this new reality. We have gathered representatives from international companies of which some with an active presence in Poland, and asked them to share with us their ‘internal kitchen secrets’.

• Denise Reed Lamoreaux, Global Chief Diversity Officer at Atos, USA

• Carla Maria Tiburtini, Inclusion & Diversity Leader at AvioAero a GE Aviation Business, Italy

• Tuvia Borok, Global Head of Policy and Documentation at Goldman Sachs, UK

• Alexey Kozlov, Hogan Lovells LGBTI ERG Lead, Russia / USA

15:50 - 16:05

Is the end of the “Grey Suits” near?

When we were recently on a meeting chaired by the Board of large company in the CEE region, it was striking to see in front of us a row of men in grey suits. No women and nobody who identified him/herself as a member of the LGBTIQ community. Even in companies with a mature diversity and inclusion policy, LGBTIQ professionals in a Board are rare specimen. We will ask questions like what the possible benefit is of a relevant LGBTIQ representation on a board level, how the actual existing situation in the US and Europe is and how such unbalanced status could be changed?

• Fabrice Houdart, Managing Director for Global Equality Initiatives at Out Leadership, USA

16:15 - 16:30

Data of LGBTIQ Businesses, the oxygen behind every successful action

Humans can survive without food for three weeks. For water, it’s three days and for oxygen, it’s a mere three minutes. And what about another, but just as basic and essential part of modern life, the ability to access data when we want? Our LGBTIQ community still lacks reliable and recent data, especially in the CEE region. With their last report on the Economic Case for LGBTIQ inclusion in the CEE region, Open for Business, filled a gap, published key findings and suggested clear action plans.

• George Perlov, Eastern Europe Program Lead at Open For Business, Germany

16:30 - 17:15

Coming Out in Business, Your 1st Class Ticket to Success!

When you come out as LGBTIQ business owner, you enter a new business universe. New contacts, new opportunities and you will feel, you let yourself no longer being carried away with the waves, no, you are riding the waves of change! But how do you successfully tackle such endeavour, which tools are available and what is the underlying business case? We invited professionals in this field. Just enjoy the discussion and start moving!

• Matej Ftáčnik, CEO Vacuumlabs, Slovakia / UK

• Alexandra Tarmo, Head of Partnerships & Social Procurement at Unilever, Switzerland

• Peter Zerp, Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability at Accenture, Netherlands

17:15 - 17:30

The East meets West Awards & Closing Words

We from East meets West meet people, NGO’s and businesses that are just very good in what they do. We honour here for the 2nd time these 3 categories and give the winners a pat on the shoulder, an encouragement wrapped in the virtual thank you hug, together with an original East meets West 2021 Award Trophy.

• Pavel, Ludo and the Conference Backstage Team