Major Event in Budapest to Assess the Impact of the Global Crisis on CEE

Budapest, Hungary, October 23, 2008 --(PR.com)-- A major event gathering senior leaders and experts from the real estate industry to assess the impact of the global economic crisis on Central and Eastern Europe is taking place at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal in Budapest.

‘Tropical Storm’ is the launch event for the Central and Eastern Europe Real Estate Quality Awards (CEEQA), for which Colliers International, the global real estate services provider, is one of the main sponsors.

The Central and Eastern Europe Real Estate Quality Awards produced in association with the Financial Times, are recognised as the leading industry awards in the region. Colliers International, which has made significant commitments to the issue of sustainability, is also sponsoring one of the four main awards, the Green Initiative award, given out in Warsaw in February at the CEEQA Gala Awards.

The ‘Tropical Storm’ Insight Forum in Budapest marks the official launch of the 6th CEEQA programme of events. The 2008 Jury for the awards will also be announced on that day. In the final week of January there will then be a series of business leader breakfasts in five cities (Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest and Kiev) across the region, and then on 25th February in Warsaw the Gala Awards will be held, a black-tie event with entertainment, along with a second Insight Forum, this one on green buildings.

The goals of the Central and Eastern Europe Real Estate Quality Awards are:

• Recognising and promoting excellence through an independent, open and democratic industry awards
• Promoting the issues, trends and achievements of the CEE real estate sector to the international investment community through a series of dynamic, trend focused, senior level forum events

Nominations for the awards are accepted for companies, industry professionals and real estate projects in one or more of the following countries: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine. Nominations will open on the 23rd October, and close on 28th November.

Colliers International has by far the greatest presence in the region of any commercial real estate services provider. Colliers has offices in Albania, all the Baltics, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine.

Hadley Dean, Managing Partner of Colliers International, Poland, says, ‘As the region’s leading real estate services provider, Colliers International is delighted to be the main sponsor of the benchmark real estate awards for the region. The Central and Eastern Europe Real Estate Quality Awards play a very important role in recognising excellence in our industry and the professional expertise and experience their events bring together is invaluable.’

Jack Hopkins, Regional Director of Marketing - CEE, Colliers International adds, 'Colliers has made sustainability a major priority, so we are very pleased to be sponsoring the Green Initiative Award. This is a movement everyone can and should support, and Colliers is dedicated to being one of its leaders.'

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