B2B Project: Vocational Certified Training on Business to Business Operations
In February 2009, Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO), together with its project partner ITC-Europa, prepared a project about business-to-business (B-to-B) operations on internet environment. The main aim of this project is to make the companies in Izmir aware of the B-to-B activities and to generalize the usage of these vocational techniques. With this project, IZTO won the right to use EU's funds under the Lifelong Learning Program to realize this project. The project implementations will begin in October of 2009.
B-to-B operations is a fast growing field of economic activity, flattering a new-fangled ground of occupation and a source for job creation. The vocational measures, recent surveys and job advertisements reveal the progressive demand for B-to-B and for employees with sufficient know-how on aspects of B-to-B activities in Turkey.
Turkish education and vocational training system has an alerting gap on training material in this crucial area of business. To build an appropriate vocational training for SMEs in B-to-B activities, there is a need for strong initiatives. A joint project of a multi-actor consortium backed by technologies-enabled content and processes and a common accreditation system is an answer to this recognized challenge. Present B2B transfer of innovation initiative addresses this need as heading for improving the B-to-B sales training in Turkey. Specific objective is to transfer former successful LdV project "EUBBSI" products for targets groups in Turkey subsequent to an intense study of training content and context "localization".
Partnership for the project is leaded by the applicant Izmir Chamber of Commerce. The other partners of the project are:
. ITC-Europa, Brussels-based project management company, being responsible for coordination and management of the project
. EBILTEM, as a member of European Enterprise Network of the EU in Izmir
. Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and Industry/Grenoble School of Management, the owner and coordinator of the former EUBBSI project
Upon this multi-actor and strong consortium, foremost outcomes shall be integrated training modules premeditated for use of SMEs and SME practitioners in Turkey with the intention of facilitating them fruitfully partaking in B-to-B activities including solution selling, acceleration of innovation processes, increasing needs for an entrepreneurial attitude, the development of business to business purchasing, customer relationship management, efficiency measures, plus a common competency framework via certificate and organizational diagnosis tools for measuring sales effectiveness. Training module implies to design and offer the training participants a "B-to-B Sales Institute" as a field to use for their vocational skills.
Turkey's Aegean Coasts and Greek Aegean Islands Economic Summits
Our Chamber, in collaboration with many Chambers of Commerce in Greece, organizes economic summits under the heading of "Turkey's Aegean Coasts and Greek Aegean Islands Economic Summits". These summits have been held in Turkey and Greece since 1998 with a view to improve political, economic and social relations between Turkey and Greece.
The summits have contributed to the signing of the Agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation and agreement enabling Turkish citizens to enter Greece with Schengen Visa instead of Greek Visa. These summits have also contributed to the commercial relations between the two countries. The trade volume between Turkey and Greece which was only 200 million Dollars in 1992 increased considerably to 868 millions in 2000, to 1.843 millions in 2005 and to 3.212 millions in 2007. January-August 2008 figure is about 2.535 million Dollars.
"Brand City Izmir" Project
Izmir's vision of our Chamber is "To Turn Beautiful Izmir Into A Global City". Our city must take its place in the global competition environment with the company brands it will create and with city brand emphasizing its traditional, historical and cultural characteristics, creating a difference and capable of adapting itself to changes. With these in mind, "Brand City Izmir" Project was completed in 2007 and put into practice.
Being a global city for Izmir depends on the level of attaining its vision and its success in becoming a brand. We can reach the desired level in global competition if we can create a modern city brand emphasizing the traditional, historical and cultural characteristics of the city, creating difference and capable of adapting itself to changes.
It is doubtless that in creating a city brand the most important issue is the adoption of the brand by all parts who share that city. Therefore, long term efforts can be made only within the perspective to be put forth by the actors of the city because of the importance we attach to this. The company carrying out our brand city study has sought after revealing the perception of Izmir through its citizens by interviewing a wide range of the population beginning from citizens in the street to journalists, from businessmen and managers to non-governmental bodies, and has carried out its efforts in line with this perception.
Likewise, in choosing Izmir city logo and the motto complementing it, 10 logos out of 50 have been presented for voting together with 10 mottos thus providing active participation of all people living in Izmir.
Furthermore, meetings have been made with the participation of the Association of Izmir Advertisers which harbors real and legal persons who are experts of the subject and the studies have been directed in line with their views.
The basic philosophy of the logo determined at the end of the above studies and the verbal interpretation of the logo are as follows:
"What make Izmir different and indispensable for millenniums are its vision and values one more characteristic than one another. These values carrying Izmir to the future in all eras have always been in harmony though they all have different colors and characteristics.
The emblem in the form of a circle consisting small colored pieces represents a world consisted of different colors connecting many characteristics of Izmir in harmony and without restricting each other. A world presenting different opportunities and values where people can use their real potential... Using many and vivid colors to give a feeling of motivation and excitement. The font used interconnects the city and its vision very clearly. The character "i" carrying a world with diversity represents a very powerful stem supporting the vision of the city.
The Turkish motto "Yaºanacak ªehir" and the English version "Rediscover Life" used together with the city logo imply that Izmir presents incomparable experiences in all fields of life and that it can present chances of discovering new opportunities in many fields from industry to education and from tourism to trade."
Cruise Port Project
With the initiatives taken by our Chamber since 2003, cruise tourism has come to a very important point today. Infrastructure and feasibility studies have been made and architectural drawings have been prepared for the construction of a cruise port at Uckuyular and the necessary initiatives have been taken with the Ministries. The process of cruise port project is implemented and followed up by our City Consulting Office.
Project for Conversion of Old Tekel Buildings in Izmir Alsancak into Cultural Centers
City Consulting Office carries out the efforts in the name of our Chamber with respect to conversion of the Old Tekel Buildings into a Cultural Centers Project initiated by the Chamber, Izmir University of Economics and Arkas Holding.
Pasaport Harbor and Jetty Project
Pasaport Harbor is one of the favorite places preferred by the people of Izmir. For purposes of converting this harbor into an urban attraction site, the idea of creating a space where there will be culture, art and exposition centers, an underwater museum, a theater, and units for water and light games has been concretized as a project and presented to the related authorities.