Particularly interesting is that the conference participants will provide real examples from countries of the former Yugoslavia. They will meet people who assist politicians and political options in Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro to attract the attention of the electorate and maintain it until the election date so that voters won’t forget to go to the voting polls and place their vote. We believe that our colleagues from Serbia, whose parliamentary and local elections should finish just a few days prior to the conference, will gladly, share their knowledge and experience with the conference participants. Furthermore, communications experts from the United States of America, Denmark, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Israel, France, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and other countries will also be present. For a number of years these experts have been advising their own governments and foreign governments the best way to offer the bitter pill of painful cuts and reforms to the public. The EAPC 2012 Conference will be held under the high patronage of the Croatian President, Dr. Ivo Josipović, who also happens to be one of the speakers at the conference.

One of the particular values of the EAPC gathering lies in the fact that people, who are otherwise on opposite sides of the political platform and who work for the political opponents and strong nemeses, can get together. It is also an opportunity to contact and meet potential associates and discuss business opportunities not only in Croatia and the region, but also in Europe and the whole world. Many of the political consultants who will be in Dubrovnik will participate in the election campaigns in 2014 for European Parliament.

Registration to the EAPC 2012 conference is open to the interested public at eapc2012.eu where you can also see detailed conference program and speakers line up.

The European Association of Political Consultants (EAPC) is the leading professional association of political consultants and communication advisors in politics and public departments in Europe. The association was founded in 1996. EAPC is the platform for exchanging ideas amongst professionals who are involved in political campaigns and it is the place for cross-border cooperation and agreements. The association is dedicated to providing assistance for the development of democratic structures in Europe. At the annual gatherings (EAPC Conference and Master Class), association members have the opportunity to discuss the latest trends and techniques in political campaigns and discuss the development of democracy in Europe. EAPC closely cooperates with other professional organisations such as IAPC and AAPC.

We have to remind you that this is first conference held in south-eastern Europe, which also means that this year's conference will be a great oportunity to meet and talk with a number of political, marketing and public relations professionals from the region (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro...).

World Heritage city of Dubrovnik
Site of this years conference is World Heritage city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Our venue is Hotel Palace Dubrovnik which was recently recognized as "Best resort hotel in Europe". We promise you exciting, pleasurable and memorable few days in Croatia.

17th annual EAPC conference is held under auspices of Croatian president mr. Ivo Josipović who is also our keynote speaker.

Registration is open now. Early bird pricing for EAPC members is 480 EUR and hotel daily rate is 158 EUR.

The EAPC Conference takes place in the new and modern Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, where you can use your spare time to swim in the pool or just relax on the balcony and enjoy the magnificent view to the sea, Islands and mountains in the distance.

All of this comes of course with a selection of interesting keynote speakers and a chance to meet other professionals – or simply to meet old friends.

If this sounds interesting please reserve the date 10^th - 13^th of May and look out for more information on the EAPC website and in your mailbox within a very short period of time

There’s No Reason to delay.  So what are you waiting for?  Register today! … iapc.org/conferences/istanbul-2011/registration/

But before she has even received the keys for her new office, political observers are already predicting a bumpy road ahead for the new government. Although there is a majority in Parliament for a left-of-center government, there is also a majority behind a right-of-center economic policy, meaning that Helle Thorning-Schmidt can be forced to start her new job instituting the very policy she ran campaigned against.

The new government will also have to depend on the support of parties as diverse as the communist Red-Green Alliance and the Social-Liberals, creating a daunting challenge in finding common ground.

The former Minister of State, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who came into office when his predecessor Anders Fogh Rasmussen was appointed Secretary General of NATO, continues as the leader of the Liberal Party.

Photo: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, newly elected Minister of State in Denmark. Press photo by Lars Svankjær, 2010.

The meeting brought together leading experts in the field of political communication around the world, including advisors and strategists of leaders such as Barack Obama, David Cameron, George W. Bush, John McCain, Tony Blair, Romano Prodi or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

James Aldrete, Cesar Martinez, Thomas Hofer, Necati Özkan, Jan Juul Christensen and Daniel Ureña.

Daniel Ureña, member of the EAPC Board of Directors and Managing Director of MAS Consulting Spain, organizer company of the event, said that "it has been a very enriching event thanks to the variety of topics and the presence of such distinguished speakers who offered the attendees practical and intelligent speeches, demonstrating the power of the Internet in political campaigns and the tools and excellent results which it can bring to a successful communication strategy".

Here you can watch a video summary of the event and the images that illustrate three days of intense and very interesting presentations.

From the organization of the 16th edition of the EAPC Conference we would like to thank the speakers and the attendees for their participation.

See you next year in Dubrovnik!

Conventional wisdom in the campaign business, and backed by recent findings in neurosciences: Emotions are crucial if campaigns want to successfully reach their target groups.

Human decision making is a complicated process, and even though many professionals for many years have been aware of the fact that voters essential take decisions in their “heart” and not always using the rational part of the brain.

The book contains perspectives from researchers and practitioners on a topic of utmost relevance for everyone working in the area of politics. Well known experts and professionals such as George Lakoff, Ted Brader, Thorsten Hofmann, Ken Feltman and Michael Granger and many more.

The editors are Christoph Hofinger, EAPC President 2008-2010 and organizer of the Vienna Conference, and Gerlinde Manz-Christ, EAPC President for the period 2010-2012.

Interested in knowing more? you can find table of contents, info about the book and a sample reading on the book's Facebook page.

The book is available on amazon.de at the price of €25. You can order the book here:

• Amazon Deutchland

• Amazon UK

The EAPC Book will be officially presented in the Austrian Parliament in Vienna on June 29^th With particpation from The President of the Austrian Parliament and presentations from the two editors and EAPC Presidents. Please see Sora.at's website for more info

The Master Class will be followed by the two days' EAPC Conference, which will be held in the Meliá Madrid Princesa Hotel (C/Princesa, 27, Madrid). In the Summit, renowned international experts will share their experiences on how to make the most of Internet in governments, parties and political leaders' communication.

Here you can see the three days program and the speakers who will participate in each one of the conferences:

MASTER CLASS:

(Conferences Room. Universidad Pontificia Comillas)

Thursday, 2nd June:

• 09.15-09.30: Welcome and Introduction
• 09.30-10.15: Keys of political leadership - With Daniel Ureña and Antoni Gutiérrez-Rubí
• 10.15-10.45: Coffee break
• 10.45-12.15: New rules in the digital world - With Ramón Salaverría, Sebastián Muriel and Mario Tascón
• 12.15-13.45: Traditional media vs. online media - With Borja Bergareche, Rosalía Lloret and Carlos Salas

16º EAPC CONFERENCE:

(Meliá Madrid Princesa Hotel)

Friday, 3rd June:

• 09.15-10.30: The essence of political campaigns: a winning strategy - With Matthew Dowd
• 10.30-11.00: Coffee Break
• 11.00-12.15: The use of internet in local governments - With Daniel Ureña
• 12.15-13.30: Reinventing the Door2Door: the microtargeting - With Marco Cacciotto, Ken Feltman and Gary Nordlinger
• 13.30-15.00: Lunch
• 15.00-16.15: The future of internet: trends, tools and new players in political communication - With Thomas Hofer, Felipe Benítez and Ioni Abelson

Saturday, 4th June:

• 09.30-10.45: Reshaping the image of the political parties and political leaders. The case of David Cameron and the UK Conservative Party - With Michael Dolley
• 10.15-11.15: Coffee Break
• 11.15-12.30: Conversation, the new structure of political communication - With Felipe Noguera, Bo Krogvig and Jan Juul Christensen
• 12.30-14.00: It's the network, stupid! The revolution will not be televised - With Joe Trippi
• 14.00-15.30: Lunch
• 15.30-16.45: Targeting minorities, the hispanic vote in the U.S. - With César Martínez and James Aldrete

Both the coffee breaks and the lunches announced are included in the register's prices.

As well, under the Conference there will be a social agenda that you won't want to loose and you will soon check out.

In www.eapc2011.eu you can learn more on these speakers, where to stay and meet the last news on the Summit.

Register now on the largest European forum of political communication website.

Feltman, Nordlinger, Krogvig and Christensen will be accompanied by other renowned experts in political communication around the world, such as Joe Trippi, Democratic consultant defined by "The New Republic" as "the man who reinvented the electoral campaigns" because of his work for Howard Deans' Campaign, which has been the basis of Barack Obama success; Michael Dolley, Deputy Director of Campaigning for the Conservative Party in United Kingdom and one of the responsible for David Cameron victory; James Aldrete, member of the Obama media team, leading their Latino media efforts; César Martínez, responsible for Hispanic vote in George W. Bush and John McCain campaigns; or Daniel Ureña, Managing Partner of MAS Consulting Spain.

On Thursday, 2nd June you can attend the Master Class, where will participate leading experts on political leadership, media and social networks. On 3rd and 4th June will be held the Summit, where you will listen to international advisers and strategists, who will discuss issues such as the essence of political campaigns, local government, microtargeting, trends, tools and new players in political communication, political image, conversation as political communication basis or minorities targeting.

Register now on the largest European forum of political communication website.

Member of EAPC - Rud Pedersen Public Affairs Company, with offices in Sweden and Denmark is now the official partner at the first annual politic festival in Denmark “Folkemødet”.

The new political festival is held on the island of Bornholm from 15^th to 18^th of June – heavily inspired from the Swedish counterpart “Almedalsveckan” founded in the 1960s. At “Folkemødet” people, organizations, companies and politicians join together at formal debates during the day and informal events at night. All Danish party presidents and large organizations have announced their participation, and the interest from other politicians, journalists, NGOs, Danish and global companies is increasing day by day, in order not to miss out on the opportunity to be part of an event scheduled to last. Rud Pedersen draws on its experiences from Almedalsveckan and offers tailor-made events and other services to companies interesting in participating in the festival and in optimizing their output from it.

More info:

www.folkemodet.dk
www.rudpedersen.com