September Gathering inspired by digitAlization & AI: NALED celebrates 18 years of reform efforts
At the traditional September Gathering of NALED’s members and partners at the White Palace, approximately 1,000 government and local leaders, entrepreneurs, international community representatives, and diplomats gathered to celebrate the organization’s 18 years of work and mark the start of a new reform season.
This year’s gathering was inspired by digitalization and artificial intelligence. Attendees enjoyed a rich musical repertoire and local specialties from 11 selected cities and municipalities as part of the “Flavors of Serbia” event.
The event was opened by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, Vladislav Cvetković, Chairman of NALED’s Board of Directors, Vlastimir Vuković, Chairman of the Executive Board of NLB Komercijalna Banka, Nikola Dašić, Mayor of Kragujevac, and Miloš Vučević, Prime Minister.
“As a former member of NALED’s Board of Directors, I had the opportunity to understand the significance of this organization for local governments, the economy, and the business sector. We’ve come a long way to discuss digitalization and artificial intelligence today, which was unimaginable 18 years ago. Serbia is moving forward relentlessly, and how quickly depends on us,” said Vučević, emphasizing that NALED was a necessary link.
NALED’s milestone was symbolically marked with a birthday cake, in the presence of Ana Brnabić, President of the National Assembly, who was also involved in founding the organization with USAID support in 2006.
“When we established NALED, our idea was to create the first association bringing together local governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. We succeeded, and thanks to that, Serbia has an organization that can assist any responsible and intelligent government that wants to listen and act on advice, to implement reforms more quickly and effectively for the betterment of every citizen,” said Brnabić.
The premium sponsor of the meeting was NLB Komercijalna Banka, a regional leader in digitalization in the banking sector.
“From its founding to today, NALED has established and confirmed its role as a systemically important organization for local economic development, just as NLB Komercijalna Banka is systemically significant for the national economy and the financial stability of the entire country,” said Vlastimir Vuković, Chairman of the Executive Board of NLB Komercijalna Banka.
The host from local governments was the City of Kragujevac, a leader in digitalization and home to the national data center and high-tech companies.
“Kragujevac has been with NALED from the beginning, and since then we have come a long way as one of the first three certified local governments with a favorable business environment. In collaboration with NALED, we continue to develop digital services for citizens and businesses,” said Mayor Dašić.
The guests were greeted by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Aleksandar II Karađorđević, who highlighted the importance of NALED for the development of the Serbian economy and remarked that in today’s world, virtually no area of life is unaffected by digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Vladislav Cvetković, Chairman of NALED’s Board of Directors, emphasized that digitalization has been and remains a common denominator of all NALED’s successful initiatives that have revolutionized the construction industry and investment climate, sole proprietors, seasonal workers, freelancers, property owners, entrepreneurs, and small businesses operating and paying electronically over the past 18 years.
The evening concluded with the presentation of the annual awards for NALED’s Most Outstanding Members, who have made the greatest contributions to the organization’s work and results, according to the Board’s decision and the Executive Office’s proposal.
The Most Outstanding Member in the Development Leaders category was Dragana Vujko, Senior Manager for Government Relations at PMI, for her invaluable contribution to the development of startups and innovation in Serbia. The title of Most Outstanding Member among Business Leaders was awarded to Zoran Daljević, Director of the Presidency at Atlantic Group, as a promoter of dialogue and collaboration, always putting the common interest before individual gain. In the category of Local Leaders, the Most Outstanding Member for 2024 was Boban Janković, President of the Municipality of Mionica, a founding member of the Club of Cities and Municipalities with a Favorable Business Environment and an Executive Board member who has always supported NALED.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, partners, and friends, whose support has been instrumental in organizing the September meeting. The event was supported by: Premium sponsor NLB Komercijalna Banka; host city Kragujevac; partner of the best Flavors of Serbia Unicredit Bank; prominent partner Coca-Cola HBC; partners A1, AstraZeneca, Imperial Tobacco, Lafarge Srbija, Philip Morris International, Sekopak and Steel-impex; and friends Apatinska pivara, AIGO, Atlantic grupa, Akreditaciono telo Srbije, CWP, Javnobeležnička komora Srbije and NITES. Guest health was managed by Medigroup, and transportation was provided by Starimport with exclusive Mercedes Benz vehicles. The wine of the evening was provided by the Faculty of Agriculture Novi Sad.
The best flavors were contributed by municipalities and cities from all over Serbia: Bela Palanka, Kragujevac, Mionica, Paraćin, Pirot, Požarevac, Smederevska Palanka, Šabac, Šid , Vrnjačka Banja i Zrenjanin!
In the spirit of digitalization, NALED created a special edition of fun Viber stickers for its 18th birthday, which members and partners can download for free via the provided link.
