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The supply chain is no longer just an operational topic. It has become a key factor determining the stability of entire companies. That’s why at eBF we joined forces with our partners from Business Leaders Forum, who are curating the entire Suppliers stage. Together, we are opening topics that truly shape procurement today – from geopolitics and resilience to local vs. global sourcing, win-win relationships, supplier performance management, and risk control. On stage, you’ll meet representatives from companies such as Škoda Auto, Volkswagen Group, Eurowag, Siemens Energy, MOL Group, and more. No theory. Just real business. Come, listen, discuss… and maybe even help reshape it.

This year, we managed to bring a forgotten engine room back to life – a place that until recently served only as a nesting spot for pigeons. We transformed it into the Pigeon House – a lifeline for sustainability. Together with recycling specialists from PackWall, we are renovating the entire space and decorating it with unique elements made from recycled materials. It’s our very own green mastermind lab! What will you find inside the Pigeon House? Above all, inspiration, innovation, and insights into the hottest topics: from financial risks in 2026, through systemic sustainability in times of crisis (INCIEN, Volkswagen), to high-impact workshops – integrated procurement architecture, intelligent auctions, fair play in negotiations, and tech-driven procurement ecosystems. If you care about sustainable and efficient procurement, there’s nothing to think about – come and experience the atmosphere of the Pigeon House

One of the standout program highlights of this year’s eBF will be the Vyjednáváme.cz stage, focused on negotiation, communication, and managing conflict in the most demanding situations. The stage will bring together personalities with hands-on experience in negotiations from the worlds of media, crisis management, and strategic decision-making — Adam Dolník, Helena Sováková, Terezie Tománková, and Blanka Šoulavá. The discussions will explore not only negotiations with an opposing party, but also working with emotions, public pressure, responsibility, and the role of the media in sensitive situations. The stage will offer practical insights and real-life stories that demonstrate that negotiation is not just about arguments, but above all about understanding people and the context in which decisions are made.

A clear highlight of the first day of eBF was the lecture by economist and philosopher Tomáš Sedláček, who injected a healthy dose of optimism into those doubting Europeans’ ability to withstand today’s crises. “I believe that countries like the Czech Republic, where democracy has been successfully re-exported, represent a significant hope for Europe. It is hard to find another system that could ensure peaceful and prosperous coexistence of nations. However, we must learn to stand on our own feet,” he told the audience. Our special guest’s faith was also rooted in the global reach of Czech companies in the field of green innovation.

One of the innovations at this year’s eBF was the introduction of round table meetings, providing space for direct discussions between participants and speakers, including invited personalities and procurement leaders. Radek Špicar, Vice President of the Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic, faced numerous questions, having been invited by moderator Marek Dubnický to participate in two round tables. Topics included energy challenges and trade wars as part of the broader competition for Europe’s competitiveness, with the continent facing many tasks ahead. “I see great room for improvement, especially regarding the barriers we have created ourselves within the EU’s internal market,” Špicar pointed out, adding that the much-feared Trump tariffs are “nothing compared to our own regulations.”

This year, the thematic shift of the eBF program towards people and their development was evident on several stages. Among the speakers dedicated to people’s growth professionally and long-term was coach Romana Martincová. In her afternoon lecture on how to keep people motivated, she discussed the differences between employee satisfaction and engagement, as well as our external and internal sources of motivation. “Motivation is essentially a relationship. Each of us can do something to foster our own development,” shared the experienced HR manager, who also appeared on the main stage on Thursday.

This year's eBF festival is on its way! A special Procurement Express is on its way from Prague, Bratislava, Vienna and Warsaw, with a procurement show full of interactive workshops, inspiring discussions and informal networking. Look forward to battles for the best negotiation tactics, fast-paced networking challenges and unexpected purchasing quizzes that will draw you into the action even before you arrive in Ostrava. It's not just about transport - Procurement Express is the first chapter of the festival experience, where ideas, experiences and new industry contacts will come together!

This year, the eBF festival will take place in the iconic Lower Vítkovice area, where the past of the industrial revolution meets modern innovation and digital transformation. This unique environment of former ironworks and mines symbolises development, change and adaptation, which are also key principles in procurement, digitalisation and strategic supply chain management. It is here, among the steel cathedrals of Ostrava, that the city of innovation will be created, where the biggest challenges of public procurement and corporate purchasing will be solved. The connection of the eBF with the Lower Vítkovice area perfectly captures the essence of procurement - linking tradition with the future and finding efficient ways to success.

Procurement is a world of strategy, data and decision-making, of modern approaches - but what if it's combined with art? This year, the SPOLU exhibition once again offers a unique insight into the creativity of those behind public procurement, corporate purchasing and the eBF festival as a whole. Under the mining tower in the Lower Vítkovice area, artists from the ranks of commissioners, buyers and others who make up the festival community will exhibit their work. Among them there are always visionaries, creatives, Michelangelos of their time who love to create. The opening will launch not only the exhibition, but also the entire eBF, where the world of decision-making, vision and aesthetics will come together. Submissions of works for the exhibition TOGETHER have already begun.

Have a nice day, and all the best for 2025! Why am I so late with my New Year's wishes, you ask? It's on purpose! Because we're all now past the third Monday in January, or Blue Monday, which is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. The darkness, the cold and the weight of New Year's resolutions all hit you in full force at this time of year, and combined with having to get up and go to work after the weekend, it's a killer combination. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising and the wave of positive energy will reach its climax on Tuesday 20 May, when the 21st edition of the eBF Festival kicks off in Ostrava. The working version of the programme map is already on the web, tickets are disappearing like free parking in ski resorts and we are looking forward to seeing you. So don't hesitate and take advantage of the January early-bird offer.