On the 11th of May Direct Selling Associations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in cooperation with AmCham Latvia organized the Baltic Annual Conference on Direct Selling and Entrepreneurship. The Conference was held on the occasion of 10 years anniversary of Latvian and Lithuanian DSAs’ foundation. Leaders of direct selling (DS) industry operating in the Baltics, as well representatives from DS industry international organizations, governmental institutions and media gathered to the Conference.
In the Conference Andris Ozols, the Director of Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, made a welcome address stressing the importance of entrepreneurship and small business for the state economy. Later in the first introductory part of the Conference the Baltic States economic overview and conditions for business by the Chief economist at Nordea Bank Andris Strazds, the comparison of self-employment legal regulation and taxation in Baltic States by the Partner at Spigulis & Kukainis Law Firm Matiss Kukainis and Baltic DSAs’ activity in 10 years perspective by the Baltic DSAs General Secretary Gintautas Zaleckas were presented.
On the second session a well-known representatives of direct industry discussed on entrepreneurship and direct selling. Amway Europe Vice-President for Corporate Affairs Michael Meissner presented the European entrepreneurship study, which was conducted by GfK in the last 2 years, while the Executive director of Seldia (the European Direct Selling Association) Maurits Bruggink talked about direct seller‘s status recognition on the European level. The honourable guest from United States – successful senior executive, the Executive director of Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF)- Charlies Orr shared his experience on Direct selling and entrepreneurship in the US, presented various DSEF entrepreneurship initiatives.
On the last session of the Conference, moderated by the Latvian TV journalist Ansis Bogustovs, 5 successful direct sellers-Top leaders of different member companies from different Baltic States shared their experience how direct sales work in practise, what is the most important in this business, how they managed to achieve such success.