Green Business

PRIME ADS

CMYK

Newspapers are

Recyclable May 16, 2011

Anita Rachvelishvili, La-Scala’s Georgian Mezzo Soprano See on p. 34

News Making Money

http://www.finchannel.com GEORGIAN WEBSITE

http://www.financial.ge

GLOBAL OIL CONSUMPTION DECLINED BY 1.2 MILLION B/D OR 1.7%, THE LARGEST DECLINE SINCE 1982 WORLD NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION FELL BY 2.1%, THE LARGEST DECLINE ON RECORD GLOBAL COAL CONSUMPTION WAS FLAT IN 2009, THE WEAKEST ANNUAL CHANGE SINCE 1999 WORLD PRIMARY ENERGY CONSUMPTION FELL BY 1.1% IN 2009, THE FIRST DECLINE SINCE 1982

© 2009 The FINANCIAL. INTELLIGENCE BUSINESS PUBLICATION WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR OPINION LEADERS AND TOP BUSINESS DECISION-MAKERS

CMYK

2

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

green business

Dr Soso Pkhakadze Chairman of Wissol Group Wissol operates in Georgia since 1998. Having set the right strategy of product diversification and being flexible to market changes and externalities, nowadays Wissol is a Group representing one of the largest commercial groups in Georgia and is the leading player in the energy sector.

Accountability, transparency, respect for values, ethical business practices are what creates trust and loyalty toward Wissol Group.

Besides, Wissol feels responsibility for environment protection and undertakes social investments, makes charity and implements community projects for the wellbeing of the society at large.

May 16, 2011 19 (246)

COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY POLICY FINANCIAL respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our colleagues to do the same. The material published in the FINANCIAL may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. All material in the FINANCIAL is protected by Georgian and international laws. The views expressed in the FINANCIAL are not necessarily the views of the publisher nor does the publisher carry any responsibility for those views.

PERMISSIONS If you are seeking permission to use FINANCIAL trademarks, logos, service marks, trade dress, slogans, screen shots, copyrighted designs, combination of headline fonts, or other brand features, please contact publisher. “&” is the copyrighted symbol used by the FINANCIAL FINANCIAL (The FINANCIAL) is registered trade mark of Intelligence Group ltd in Georgia and Ukraine. Trade mark registration by Sakpatenti - Registration date: October 24, 2007; Registration N: 85764; Trade mark registratrion by Ukrainian State Register body - Registration date: November 14, 2007.

ADVERTISING All Advertisements are accepted subject to the publisher’s standard conditions of insertion. Copies may be obtained from advertisement and marketing department.

TO GET the ADVERTISING RATE CARD please contact marketing at: marketing@finchannel.com see financial media kit online http://www.financial.ge/presentation.html

DISTRIBUTION FINANCIAL distribution network covers 80 % of key companies operating in Georgia. 90 % is distributed in Tbilisi, Batumi and Poti. Newspaper delivered free of charge to more than 600 companies and their managers.

To be included in the list please contact distribution department at: distribution@finchannel.com CONTACT US EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ZVIAD POCHKHUA E-MAIL: editor@finchannel.com Phone: (+995 32) 252 275 HEAD OF MARKETING LALI JAVAKHIA E-MAIL: marketing@finchannel.com Phone: (+995 77) 74 17 00 CONSULTANT MAMUKA POCHKHUA E-MAIL: finance@finchannel.com Phone: (+995 99) 29 60 40 HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT TEMUR TATISHVILI E-MAIL: distribution@finchannel.com Phone: (+995 99) 64 77 76 COPY EDITOR: IONA MACLAREN COMMUNICATION MANAGER: EKA BERIDZE Phone: (+995 77) 57 57 89 MAILING ADDRESS: 17 mtskheta Str. Tbilisi, Georgia OFFICE # 4 PHONE: (+995 32) 252 275 FAX: (+95 32) 252 276 E-mail: info@finchannel.com on the web: www.financial.ge daily news: www.finchannel.com

Intelligence Group ltd. 2010

Soso Pkhakadze, Chairman of the Wissol Board of Directors

Wissol Group Reports Increase in Business Operations

By KETI CHKHIKVADZE The FINANCIAL

W

issol, one of the largest business groups in Georgia, plans to make solid investments in different operating fields and develop dynamically in 2011 according to Mr. Soso Pkhakadze, Chairman of the Wissol Board of Directors.

The first quarter company results are positive, and as Mr. Pkhakadze said, increased sales have been observed in different businesses of Wissol Group. “We have had an increase in sales in the first quarter of 2011. The dynamics of 2010 that we had at Wissol Petroleum are continuing. As for other companies incorporated in Wissol Group,

we have observed significant improvements which mean that the country is recovering from the economic downturn. We are in the post crisis period and economy is picking up rapidly,” Mr. Pkhakadze added.

Wissol is one of the largest business groups in Georgia incorporating Wissol Petroleum, Wissol Gas, Air Wissol, Wissol Gas Distribution Company, construction company JSC Delta and advertising company Vellagio. Recently the company added Auto Express and through business diversification has started developing a supermarket chain under the name Smart as well. `It’s our intention to create a nation-wide chain of modern supermarkets that will meet expectations of wider pubic,” said Mr. Pkhakadze who currently

serves as a General Director of JSC Smart Retail.

Wissol will face several challenges in 2011. “Firstly, we would like to sustain our leading position on the market. The market leaders have even greater responsibility to conduct businesses adhering with the most modern business ethics and practices. Being leader means constant control of product and service quality, being always an innovator, constantly implementing new innovative projects which make your clients highly satisfied and provide additional value to them. This is why Wissol is distinguished on the marketplace and customer care gives us the basis for our success,” Mr. Pkhakadze added.

The company will be investing millions of GEL in core business

developments in 2011.

Auto Express, new venture with exclusive rights from Total, works in three directions: development of oil and lubricant change boxes located near Wissol petrol stations; tier service as well as transformation of cars on natural gas.

Wissol is the exclusive importer of oil lubricants of French company Total, one of the world’s major oil and gas groups.

Total lubricants will be available in 15 locations throughout Georgia by the end of 2011. The company plans to make over 50 units in the country. The lubricant service points will be available near Wissol petrol stations throughout Georgia.

Continued on p. 5

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

3

green business

Advertiser: Wissol. Contact FINANCIAL Ad Dep at marketing@finchannel.com

CMYK

4

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

green business

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

Gap Inc. to Take Gap Brand to Serbia and Ukraine The FINANCIAL

M

The complete package in solid wood processing!

WEINIG is synonymous with technological advancement. And has been for more than 100 years. WEINIG quality allows our partners around the world both in handcrafts and industry to stand out above the competition. With machines and systems that set standards in performance and economy. With intelligent production concepts for optimal value creation. And with customised solutions – from application through to service.

ay 13, 2011 – Continuing to deliver on its global growth plans, Gap Inc. today announced that it will introduce Gap brand to Serbia and Ukraine through new agreements with existing franchise partners.

The stores are scheduled to open in 2011 in the cities of Belgrade and Kiev where customers will be able to shop products from Gap, GapKids and babyGap. “We look forward to bringing Gap’s distinctively American aesthetic to consumers in Ukraine , which is considered the fastest growing retail market in Eastern Europe, and Serbia with its young customers who love to shop,” said Stephen Sunnucks, President, International, Gap Inc. “With few international brands on the scene today, both markets underscore the effectiveness of our fast and flexible business model to successfully execute our global expansion strategy.”

Gap Inc. is focused on growing its share of the $1.4 trillion global apparel market.

To capitalize on its significant global business opportunities, the company recently announced the combining of its International operations into one division (read latest Gap Inc. international news and learn more about Gap Inc.’s global runway).

Over the last five years, Gap Inc. has grown its franchise store base to about 180 and expanded from 2 to 24 countries throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia.

With today’s announcement, the company now has franchise agreements in place to bring its brands to 28 countries, including Chile and Egypt in fiscal year 2011. The company plans to double its number of franchise stores to 400 by fiscal year 2015.

Last year, Gap Inc. first made its products available

RIPPING · CROSS-CUTTING · OPTIMISING FINGER JOINTING · GLUING · PLANING AND PROFILING WINDOW PRODUCTION · AUTOMATION

p er t INIG ex .COM E W r u G Yo .WEINI W W W at

WEINIG OFFERS MORE marketing@commersant.ge +995 32 505 955 Advertiser: Weinig. Contact FINANCIAL Ad Dep at marketing@finchannel.com

Advertiser: Radio Commersant. Contact FINANCIAL Ad Dep at marketing@finchannel.com

to customers in Ukraine online through the company’s international shipping provider. Gap expects to open its first store this June in the capital city of Kiev . The store will be in an 836 square meter (9,000 square feet) space on Kreschatik Street, one of the city’s most famous and busiest streets. The country’s booming retail market – fifth largest in Eastern Europe and stable economy provide Gap Inc. with a terrific opportunity to now introduce Gap brand stores to customers in Ukraine.

Ukraine is the third country to be managed under Gap Inc.’s franchise agreement with Fiba Holding A.S., which also manages the company’s franchise locations in Turkey (Gap brand and Banana Republic) and Russia (Gap brand).

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

5

FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

green business

Wissol Group Reports

Increase in Business Operations Continued from p. 2

The first Smart supermarket was opened in December 2010. Within 2-3 years the Smart supermarket chain will launch over 20 supermarkets throughout Georgia, out of them 20% will be at Wissol stations and the remaining 80% will be in different locations, occupying between 2,000-5,000 square metres. The company already employs 100 individuals and is considering employing 3,000 staff members over the next 3 years.

Wissol Gas Distribution Company has been providing natural gas to Telavi since the year 2008, already supplying 10,500 families in the region. Since the year 2008 the company has provided gasification to 16 villages, in 2010 alone the company added 7 villages to its gasification system.

In the territory of the Gori highway, Wissol started building of a rest and services complex, which will be opened in summer 2011.

Within the framework of the project, the company will build a tourist information centre, service units and restaurants, auto-tech service, a special car park for cars and buses and petrol station. The works are being conducted

by JSC Delta, Construction Company of Wissol Group.

The year 2010 was special for Wissol as the company was awarded the ‘Ruban d’Honneur’ Prize and was named among the 10 best companies in Europe. This was the first case of a company from Georgia and from a post-Soviet Republic being named among the 10 best companies out of all 15,000 companies from the European continent.

However, as Mr. Pkhakadze said, being awarded by two Mercury 2011 prises is vital for Wissol as a company operates in Georgia and is doing business on the local market.

“The awards that were given to us by our customers and Georgian society at large is far more important than all the awards and prizes that we have been granted throughout our corporate history. We do business in Georgia, we serve the local people and it’s natural that the recognition of our successful business activities in our country is very exciting and incomparable fact for us” said Mr. Pkhakadze.

Wissol and Mr. Pkahakadze personally, were awarded in two nominations – Wissol - The Employer of the Year and Mr. Pkhakadze - The Entrepreneur of 2011.

“This brings with it great motivation and stimulus to create new innovative projects and get further closer to the society, care about them and appreciate the trust they showed towards Wissol,” Mr. Pkhakadze said.

Q. What is the share of Wissol in total petrol sales?

A. if we take sales at pumps Wissol possesses ap-

proximately a 26-27% market share. There is observed increase in retail sales and customers have become aware of one fact. It’s better to pay a little more for petrol and choose a high quality product, which in the end protects the car, motor, and other parts of the car. The profitability is higher due to the high quality product purchase; this is pure economic-financial profit.

Q. The price of petrol increased by 0.2 GEL during the year 2011.

What circumstances governed the change in price?

A. There are several factors which govern increase in the price of petrol. Georgia is wholly dependent on the prices on the international market. A change in price is directly reflected in our country. Wissol, like other companies throughout the world, purchases fuel from international markets according to Platts, an informative bulletin based on which price is calculated.

This year increase in price was governed by several factors. Firstly, the US economy recovered from the crisis and the population of the USA is the consumer of 22-23% of totally produced oil products.

The second factor was the ongoing processes in North

Africa and the Middle East.

Libya was pumping over the world with 1,200,000 barrels of oil a day, consequently the ongoing crises and supply cut put additional burden on oil prices.

However, in recent periods the tendency has somehow been towards decrease. If the price of petrol decreases this will be both profitable for Wissol as well as for customers. A low price provides sev-

cally within 2 GEL range per litre.

Q. How many stations does Wissol intend to open in 2011?

A. Wissol will continue developing petrol chains during 2011-2012. The company has already added several petrol stations to its network and by the end of the year we intend to open in total 12 petrol stations. The main strategy of Wissol is to wholly cover all

“We are observing increased demand for European products at Wissol, which already consist of 57% of total realization.” eral advantages, such as sales increase. Besides, whereas a company previously spent 1.5 million USD per ship import, currently the price reaches 4 million USD. Q. In your opinion how likely is a change in petrol price during the year 2011?

A. In previous years we have been forecasting oil prices, however due to the current rapidly changing environment I will hesitate to do so. However our strong desire is for prices to be lo-

regions of Georgia, but still.

In addition we will be adding stations in Tbilisi in those regions where demand for additional stations exists.

Q. Which products are in highest demand at Wissol?

A. We are observing increased demand for European products at Wissol, which already consist of 57% of total sales. Out of European products the highest sales are of API Premium and Euro Regular.

Q. Auto Express, the

daughter company of Wissol, incorporates three major directions under its operations.

What is the long-term strategy of Auto Express?

A. Wissol management pays huge attention to Auto Express. Firstly after a year’s negotiation we managed to reach an exclusive contract with French company Total, one of the world’s major oil and gas groups. The fact of Total being present in Georgia is not the success of Wissol alone, but of each investor operating and investing in our country this is an additional guarantee of stability and assurance. We formed good relationships with key figures at Total this is a dynamic, fast-growing and interesting company from which we are learning a lot.

Secondly, in Georgia you cannot find a chain similar to Auto Express. Despite the fact that it’s not a product of daily use the demand for the service was, is, and will always be, high. At present Auto Express employs 30-40 individuals but in the future the company will recruit approximately 400-500 individuals. Auto Express will be a big chain of service stations in Georgia, as the infrastructure will be developed in Tbi-

lisi as well as in other cities of Georgia for added comfort for clients.

Q. Auto Express for a month already has been offering the transformation of cars on gas.

What advantages does this service bring to the population?

A. The company has Italian equipment and new balloons have been imported also. Auto Express provides customers with all the safety norms during transformation of petrol cars to natural gas and later individuals will have the guarantee to safely use the car. All quality parameters are protected at the same time as considering all safety parameters. The service is quite quick. Wissol intends to add several service centres due to the high demand for the service.

There are several advantages natural gas can provide to society. Firstly, the price of natural gas is twice lower than one litre of petrol. With 1 cube of natural gas an individual can travel the same distance as he would be able to with 1 litre of petrol. Secondly, considering the fact that we have Italian equipment and highly trained specialists we have created an economically profitable and safe product.

Q. How popular is Total production with Georgian clients?

A. Total lubricants have become quite popular with Georgians. Those who have changed oil at Auto Express admitted that they will continue visiting the centres.

Individuals arriving at Auto Express units will get a full service package. By the support of a special computer programme, the consultant will enter all the parameters of the car and the programme will advise on the type and quantity of oil the car needs, as well as the time period of oil change.

Q. In your opinion, what will the share of Total be on the Georgian market by 2011?

A. The year 2011 is the first year for Total consequently we do not forecast a significant market share. However if we consider that currently the company already operates four service centres, intends to add two more in June and six more by the end of the year, the share of Total will be quite solid in 2012.

Q. Wissol Group did business diversification in December 2010 when it opened its Smart supermarket chain. What is the long-term strategy of Smart?

A. Smart is a separate entity with its own management, business and financial planning. Wissol is paying huge attention to Smart development and within 3-5 years we intend to be operating a wide chain of supermarkets in Georgia. Clients like the new supermarket and we are satisfied with sales figures.

Currently Smart is under construction in six different places and by the end of the year we will be operating seven Smart supermarkets.

CMYK

6

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

green business

Personal Finance:

How to Save Money with an Energy Efficiency Project The FINANCIAL

P

ay less, save money, heat and light your house for twice as less. This is possible and can even work for businesses. The key is primarily in installing energy efficient technologies which are mutually beneficial for your wallet and the environment you live in. By installation of energy efficient technologies Georgian companies can reduce operational energy consumption costs and contribute to environmental protection. Read the following article to find out how.

The energy efficiency technologies include: the most widespread and easiest to apply energy efficient light bulbs with occupancy sensors as well as condensing boilers for heating, heating systems with thermostats which allow regulation of room temperature, double glazed windows etc.

“Through the application of energy efficiency measures, it is possible to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing comfort, which often happens when someone tries to reduce energy consumption simply by saving,” said Karina Melikidze, Director of the Sustainable Development and Policy (SDAP) Centre.

“For instance a family can

reduce the amount of energy used for lighting purposes by sitting together in one room and switching off the electricity in all the others, but it can also install energy efficient (fluorescent) bulbs and keep electricity on in all the rooms spending no more (maybe even less) electricity than before without causing inconvenience. In the case of a company one can for instance also apply socalled “occupancy sensors”, which allow electricity to be switched on only if someone is present in the room,” said Melikidze.

“By constructing a new building with energy efficient building blocks the energy consumption of a heating system can be reduced by about 50% during one season of heating. In other words this means that indoor climatic conditions will remain comfortable but fuel (mostly natural gas) consumption needed for operation of the heating system during one season will be halved,” added Melikidze.

“Energy efficiency investments can help industrial companies to reduce energy consumption while improving the production process.

Benefits can also be gained through environmental improvements and from the demonstration effect on the business community,” said Irakli Vardigoreli, EBRD

Energy Efficiency Business Development Manager.

Melikidze believes that together with saving money and energy for the company, this also aids the reduction of CO2 emissions; depending on the type of the company’s operations this reduction may be direct and significant.

“Energy efficient technologies allow one to save energy and money in the medium to long run, however initial one-time investments may be hard to come by, thus such loans are playing a significantly positive role in the promotion of energy efficiency,” Melikidze said.

Energy efficiency loans are now accessible for corporations as well as for physical individuals in Georgia from TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia and Cartu Bank, the three leading profitable banks in Georgia according to the first quarter results of 2011.

EBRD has provided a 35 million USD credit line to the banks for loans to cover investment in replacing old equipment such as boilers, compressors, fans and pumps, with new equipment which uses less energy.

Loans are available of up to 2.5 million USD. “The energy saving provides extra income for the firm to pay back the loan.

After the loan is paid back, the firm has reduced its

costs and will become more efficient and profitable,” said Vardigoreli.

“The Bank’s strategy in the energy efficiency sector is to finance energy-saving projects and assist its clients in identifying and developing energy efficiency opportunities within their existing operations. Via its loans EBRD also helps companies to develop carbon credits arising from emission-reduction projects. This improves the bankability of emission-cutting projects,” Vardigoreli added.

EBRD has established the Georgian Energy Efficiency Programme - a credit line facility through local participating banks. The local banks provide sub-loans to companies and households for investment in renewable energy production and improved energy efficiency.

Companies will have the opportunity to use a credit line for different purposes such as boilers rehabilitation/change, energy management, saving distribution and installation/rehabilitation of accounting systems, rehabilitation of stream distribution systems, installation of solar technologies, and rehabilitation of small hydro-power stations.

For obtaining energy efficiency loans the lender should in the early stage present the provider’s in-

voice of the product. The provider should be authorized on the energy credit webpage www.energocredit. ge.

The total amount of physical individual loans for energy efficiency is more than 150,000 USD at TBC Bank.

There are 150 physical individuals who have taken this loan. The major purpose of loan taking among TBC Bank clients is for central heating and windows. The main advantage of the project is that the lender gets 15% of total cost back during the purchase period.

Lending of an energy efficiency loan is available in all branches of TBC Bank. The distribution is as available as mortgage and consumer loans with the following interest rates: Consumer loan fixed 20% interest rate, and mortgage loan 1% less than a standard loan.

EBRD has provided Bank of Georgia with a 10 million USD credit line for financing energy efficiency. Despite the advantages of saving energy and increasing market competitiveness, and as well as profitable loan terms companies have the opportunity to conduct an energy-audit free of charge. The terms of the loans are 10% annual with total loan capacity of 2.5 million USD, with a term of 12-60 months.

The consumer loan will

be given out with an interest rate from 14%. Moreover the borrower has the opportunity to return 15% of the total cost which presents a subsidiary financed by BP and its oil and gas partner companies (Socar, StatoilHydro, Chevron, INPEX, TPAO, ExxonMobil, ITOCHU, AzBTC Ltd., Total, Amerada Hess, Lukoil, NICO, ENI and ConocoPhillips).

The term of loans in GEL is under 36 months and in USD under 120 months.

The amount of the loan is up to 50,000 GEL at Bank of Georgia.

Cartu Bank has already distributed a total amount of 1,780,000 USD worth of energy efficiency loans to six corporations. The major purposes of loan taking are thermal insulation, double glazing, gas boilers, heating and cooling systems, hydro power plants. The Bank does not provide loans for physical individuals.

“EBRD provides TA i.e.

Energy auditors help the borrowers to work out an energy efficient project. They make financial calculations and write a Project Assessment Report. Based on the latter EBRD approves the amount of the loan. The interest rate for EE loans is 1% lower than the current Average Market Rate,” explained Inga Gagnidze, IFI Relations Officer at Cartu Bank.

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

7

FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

green business

Why Renault’s chief marketer loves being in the papers ?

The FINANCIAL

I

f car manufacturers are not advertising in the motor magazines or newspapers, you’re not in business”. Steve Norman, global marketing chief of Renault Steve Norman, the 55-yearold global marketing chief of Renault, is a self-proclaimed car nut. He has owned a Renault Vel Satis 3.0 dCi, and Clio III TCE, a Corvette C5 coupe, a Land Rover Defender. Small wonder that people joke about Norman having Castrol oil running through his veins.

The quintessential car man, Norman commands mar- keting for Renault, the world’s fourth-largest car maker, thanks to its partnership with Nissan. More specifically, he is responsible for the marketing of the Renault, Dacia and Renault Samsung brands. The Alliance spends €800 million on media around the world.

consumer demands. A fifth of his global budget is spent on print every year, the lion’s share of this being page advertising. ‘Looking forward,’ he says emphatically, ‘whilst there will be an increase in digital, I do not see that 20% [spend] being reduced.”

Norman’s views on page advertis- ing are by no means an isolated case.

Automotive advertisers, emerging slowly but surely from the worst downturn in living memory, actually increased their ad pages and rate-card ad spending in US magazines in the first quarter of this year, compared with the first quarter of 2009, according to the Publishers Information Bureau.

It is the first time car advertising rose by both measures since 2007, just before the recession and the start of the automotive industry’s well-documented woes. Norman feels strongly that there are ‘things that print can do that digital cannot do.’

A MEASURED VIEW

PRINT ADVERTISING’S IMMEDIACY

For Norman, the real challenge is how best to invest this budget in the face of changing priorities and

‘If car manufacturers are not advertising in the motor magazines or newspapers,’ Norman asserts, ‘you’re not

in business. Print, in particular newspapers, has an immediacy in terms of promotional and practical messaging, and can attract very large audiences. For Renault and Dacia, being volume manufacturers, that [attribute is] very important.’

To that end, Renault uses the full spectrum of print media in its core markets of France and Germany. Titles such as Le Figaro and Le Monde, Le Tribune, Les Echos ensure Renault gets coverage in urban areas, while France’s 70 or so regional newspapers provide a communications pipeline to smaller conurbations. For Europewide advertising, Renault uses titles such as The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times.

According to Norman, print media is clearly a vital element of the marketing mix, but a balance should be struck between what Renault does in terms of page ads, and its presence online and on TV. Norman concedes that ‘digital is going to absorb a lot of spend,’ promoting models such as Laguna and Megane, but there will certainly be ‘a complementary role for explaining in print what Renault represents.’

Are we seeing something of a role renaissance then,

where print ads return to their original brand-building function? Norman seems to think so. He talks about print ads as being ‘a first choice for communicating brand message’ and newspaper ads ‘coming back into fashion as digital takes on more of the one-to-one communications’ burden.’

A NOBLE ROLE FOR PRINT Norman is no old-school marketer wallowing in a Mad Men-style past free of the internet, car bloggers and iPads. ‘In the 70s print was king—we won’t see that again,” he says. Instead, he believes that print ads need to take on ‘a more noble and profound role in addition to the more tactical one.’ But the new, post-internet wisdom—that print ads serve a mono-functional, promotional role in pushing events like car scrapping and finance deals—is not one that Norman subscribes to.

A good example of this deeper role for press ads is Renault’s big push of its Z.E. or zero- emission range of models, Twizy, Fluence, Kangoo and Zoe, due to hit the market in 2011. Press ads are being used to create

in- creased anticipation. ‘We started advertising the forerunners of the electric range in summer 2009, on the 4th of July, in newspapers and magazines across Europe,’ says Norman.

For the Renault brand, the key word is ‘desirability,’ and he talks about ‘tipping points’ for using marketing to fix this idea in consumers’ minds. ‘I guess the first tipping point in terms of design was in 2008 with the [release of the] first of the new Megane family.

The second tipping point will be in 2012, when we complete our range of affordable electric vehicles and when we also launch the Clio IV. The point at which desirability will be fixed is the second half of 2012. Everything we’re doing in marketing has to be to prepare the ground for that.’

Having experienced the full spectrum of press advertising, Norman is not that impressed with ads that he has to read more than once.

‘Print media is very good at communicating simple messages. For example, I could see a three-quarter page newspaper format be- ing used in a headline format for Renault or Dacia, in order to get the message across. I see print as a very good medium for tactical offers or campaign messages.’

His favourite ads are those with clear mes- sages, but still compelling to read, including some of those by Renault.

‘The work that Re- nault did for the Eco 2 in 2006 and in 2007 and the ads we did on Z.E., were some of the best ever. You didn’t have to decipher anything.’

Renault’s quest to get the biggest bang for its marketing buck continues apace.

As the recession took hold in 2008, the company had already put a cap on marketing spend per unit that year and maintained this for 2009.

Renault secured some significant savings when media owners pushed their prices down to give Renault good deals in TV, radio and newspapers, and he is not lured by digital’s alleged cheapness in relation to other channels.

“You have to turn to Shakespeare-to the character Shylock, who wanted the pound of flesh that was closest to the heart,” Norman muses. ‘The so-called cheapness of digital is part of the offer—but it’s not just a question of pounds and dollars. It’s about effectiveness and cost-per-unit across the board. We have to drive costs down in digital too. Digital is much cheaper than other media but it’s not a reason to throw everything that way

“Print is the difference and between seeing a car ve it.” actually wanting to ha President, Stephen Norman, Senior Vice T Global Marketing RENAUL

to the Renault Desirability is the key creates desirability brand. And nothing ad - Print has an better than a print cy, in terms of unbeatable immedia tical messaging. promotional and prac large audiences – Plus it attracts very rtant for a volume something that is impo ult.

Rena like turer ufac man of media spend Print represents 20% company expects at Renault, and the in stable. Print this percentage to rema any’s first choice remains the comp brand messages. for communicating

www.printpowe

r.eu

affordable electric In fact, for its range of Clio IV, Renault vehicles and the new g in magazines rtisin adve d bran cts expe sales over the push to ers spap and new tipping point.

.printpower.eu Learn more at www online, take a To order the brochure your mobile. picture of this code with

er Add print, add pow

CMYK

8

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

green business

Making Georgia a Carbon Neutral Country

How To Start – Home Wind Power The FINANCIAL

A

s you spend time learning about wind energy, you will soon find that there is a difference between home wind power, or “small wind”, and wind and solar power are often used together commercial wind farms or “large wind”. Small wind is what you might be interested in and involves installing one or more smaller wind turbines for the home, either to fully provide energy or to supplement your energy supply. Home wind turbines need to be of sufficient size that they produce more energy than they consume, but they do not have to be huge.

SO WHERE DO YOU START? WHO DO YOU TALK TO? THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION SPEAKS ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY IN GEORGIA The FINANCIAL

U

se of renewable energy is regulated by demand for such products on the market, believes Goga Khachidze, Minister of the Ministry of Environment Protection of Georgia. The potential of its development also depends on the people who want to use it. The Minister says that Georgia is a carbon neutral country, as electricity is mainly supplied by hydroelectric stations.

“We have to agree that water energy is a renewable energy as well,” Khachidze told The FINANCIAL in an interview. “Somehow in Georgia when we talk about renewable energy people think of only wind or solar energy. Georgia is one of the best examples of how renewable energy can be used. 86% of the electricity we consume in Georgia is from hydroelectric power stations.

It’s the best indices for our country to be named a carbon neutral country. We have very clean energy and we don’t need to adopt any new legislation for renewable energy.”

“Solar energy use is not very developed in Georgia,” the Minister says. “It’s mostly used as additional energy. Perhaps because we don’t have enough sunny days during the year. But it’s important to know that solar energy use is totally free of charge compared to the electricity we receive from hydroelectric stations.

“The Government and the State can advise people that solar energy is useful and ab-

solutely free of charge except for battery and installation purchase prices. The Government can’t take any legislation which obliges the population to absolutely transfer to and install solar batteries,” Minister Khachidze believes.

The Ministry of Environment Protection is among the few users of solar energy in Georgia.

“We have installed solar batteries on the roofs of administration buildings in the protected areas. We are actually already using them at guesthouses in Tusheti.

Solar batteries can’t be used everywhere. In the western part of Turkey all the roofs are installed with solar batteries because there are so many sunny days there and in general really hot weather,” Khachidze said.

There is no official statistical data about the usage of solar energy in Georgia.

“As far as the Ministry is aware large solar batteries are getting installed at Ilia State University in the frame of an international project developed by the Japanese Government. I hope that the project will be successful and that they will start to consume this energy very soon.”

WIND ENERGY “We have nearly the same situation with wind energy that we have with solar energy in Georgia,” said Khachidze.

“There is a slight difference as we have more wind resource potential in the country. Very seldom, private persons, but not large companies, use small wind turbines. To install large wind turbines and make a wind electric power station requires a huge investment.”

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources is in charge of wind energy development, but as I know there are several impediments to the improvement of wind energy. Investors demand guarantees for purchasing generated energy.

They set the prices as well. If that energy were free for trade and the market could decide the consumption price then this energy could have more potential. These terms complicate the process of wind energy improvement as well.”

HYDRO POWER “Several months ago we opened a small hydro electric power station in one of the villages of the Racha region.

We tested it and checked the product as well. In a period of drought the energy the station produces isn’t enough for the whole village. Besides it isn’t easy to provide each family with this energy separately.

So we offered to connect this station to the common net.

But as this energy is free of charge, it will be accumulated and then subtracted from the whole amount.

Like this station there are some hydro electric power stations which are enough for only 2-3 families. There aren’t any strict laws, but we have some safety standards and norms which should be satisfied while constructing small energy stations in Georgia.”

Q. Two years ago the Ministry started the project Plant a Tree. Is this project still running?

What are the current projects the Ministry is implementing to do with the planting of greenery?

A. Yes, the project was started the year before last by the initiative of the Ministry of Environment Protection of Georgia. The project was followed by similar projects from Tbilisi City Hall, like Plant a Tree, Make Tbilisi Green. The project was also very successful with the help of the appeal of the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia. Even the first year was very successful; we planted almost half a million saplings in just one year.

The project isn’t under our control anymore, though

there are still many ongoing activities with planting trees, not only in Tbilisi, but in Rustavi, Racha and many other regions of Georgia.

Q. What are the indices of air pollution in Georgia these days?

A. Nowadays in Tbilisi and in many other regions of the country air monitoring is done every day. I can’t say that Tbilisi is the cleanest city in the world, but the parameters of our air are far better than in other countries, which look cleaner on sight. This is the result of natural conditions.

Of course we need to improve the control on emissions for example, but we have nothing to complain about at the moment in regards to air pollution.

Q. How can we reduce the number of cars in the city? Are there plans to build bike lanes in the city?

A. First of all we have to think about the terrain of the city. How realistically the terrain can be used in the building of bike lanes, in order for bicycles to become one of the means of transport in the city.

We have slightly complicated terrain in Tbilisi. However I know that City Hall has a plan to build bike lanes in some recreation zones.

The fact that the number of the cars has increased is the accompanying process of urban development. I think that we have some good traffic regulations, like new traffic lights, etc. Besides City Hall launched a very good initiative - a new tramway system, which will help a lot in unloading traffic in the city.

Q. Last year the Ministry strengthened the legislation against littering.

Has there been any improvement in regards to that issue?

A. Georgian legislation adopted some fines against littering in the city two years ago. Last year one law was added. The law envisages a

fine against throwing waste from cars. The Ministry supplied 30 cars with controlling video cameras all over the country. We can’t say that these numbers are enough to control every car in Georgia, but it really was a very important step. You can see the results in the city. Tbilisi is much cleaner than it used to be several years ago.

Q. Which recently-discovered endangered species in the country are under threat of extinction? How is the Ministry battling the issue?

A. Some breeds of oak and willow have recently entered the Red List. What’s more we have found out that chestnut trees have a disease which is dangerous for its fruit and needs special treatment. To solve the issue we have some options, but they are not very desirable, these include completely cutting down the trees, stripping of the bark, complete burning of the forest, etc. Chestnuts in Georgia today are at real risk and we have to decide how to best solve this issue.

Q. What about the future plans of the Ministry?

A. We have some concrete short and long term plans.

Some of them are usual routine works, like current accounts and monitoring. We are members of many international organizations. This membership is connected with many obligations. One of them is the Ramsar convention which envisages the protection of wetland territories.

As for the future plans, we are going to expand protected areas and even create some more new ones. The newest plan is finishing our internet website. This page will give the opportunity to Georgian people to get very precise weather forecasts. Furthermore we are going to improve and import the newest weather forecast technologies, to get even better results.

First establish whether you have sufficient wind in your area to make an installation viable. You will need specialist tools to gauge this accurately and you may choose to hire someone to do this for you.

Look on local wind websites for information on wind patterns Speak to your local authority to check if there are any special planning permits required Find out how much energy you currently use so you know what size turbine to consider. Your current energy provider can help you interpret your energy bill.

Do a basic energy audit and see if you can insulate your home better to reduce energy consumption.

Decide whether you want to use a commercial supplier or build your own windmill or home wind turbine Check out ready made kits and find out about separate installation costs It will certainly be cheaper to build your own turbine but it will require effort and some skill. Larger turbines are not usually suitable for an inexperienced handyman It is still worthwhile doing some research into home wind turbines even if you employ a commercial supplier to educate yourself as to the suitability of the products that may be recommended.

Wind turbines only produce energy when the wind blows, and are often used in conjunction with solar panels to give continual energy supply Home wind turbines also require a specialized battery to store energy Do not shop on price alone. Be aware of noise requirements for your area – certain models are much quieter than others

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

9

FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

green business

Blake Oil & Gas has Invested 200 million USD in Oil Exploration Since 1996 The FINANCIAL

F

rom its inception up to the present day, Blake Oil & Gas has produced 718,920 metric tons of oil and 302640,352 MCM of gas.

Blake Oil & Gas has been involved in oil and gas exploration in Georgia since 1996.

Blake has one producing field in Ninotsminda. During 2010, Blake Oil and Gas engaged independent petroleum engineering consultants to undertake a full evaluation of Georgian assets. The evaluations had shown that there is significant oil and gas potential in the acreage owned by the company.

“Blake plans to move forward with the exploration, appraisal and exploitation of those assets, for which a significant capital investment would be required. Hence the company is looking for the best suitable options to finance those projects,” Mikheil Nibladze, Country Representative, Blake Oil and Gas. The company and its precursor CanArgo invested over 200 million USD in the Georgian oil and gas sector during 1996-2010.

Blake Oil and Gas, formerly CanArgo, has been operating in Georgia since early 1996.

Developing its production, development and exploration projects, the company has proved to be one of the largest foreign investors in the oil and gas exploration sector in Georgia.

Blake Oil and Gas limited (Blake) as a private company owns and operates 100% interest in three highly prospective production sharing

contracts, namely Ninotsminda, Norio and Nazvrevi, in the Kura Basin, onshore Georgia. The PSCs include existing production from Ninotsminda field, which has undeveloped reserves in undrilled closure, large appraisal/development potential in the Manavi and Norio oil discoveries and additional upside in several large undrilled exploration leads.

All of Blake’s oil and gas operations are performed through its wholly owned operating company, CanArgo Georgia, which is almost entirely Georgian staffed and managed. CanArgo Georgia has its own drilling rigs and equipment and drills most of its own wells. CanArgo Georgia was the first to introduce horizontal drilling and other modern western technologies in Georgia.

Since 1996 the company has drilled a total of six horizontal wells on the Ninotsminda Field resulting in a significant

increase in oil production a few years ago. It has participated in drilling several deep exploration wells with new oil discoveries at Manavi and Norio, which need further appraisal.

Q. Are you going to start exploration in other blocks within the territory of Georgia?

A. Blake does not currently have plans to pursue oil and gas upstream activities outside of its licensed area.

Q. How does the legal system in Georgia work for Blake?

A. Blake operates on its licensed territory and the company’s exploration, development and production activities are carried out under three production sharing agreements (“PSA”) namely: Ninotsminda, Norio and Nazvrevi. PSA with the State, conforming to the international standards of oil and gas considers that the investor invests 100% of the funds and

takes the risk for exploration.

The investor recovers expenses only when commercial production is established.

Q. Have you assessed the capacity of Georgia to produce oil and gas itself?

A. As mentioned above we think that based on the independent evaluation of our acreage potential there is a significant upside in Georgian Oil & Gas upstream sector within our blocks. We think that if and when this potential is realized Georgia can be put back on the world energy map.

Q. Where does the oil/ gas produced in Georgia get sold?

A. Production from the Ninotsminda Field is conditioned for sale at an oil treatment facility located at Sartichala some 10 km from the Ninotsminda Field. This facility is owned by the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation and has storage and process-

ing capacity of 70,000 bopd.

Blake’s 100% subsidiary company Ninotsminda Oil Company sells its share of the oil to buyers at that point where it is then transported to the Black Sea port of Batumi, where oil can be loaded on tankers for international shipment. Infrastructure at Batumi includes a terminal capable of handling tankers up to 80,000 tons (600,000 barrels).

Q. What is Blake’s environmental policy?

A. Blake recognizes that health, safety and environment issues are the company operations’ indivisible and privileged concerns with equal status to other business objectives.

The company’s policy is to strictly follow the national regulations for health, safety and environment for conducting oil and gas operations, as well as to comply with the international standards and experience in this sphere. Blake carries out its activities in

such a manner as to prevent any accident and negative impact on environment and people’s health.

Q. What about safety standards at Blake?

A. Blake ensures that employees, contractors and associates are provided with suitable information on inherently dangerous or potentially hazardous activities, plant and equipment and articles and substances to ensure their safe handling, storage and transport during work activities to minimize the risk to themselves or others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Q. What about energy education in Georgia?

Have you taken the initiative to introduce some trainings or faculties where good professionals could be prepared?

A. The company policy is to employ local personnel as much as possible which by itself involves the needed training and education in order for them to comply with Western standards.

We also periodically hold trainings for media representatives to upgrade their knowledge in this industry.

Q. How many people are employed by CanArgo and what are their qualifications?

A. Currently around 150 experienced staff are employed at Blake in Georgia, among them: qualified geologists, technical personnel and engineers, all with extensive experience in the oil and gas sector.

We anticipate this number to significantly increase once we find a suitable partner and restart an active drilling campaign on our acreages.

Flowers Without Pesticides The FINANCIAL

C

ut flowers make us feel happy. Flowers are one of the best ways to say “Thank you”, “I’m sorry” and “I love you”. They help us to celebrate special events. Many people have no idea that some flowers contain many different pesticides and chemicals.

While buying flowers for our friends, loved ones or just for our family members, we don’t usually think about what these beautiful flowers could contain. Everyone knows that pesticides are used in fruits and vegetables, and due to this fact people prefer to buy organic products. But many flower shops all around the world including in Georgia use chemicals to make cut flowers look better too.

Flower shops in Georgia use some special chemicals to keep flowers looking fresh for longer.

“We actually use special vitamins to make our cut flowers last longer,” said Natali Jariashvili, Director of Geoflora, Orchid and Bamboo. “We always try to sell the cut flowers as soon as we can, but they are often kept for a long time. In this case we buy special German pesticides, chemicals that are sold in the hypermarket Goodwill. These

chemicals aren’t harmful to people’s health, they just help the flowers keep their beauty for slightly longer.”

“We don’t use a huge number of chemicals in our cut flowers. Of course they’re not harmful, but even so you should try not to use a large dose, as they are chemicals nonetheless. We don’t use any chemicals or pesticides for potted plants flowers. If people need any vitamins for potted flowers we suggest they buy special fertilizers which are natural and don’t contain any chemicals,” Jariashvili said.

“Flower shops mostly use chemicals for cut flowers in order to maintain the beauty of bouquets. They use fairly well known chemicals which are widespread all around the world. Many of these products are imported from the USA or Russia. These are vitamins used to stimulate the growth of the flowers. These chemicals aren’t dangerous for the health and don’t cause allergic reactions, but even so it is best to keep the flowers naturally,” said Temur Gureshidze, Director of Ecopark.

“We don’t use chemicals as we only sell our customers

potted flowers. They are absolutely free of any chemicals and are natural. Cut flowers may be kept for a maximum of 5 days before they begin to wilt,” Gureshidze said.

“We import flowers mostly from Holland and Ecuador,” said Natalia Chkonia, from ‘Flowers.Ge’.

“Flowers demand special care, they need to be kept at a specific temperature and constantly have fresh water.

We change the flowers every 7 days. We don’t keep flowers any longer than that so there is no need to use any additional pesticides or chemicals.

We look after our flowers in the right way so we don’t need to use any chemicals,” Chkonia said.

According to the Clean Air Gardening Store, you can always use floral preservatives to help extend the life of your cut flowers, but there is no need to add artificial chemicals to the equation at this stage of the game. As Clean Air Gardening notes, to help your flowers stay perky for over a week the organic way, follow these tips: • Start with the freshest flowers possible.

• If the flowers are from your garden, be sure to cut them early in the morning, but after the dew has dried.

• Make sure that at least some of the flowers are just budding, and are still tightly closed.

• Include naturally longlasting flowers like chrysanthemums, carnations, and statice.

• Keep the flowers as cool as possible until you can get them into a vase.

• Select a large, capacious vase so the flowers won’t be crowded.

• Clean the vase with hot, soapy water to ensure that it’s sterilized before you add the flowers. Any surviving bacterial or fungal spores will decrease the shelf life of your bouquet.

• Fill the vase with 3-4 inches of tepid water. Any more than that will promote excessive stem decay.

• Remove any foliage that will be below the water line, because it will degrade quickly and encourage bacterial growth. Too much bacterial growth will reduce the stems’ ability to take up water.

• Use a pruner or floral shears to cut 1-2 inches off the ends of the stems. Never use a pair of household scissors, no matter how sharp, because they tend to crush the stems, not cut them cleanly.

Crushing encourages bacterial growth.

• Cut at a 45-degree angle underwater for best results; either running or standing water is fine.

• Immediately place the flowers in the vase, and move them out of direct sunlight.

• Keep your flowers away from ripening fruit, because the ethylene gas the fruit emits will make your flowers wilt very quickly.

• To avoid using commercial preservatives, which contain chemical biocides, you’ll need to change the water in the vase every day.

• Be sure to trim the stems every time you change the water, in order to remove decayed segments and limit bacterial buildup. A quarter-inch at a time is fine.

CMYK

10

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

green business

Green Banks

in Georgia The FINANCIAL

Environment protection and tree planting is one of the main priorities of Georgian banks implementing CSR activities, according to most of Georgian banks.

“Environmental protection is responsibility of everyone”, Tiko Janashvili Communications and PR Coordinator, of Bank Republic, believes.

“BR became involved in the environmental protection campaign of Green Office, which involves recycling of used paper. Paper is the most prevalent material in municipal solid waste and paper recycling can help us significantly contribute in protection of natural resources and reduce the amount of waste,” Tiko Janashvili said.

“Protection and safeguarding the environment is one of the key points, where the staff does its best to individually and collectively contribute to the nature protection”, Bank Republic officials note.

“Under the world-

wide environment improvement program of Société Générale Group, Bank Republic is fully involved in environmental protection issues. After a campaign for reducing water, energy and paper consumption in 2009, we have put in place an action for collecting papers for recycling in 2010, ” Bank says.

Bank of Georgia, periodically implements different events in the sight of environment and nature protection.

Among the projects about environment protection was the patronage of BorjomiKharagauli Park, via Fund of Bank of Georgia.

Bank of Georgia in October 2009 and in 2010 allocated USD 75 000 for supporting Borjomi-Kharagauli park. Allocated sum was consumed for looking after the forest in Borjomi-Kharagauli territory and financing the current expanses.

According to Bank officials, BOG was actively involved in forest building process, in the regions that were harmed by

the fire. And in 2008, special product, green deposit was created for reconstructing the forests that were burnt during the August War in Georgia.

“In case of opening Gel 500 or up, Term or Childrens Deposits, Bank of Georgia planted a tree in BorjomiKharagauli Park. In frames of this project our bank planted 45 000 different types of trees. All of the needed procedures for planting the trees were executed. Since the planting of seeds till nowadays and for the end of the year 2012, we still continue to implement our activities for supporting growing up the seeds in a right way. In 50 years on this territory there will be a forest,” Khatuna Kakabadze, Traditional Media Planner, Branding Department of Bank of Georgia notes.

Bank Republic, is taking into consideration the commitment of suppliers, whenever possible, regarding environment, according to its officials.

“From 2008 we use copy and laser paper made from 100% El-

emental Chlorine Free pulp only. We allocate the specific green areas around the offices (2000 Sq/M), for example in front of the Head Office.

We will pursue the permanent process regarding quality and protection of environment. The special comprehensive toolbox, energy efficiency oriented, that will help Bank Republic to improve the management of environmental issues, is already applicable,”Janashvili says.

Bank of Georgia is also actively involved in the programme of using Green Recycle, according to its officials and at the offices of BOG green recycle bins are available.

Bank Constanta has allocated GEL 50 000 last year for CSR activities.

“CSR is one of the values of Bank Constanta, we are maximally trying to implement it as in banking service so in different projects and activities.

Environment protection is one of the parts of CSR activities, so it’s one of the priorities for our bank as

we are more oriented on agro sector and development of this sphere. It’s much important to care about country’s’ ecology and natural resources.

Our bank often takes part in the projects connected to environment protection,” Bank Constanta notes.

“In 2010 bank Constanta with the support of the Ministry of Environment Protection of Georgia implements environment project in Tserovani on the territory of internally displaced people. The aim of the Project is to reestablish natural wind lines that will reduce the influence of climate change and supports to maintain the ecologic stability.

“We have planted 1000 different types of trees, and our bank will look after these trees for 3 years,” Nana Chkhikvadze, PR Officer at Bank Constanta says.

“We have special budget for environment protection projects and we will keep on financing different projects in this direction,” Chkhikvadze says.

Businesses Becoming

Greener The FINANCIAL

15 companies, from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, are waiting for funds in order to start implementation of the Cleaner Production project developed

by Rec Caucasus. The project includes promotion of Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency technology through development of business planning practices for Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency projects.

According to Rec Caucasus officials, the overall objective of this project is to contribute to sustainable devel-

opment and minimise environmental impact from the industrial sector by stimulating small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

The objective will be reached via increase of SMEs’ capability in the preparation of financial documentation for Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency projects.

“All of the factories use quite a significant amount of gas, water and electricity. The Cleaner Production project works on decreasing the consumption of energy. Factories should upgrade their technologies or create some reforms

FINANCIAL

in the direction of consuming less energy in the frames of this project. The owners of the companies under the frame of this project are doing everything to make factories energy efficient; use less energy and not pollute the environment,” said Zurab Vasadze, Rec Caucasus Information Officer.

“This project has a very good index according to which the factory owner receives profit. Whereas nowadays the owner spends a certain amount of money while installing and upgrading energy efficient technologies, in a very small period

of time the company will receive profit from it. In this case less water, less gas and electricity is consumed. So it’s easy to guess what advantages energy efficient technologies have,” Vasadze said.

“In the case of installing more energy efficient technologies, a factory has fewer expenses, fewer natural resources are spent on launching different products and at the same time pollution of the environment decreases significantly.

The idea of the project was to choose companies from different spheres in the Caucasus region, Azerbaijan,

Armenia and Georgia,” Vasadze said.

As Vasadze says, South Caucasian countries have limited experience in Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency project promotion in the business sectors.

“We started working on this project in 2009.

This project is financed by the Government of the Netherlands. Companies have realised the importance of energy efficiency in the frames of this project. We are going to launch a publication about Cleaner Production soon and companies will receive information about it,” Vasadze said.

Newspapers and Environment The FINANCIAL

T

he European recycling rates for paper increased to 72.2% in 2010. The highest ever recorded.

The European paper industry is a leading recycler and, with local collecting systems improving, will increase its recycling rates significantly further.

Some paper fibres, for example hygienic tissues, wall coverings, permanent documents can not be recycled.

Recovery of European print and paper waste products ‘ Two Sides supports the implementation of effective recycling schemes and the minimisation and eventual elimination, of print and paper waste in landfill.’ -- Two sides principles, 2009 It is estimated that, with improved-recovery, significant reduction in landfill can be achieved. Paper and print is one of the few materials which is able to be completely recycled.

In a multimedia world, print and paper may be the sustainable way to communicate.

Electronic waste is now the fastest growing component of the municipal waste stream The amount of electronic products discarded globally has sky rocketed recently with 20-50 million tones generated every year In Europe, e-waste is increasing at 3-5% a year, almost three times faster than the total waste stream Source: Greenpeace, The e-waste problem, 2009 Paper production is not a major cause of deforestation Responsible wood, pulp and paper production ensures healthy, growing forests Paper is a fully renewable, sustainable resource For every tree logged in managed forests, 34 are replanted (not all grow to maturity with natural wastage and thinnings being part of the forestry process) Forest certification promotes wood from managed forests The annual increase of forest cover in Europe is equivalent to more than 1.5 million football pitches People mistakenly

think paper making is a voracious energy consumer. But look more closely and you will discover some surprisingly small statistics about paper and energy...

As industries go, paper making is a large scale undertaking and you’d expect it to generate some frightening statistics.

It doesn’t. On average it takes 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to produce 200kg of paper, the average amount of paper that each of us consume each year.

The paper industry is one of the biggest users of renewable, low carbon energy and over half the energy used to make paper in Europe comes from renewable sources.

Does 500 kilowatthours, 200kg of paper, the average amount each of us use every year, sound a lot? It’s the equivalent to: _ Powering one computer continuously for five months _ Burning a 60w light bulb continuously for one year _ The energy consumed by a typical household leaving its electronic equipment on stand-by for a year Paper & The Environment, ATS Consulting August 2007 ‘ A sustainably managed forest can be relatively carbon neutral if logging is balanced with re-growth.’ The Sustainable Procurement of wood & Paper products: An introduction.

The pulp and paper industry has reduced the emissions of CO2 per tonne of paper produced by 42% compared to 1990 and down by 8% overall.

Industry research indicates that mail comprises 0.1% of total household CO2 emissions in Europe.

The 14 kg of CO2 emitted is the equivalent of: One 70 km car journey Five Cheeseburgers Nine litres of milk 6.6 minutes of transatlantic flight EMIP, The Facts Of Our Value Chain, 2008 Definition: A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, that have arisen through the manufacture and distribution of a product or service.

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

11

FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

green business

Georgia Striving to Become Eco-Tourism Destination The FINANCIAL

T

he country’s combination of breathtaking nature, centuries-old cultural heritage and a varied topography makes Georgia a highly desirable place for eco-enthusiast travellers. The country is now expecting 3 million tourists by the end of this year. 2011’s statistics have already shown a 41% increase in number of tourists compared to the same period of 2010.

Overland camping trips near to protected areas of the countryside offer tourists an insight into the impact of human beings on the environment and foster a greater appreciation of our natural habitats.

The total area of such protected areas at present reaches 495,892 hectares, which is about 7% of the country’s total territory, in addition about 75% of protected areas are covered by forests.

There are 14 Strict Nature Reserves, 8 National Parks, 12 Managed Nature Reserves, 14 Natural Monuments and 2 Protected Landscapes in Georgia.

Such a size of protected areas and alpine forests sets the country aside from mass tourism destinations worldwide and provides a cutting edge alternative for tourists willing to explore and discover thrilling examples of flora and fauna.

Tourists attracted by various such travel routes have already led to a 41% increase in the number (1st quarter) compared to the same period last year.

As Maia Sidamonidze, Chairwoman of the Georgian National Tourism Agency said in an interview with The FINANCIAL, “The number of tourists coming

to Georgia is expected to reach 3 million by the end of the year, peak season being the coming summer.”

“Georgia has beautiful natural resources and sites but we do not preserve and conserve our surrounding environment properly. Any policy that the Government introduces won’t be effective if the Georgian population does not practise and implement it. I think that the major problem here is waste.”

Development of sustainable tourism is very important for Georgia as it also means development in a way that does not have a negative impact on the environment, on the local community and does not reduce the availability of natural resources and wildlife in the country.

The number of eco-friendly travellers is increasing in Georgia. Eco-tourism is trendy, popular and in high demand. It’s not

only about visiting natural sites but is also about conserving the environment. It is playing a part in the green movement but one should not confuse Green Tourism with Eco-Tourism. They have different definitions and are very often misused as both are very trendy.

Q. Can Georgia be branded/labelled a destination of eco-tourism?

Which part of Georgia can be considered one of those best destinations?

A. For sure! The distribution of eco-tourism products is so rich, even among the less obviously touristic regions of the country.

Q. What other eco-tourism-related plans do you have for this year?

A. We need to create an ecotourism development strategy with the aid of UNWTO. We need to develop new products,

new routes and attract more eco-friendly travellers to Georgia.

Q. How about the importance of protected areas in Georgia - how can they best be used to develop the eco-tourism direction and how many such sites do we have?

A. Eco-tourism means visiting natural resources and sites that also represent the country’s protected areas. The importance of protected areas is vital in developing eco-tourism.

At present the total area of Protected Areas is 495,892 hectares, which is about 7% of the country’s territory. About 75% of Protected Areas are covered by forests.

There are 14 Strict Nature Reserves, 8 National Parks, 12 Managed Nature Reserves, 14 Natural Monuments and 2 Protected Landscapes in Georgia.

Georgia has numerous such sites and the Agency of Protected Areas is working very actively to further develop such sites.

We have just started working on this with UNWTO. We believe that eco-tourism should be one of the major fields of niche tourism in Georgia attracting travellers of specific interests to the country who are willing to explore natural sites and at the same time contribute to conservation. There are various issues but with the right strategy the result should be positive.

Currently GNTA is preparing for the summer season. We have many projects and initiatives to promote Georgia internationally, to increase tourist inflow in the country, to boost domestic tourism, to develop infrastructure, to improve information availability for tourists, to exceed expectations of travellers in the hospitality services sector and finally to provide value for money for domestic and international travellers. We will introduce specific projects and initiatives to the media and to the private sector shortly, before the summer season starts.

Georgia has a unique and diverse tourism product and therefore the fields of potential tourism are also diverse.

Such fields include: Adventure Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Wine Tourism, Rural Tourism, Eco-Tourism, Gourmet Tourism, etc. All of them are more or less developed and practiced in Georgia. But we should not forget about developing new products in order to gain the competitive advantage on international markets. Especially when the country has rich natural resources and wildlife we should exploit those opportunities in developing not only eco-

tourism but also responsible, sustainable and green tourism where all of them somehow contribute to preservation of the local environment and community.

It is very popular to talk about “Green” nowadays. Words such as sustainability, responsible and green are used very often but also misused most of the time. They all differ in definition. More or less what they have in common is environment preservation and conservation, minimizing negative impacts on the environment; they represent a form of tourism that does not reduce the availability of natural resources and wildlife. In Green Tourism travellers are eco-friendly who minimize waste, are energy efficient and recycle. Finally, in eco-tourism travellers go to visit natural resources and sites at the same time as conserving the environment.

Q. How about the development of bicycle lanes in the capital city or in other tourism spots (Signagi, Mtskheta) - is it likely that tourists will use bicycles rather than taxis/cars to get around the city and enjoy cycling throughout their travel in Georgia?

A. Cycling is very good not only for tourists but for the local population as well as it promotes a healthy lifestyle. It’s not impossible but it would be more difficult in Tbilisi as the land surface is not flat enough and for people like me it would not even be considered safe enough to ride a bicycle. But Batumi has already done it and it’s very popular with tourists. Bicycle taxi is also an excellent idea for destinations such as Signagi, Kvareli, Mtskheta, etc.

“Take More Care of the Environment,” says Environment Expert The FINANCIAL “Georgian companies do lack the principles of sustainability, charitable giving and understanding social concerns with respect to CSR. CSR is less systematic and more spontaneous for them and not under actual CSR frames,” said Molly Elizabeth Hall, visiting guest speaker at the US Embassy Speaker programme on environmental sustainability, climate change and corporate social responsibility.

Molly E. Hall has broad experience of being an environmental attorney focusing primarily on regulatory issues and litigation in the US. Ms. Hall has handled environmental, administrative agency, land use, municipal law, and Indian law cases. She represented the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the enforcement of federal statutes including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Superfund and has worked with various other fields of environmental issues.

Ms. Hall visited Georgia on 9 May for the first time. Last week The FINANCIAL talked with her about issues related to environmental sustainability, climate change and CSR. Q. You’ve met a number of companies in Georgia, what is your impression about their environmental and CSR activities?

A. First of all I have to note that I’m not expressing the views of the US Embassy and the view is my own.

Georgian companies are becoming aware of CSR and environment sustainability issues at this moment compared to in previous years. During my stay in Georgia, I’ve also taken a look at the 2007 CSR report where only a third of large companies were participating. In addition what I’ve noticed with respect to CSR is that there is a lack of principles of charitable giving, sustainability and understanding social concerns which aren’t under actual social responsibility or CSR frames. The latter is less systematic and more spontaneous.

Conversely one of the duties of CSR is the process, the process of identifying goals, setting indicators in order to measure whether a corporation is meeting its goals on an ongoing basis with objective data.

Q. Which CSR activities are most common among Georgian companies?

A. From my understanding it’s more charitable giving in Georgia - a similar model is working in the US. However it should be integration of sustainability, procedures and principles as I mentioned already.

The reason why companies avoid integration of such activities is that it’s much more expensive as it requires a large commitment for corporations to say “Ok - we’re going to hire a consultant to put in place an environmental management system” (such as Emass, which is very big in the EU, the most elaborate example).

It’s therefore necessary to look and monitor how a company han-

dles waste, whether it has an LED system of lighting, usage of energy, etc.

When looking at a company’s profile - it’s usually large companies that are involved in CSR. Principles should change among Georgian companies in this regard - and they have to look beyond mere economic profit and at the same time to look at the impact of the corporation on the environment.

Q. You’ve handled environmental, administrative agency, land use and municipal law as part of your job. How would you evaluate how well such things are handled in Georgia?

A. I’ve met with the Ministry of the Environment - about 25 colleagues there and I was really impressed by the changes that are taking place.

One of the strengths of the Georgian Government is about protected areas - setting aside lands for protection. I think the strength of the Government is about identifying opportunities for renewable energy also.

I’ve learned that 85% of electricity comes from hydro-power which is a tremendous thing. In the US for example President Obama is trying to identify the goal of 80% of energy from clean energy sources.

Clean energy actually includes clean coal which environmentalists still debate whether it’s really clean or not. It also includes nuclear power which is still under question. Currently the US gets 20% of power from nuclear sourc-

es and when President Obama articulated this goal - I think the idea was to increase nuclear power and diminish coal usage which is now 50% of US energy supply.

On the Georgian side what impressed me about energy use was the hydro power that the Georgian Government is going to offer countries which can give support to it. In climate change protection, under the Copenhagen agreement one important aspect is offsetting - countries which have met a lot of carbon dioxide emissions such as the US can subsidize and support Georgia to strengthen hydro power - a renewable energy line.

Q. Do you think the Government of Georgia needs to make much tougher regulations in these fields? How about other countries’ experiences of the same issues?

A. There are a lot of steps to be taken in order to put in place relevant laws. The US has been very progressive since its strict environmental laws/acts since the late 1970s.

There are lots of ways enforcement plays out - Step 1: gathering information - done by asking companies to disclose/report discharges into water, emissions etc. Step 2: to be able to enforce the disclosure of information or to force companies to pay the fine to disclose it.

In the US it works perfectly and I think the same example should be taken in Georgia as well, which will be very helpful.

Enforcement of environmental laws has not yet been a priority of the Georgian Government. What

is happening now in the Georgian Government is that they have many priorities especially considering the post war period as well as many other economic challenges so I respect that.

The practice of other countries’ governments about permitting companies to do business in that country is also interesting. For example in Germany companies are required to comply with environmental rules/regulations before they’re allowed to get established there and this permitting process in Germany is quite expensive.

Hence those interested investors were saying that instead of investing in Germany they’d go and invest in the US. Studies in fact have shown that an environmental regulatory system and cost of permitting and inspection are not the biggest decision-making factors when the company is deciding whether to invest or not in a particular country. More importantly it’s the work environment, skilled labour and natural resources available there.

Q. How about climate change in the region? Is it a threat for countries in the Caucasus? And the world en masse?

A. Climate change is a real problem for the Caucasus region.

The snow cap that’s melting in Georgia for instance may lead to a great deal of flooding.

Climate change in general is about severe weather that we’re having that includes huge snowfalls and droughts or flooding which the US is experiencing now.

In addition to snow cap melt-

ing - there’s severe weather that Georgia will experience and also the habitat that may result in flooding and erosion.

Even though Georgia is unlike some coastal countries, it’s going to experience global warming as well.

Q. You’ve represented the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the enforcement of federal statutes including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Superfund. Do you think such statutes could be introduced in Georgia? As you know the rivers (especially the Mtkvari) are largely polluted.

A. The clean air act and water act are crucially important ones to be enacted. Such acts were introduced in the US in the late 1970-80s and come under the supervision of EPA (Environment Protection Agency).

Actually more economically developed countries have more sophisticated environmental regulations put in place. However I think our environmental regulatory systems began in the 1970s and now almost 40 years later we’ve a lot of technology and information that can help us find how it works without being as costly as was before.

Number two - Georgia anticipates becoming part of the European Union - I think it’s one of the major requirements for the country to comply with.

And now there’s actually money available from the EU to help build such systems and take care of the environment.

CMYK

12

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

green business

Print in the driving seat for Scandinavian Airlines The FINANCIAL

W

e do advertise on TV in home markets but it’s still not the main driver, which is print,” - Per Møller Jensen, the Vice President Brand, Marketing & EuroBonus at Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) The rise of digital channels makes print-based marketing more relevant than ever, the SAS marketing chief tells Print Power.

He may not have seen George Clooney’s latest movie, Up in the Air, but Per Møller Jensen, the Vice President Brand, Marketing & EuroBonus at Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), really should. In the Oscar-nominated film about a corporate hatchet man who spends more time in airplanes than in his office, airline travel has never seemed so glamorous, or romantic.

Down on the ground, reality for national airlines like SAS is a little different. The rise of the low-cost operator and an economic downturn that took even the wisest marketers by surprise, have provided challenges aplenty. Now there’s a new mood amongst airline marketers as they emerge, leaner and wiser, from that downturn. Every channel must earn its place in the marketing mix, with digital no longer the shoo-in it was two years ago.

Møller Jensen’s opinion of printbased marketing epitomises this revised thinking.

A graduate of leading European business school INSEAD and

a 20-year veteran of SAS, Møller Jensen points out that while SAS embraces digital marketing in all its forms – banner ads, viral and email – the airline relies heavily on print too. “The more online the world becomes, the more relevant print is,” Møller Jensen asserts. Email is proliferating as a marketing channel but Møller Jensen is wary of putting all his marketing eggs in that basket.

Though SAS achieves good open rates on its email communications, gaining standout in crowded in-boxes is getting harder.

“You get hundreds of emails at work,” Møller Jansen says.

CALCULATING THE RETURN This is why print – both in terms of direct mail and press advertising – still claims the biggest share of the airline’s international marketing spend. The return on SAS’ TV advertising investment is less than that of printed direct marketing. “We do advertise on TV in home markets but it’s still not the main driver, which is print,” Møller Jensen points out. In fact, he says, print has been the airline’s preferred media for the past 20 years.

In that time both Scandinavian Airlines and the travel business have undergone seismic changes. Headquartered in Stockholm, SAS, the core subsidiary of SAS Group, was founded in 1951 when four airlines operating to the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark and Sweden joined forces to form the Scandi-

navian Airlines System.

Now SAS is the largest airline in Northern Europe, transporting nearly 21.4 million passengers last year, and is the national carrier of all three Scandinavian countries. The triumvirate own 50% of the company between them, with Sweden’s Wallenberg family controlling a further 7.6%. The airline operates three hubs to over 170 destinations on four continents.??But back in the 1950s, the air travel market was a much simpler proposition. SAS has since learned to cope with a severe economic downturn and stiff competition from other international carriers such as BA and KLM – not to mention lowcost European operators such as Easyjet.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Møller Jensen is clear on the distinct functions played by press ads and direct mail, though the two “work hand in hand,” he says. Direct mail is a crucial way to connect with three million members of the SAS EuroBonus frequent flyer programme, a pioneering loyalty scheme launched in 1992 which now has 60 partners and co-branded credit cards. Press advertising, meanwhile, enables SAS to grow its market share amongst new customers.

When it comes to recruiting, retaining and rewarding business and consumer flyers, direct mail is SAS’ main channel. While paid search generates traffic to

the www.flysas.com website, direct mail is vital to initiating and sustaining a dialogue with those consumers it recruits. “When executing our campaigns, we combine all channels to send the same messages to customers across platforms,” Møller Jensen says. “However, direct mail can often take the messages a step further, explaining and involving the customer more than banner ads or print ads.” The rich insight SAS has on its customer base is used in true one-to-one fashion “because we know where they are and what they like, and so can tailor the communication”. The database features both regular flyers and those who have signed up to offers, who may not yet be fully engaged with the brand.

There are “plenty of opportunities” to do segmented mailings, Møller Jensen says, but messaging must all be relevant “or it just won’t work”. You get the sense that the term ‘junk mail’ is not part of this marketer’s lexicon.

Campaigns to EuroBonus members are personalised, with segmentation based on age, sex, or passengers’ past use of the airline’s Economy Class, Economy Extra or Business Class. “We know where our customers are, what class they fly, what hotels they stay in, the car they rent, and the points they’ve earned,” Møller Jensen says proudly.

WHEN GLOBAL GOES LOCAL Though SAS is a global company, it is careful to keep its direct

mail messaging local. There is a database in every country where SAS is present and rather than do a single direct mail campaign to three million people, mail campaigns vary country-by-country, and are managed in-house.

For SAS, direct mail and digital advertising in particular have been proved to complement one another. This month the airline is running a campaign to business travelers which will highlight the airline’s time efficiency – in 2009 SAS was ranked as the most punctual airline in Europe – with online banners and direct mail generating traffic to flysas. com.

Press ads are particularly costeffective as a broader medium that lets SAS approach an audience it doesn’t yet have. Media are carefully targeted, with SAS using papers such as the London Times and Boersen, Denmark’s equivalent of the Financial Times, to trumpet business features such as the SAS Fast Track security service.

The current deflation in newspaper media costs adds to these efficiencies. “We’re getting more bang for our bucks [right now], for sure,” Møller Jensen says cheerfully. “We’ve been able to create more noise for the same amount of money.”

TIMING IS EVERYTHING SAS has three main sales periods for consumer and business travellers per year, with campaign timings guided by the com-

pany’s sophisticated sales modelling. Such models take market and SAS data into account, with an overlay of the wider societal picture. For Møller Jensen, the purpose of sales modelling is simple: “We look at when people are more inclined to buy,” he explains.

The timing of leisure communications differs completely from business campaigns, which begin in earnest in August when business people return from holidays and start planning their autumn work trips. January and February are the favoured months for holiday bookings, and SAS campaigns will not just push the airline’s features and convenience, but also the desirability of Scandinavian countries as a holiday destination.

These are testing times for airlines such as SAS, as it consolidates its well-publicised financial recovery plan, Core SAS. In a review of its print advertising conducted last year, SAS identified the technological developments that will affect its use of print, including ticketless travelling and biometric identification, where a passenger’s fingerprints are matched to their respective checked baggage for security purposes. But for airline marketers like Per Møller Jensen, cut-throat competition means there is a huge imperative on communicating with consumers anytime, any place and through every medium. It’s no surprise that for SAS, the reach and cost effectiveness of print are the core reasons why it still figures highly in SAS’ marketing hierarchy.

direct “It’s a small step from ” mail to actually flying d,

ident Bran Per Møller Jensen, Vice Pres SAS Marketing and Eurobonus

ct mail - In thes e SAS soar s with dire xes, dire ct mail time s of crow ded inbo t from the crow d. help s SAS stan dou establish a deeper The airline uses it to mers, and connect custo its with dialogue n members of its with the 3 millio e. With direct frequent flyer programm more and involve mail, SAS can explain it can with other its customers more than med ium is SAS’ med ia. That ’s why the iting , reta ining recru for nel chan main s. flyer rding and rewa

www.printpowe

r.eu

l works hand-inAt SAS direct mai print advertising hand with digital and ing and cust ome r aime d at bran d build acquisition. with prin t ads, Dire ct mail , toge ther erre d med ia for 20 pref SAS’ been has tive channel still years. And this cost-effec e of the airline’s claims the biggest shar budget. worldwide marketing .printpower.eu Learn more at www online, take a To order the brochure your mobile. picture of this code with

er Add print, add pow

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

13

FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

green business

Making Tbilisi Greener The FINANCIAL

A

ccording to the latest data of the Ecology and Greenery Department of Tbilisi City Hall there is 450,000 hectares of green area in the capital.

“The Ecology and Greenery Department of Tbilisi City Hall was established 2 years ago. 45 hectares of green territories have been added to the area of the capital since that time,” said Giorgi Korkashvili, Director of the Department.

“The surrounding areas of Tbilisi Sea and the former Gldani rubbish yard are under our patronage,” Mr. Korkashvili said. “We have started to make the territories greener.

As for the rubbish yard itself, there is need for more complex works there. This year we will start to change the ground within this territory, after which it will be ready for planting trees. We will start the planting process by the beginning of next year. Of course it’s not as though there will suddenly be an oasis in one year. The place needs some time to recover. The resulting pleasant environment and fresh air will be beneficial not only for the people who live in the Gldani district but also for the whole capital.

As well as this we are working with some international organizations like WWF and GTZ and have 3-4 year long projects with them. One of these projects envisages the restoration of 70 hectares of forest area around the city which have been cut and destroyed over the years. One clear example is the forest of Khudadovi. We have already started the process of restoration with our resources, which will be finished within 3 years.

In regards to the aesthetic side of the city, we have a very important project on at the moment - reconstruction of the Jansug Khakhidze square, which occupies 15,000 square metres. In previous years this square has always proved to be one of the favourite leisure places of citizens.

In addition we are nearly finished with the planning of the central park project, which involves the joint reconstruction of the old Mziuri and Zoo area. It will be the most important project of the

city. It will become one of the biggest centres of tourism as well. We have already finished the project of reconstruction of Vake Park. Supposedly our department will start the reconstruction process by the end of this year, which will be finished by the end of 2012 by all accounts.

Not just reconstruction of big parks but also restoration of small squares is a target activity of our department. We have built and reconstructed plenty of squares around the city. Almost 80% of recently reconstructed squares are in the suburbs of Tbilisi. The fact that the city’s residents spend their time enjoying these parks is testament to

the success and importance of our works.

Q. What is the budget of the Ecology and Greenery Department of Tbilisi City Hall?

A. Our entire budget for this year is about 12 million GEL, which includes all activities implemented by our department. This is not only the purchase of saplings and planting of greenery, but also processes of upkeep like watering, the putting down of manure etc.

Q. How many private partner companies do you have at the moment?

A. We have nearly 85 partner companies, including green service, green house, where more than 1,000 indi-

viduals are employed. Today these companies are in charge of making all the squares within the city greener.

Q. Does your department employ socially vulnerable people?

A. Of course the municipality gets plenty of applications from socially vulnerable people. We try to employ as many as we can. However we have to be able to ensure that the person can manage the work our project requires. Not everyone can handle such strenuous physical work.

We have a very successful partnership with the Centre of Vocational Training as well. Last year they sent us highly qualified staff. Today

these people are employed in many companies. We must note that we constantly need recruitment of new personnel, because of the constant enlargement of green territories within the city.

We are putting an accent on evergreen trees, such as pine trees, cypress and fir trees, but we also plant trees such as lime trees, maple, acacia and many other species. We are continuing the project Plant a Tree, Make Tbilisi Green, but we have slightly changed the routine of the project.

Last year people where able to choose locations for planting according to their wish.

That could cause problems for urban development in the

city. As it’s impossible to plant trees wherever you want, this year they have the opportunity to plant saplings in territories we choose, like the areas of Khudadovi Forest, Tbilisi Sea etc. As the results show participation in the project has become a favourite activity of the population.

Q. You say that making the city greener has become a favourite pastime for many people. If a person wants to participate in the planting of greenery, where is it possible to take part in such a project and purchase desired species?

A. Our department is open to any interested persons who want to consult us. First of all when we make projects like this we discuss the map of the city so as not to encroach on somebody’s private land.

That’s why we put an accent on land that is under the patronage of City Hall. After finding the relevant piece of land a person can choose the species they want to plant and we will provide them with all the facilities necessary for the planting works.

When private persons or companies appeal to us, we always prefer to offer them our territories, because we then continue the care of the saplings totally at our expense.

Q. What are the approximate expenses of the reconstruction of one of the city’s squares?

A. It’s hard to state an exact amount because we have to define which works have to be done in each specific case. If we want to lay grass, the price for one square metre is about 9.60 USD. For each flower we plant, we pay 0.35 USD, though we have to mention that we plant millions of flowers all over the city. So it’s really very hard to list the exact reconstruction expenses for each square.

Q. Where do you purchase the greenery that you plant today?

A. Usually we announce tenders. Our department displays a list specific to the project regarding which kinds of saplings we need. The small private companies provide us with their products in the conditions we ask for. The average size of a sapling we acquire is usually 1.5-2 metres in height.

As for the retail price we pay about 15-20 USD per tree.

SOLO Family - New Offer from Bank of Georgia The FINANCIAL

B

ank of Georgia, one of the leading banks in Georgia with total net profit of 10 million GEL according to the first quarter results of 2011, has introduced new offer SOLO Family to clients of the exclusive personal banking service SOLO. Clients of SOLO will now have the opportunity to share the benefits with family members. SOLO Family will provide the chance to the families of SOLO clients to get the exclusive banking service and share those advantages that SOLO clients currently have.

SOLO banking provides a wide spectrum of offers, with exclusive and privileged services. Since its foundation in

2009 it has been developing dynamically, with increases in the number of customers and special offers. SOLO provides its customers with an individual approach, service of SOLO bankers, specially allocated SOLO Flagship Branch and SOLO corners at Bank of Georgia Branches, the best quality in service, pleasant and quiet atmosphere as well as exclusive means to obtaining an American Express Gold Card.

Those clients of SOLO Family, like SOLO clients, will have the chance to use the most profitable terms on banking products and get selected service in a maximally comfortable environment.

SOLO Family clients will be served by a SOLO banker who will provide complex consulting and will operatively solve

any issues connected with banking or insurance products. The client will be able to save time as well as money as in place of the client a personal banker will take care of

SOLO clients, with unique advantages and special sales, like the SOLO card.

SOLO Family optimally meets family requirements as it offers the most profitable

banking issues and give support in taking the best financial decisions.

A SOLO Family card has been designed specially for

mix of banking products and includes: free distance banking service, exclusive offer on deposits, +1% on children’s deposits for SOLO Family cli-

ents, 14 day travel insurance without charge.

A 24 hour call centre will be available to SOLO Family clients exclusively on the number: 444 400.

In addition SOLO Family clients have the chance to use such products and services specially designed for SOLO clients, these include: American Express® Gold supplementary card, courier service and exclusive terms on insurance products from insurance company Aldagi BCI. The possibility to purchase SOLO Family is only available to SOLO clients’ family members.

American Express Gold Card that is exclusively for SOLO clients is distinguished by high credit limit, a longterm grace period, Membership Rewards loyalty pro-

gramme and Selects offers that offer discounts in different trade and service facilities, both within Georgia and abroad. It also provides the opportunity to its owner to use American Express Gold Travel Service and get high quality tourist service and exclusive travel offers. Holders of an American Express Gold Card can use travel and health insurance. Travel Inconvenience Insurance insures them against the main costs in case of flights being cancelled, delayed or postponed, or lost baggage, as well as if the client has missed a connecting flight.

SOLO customers can be physical individuals, for additional information please call at 444 400, send an email to solo@bog.ge or visit the webpage www.solo.ge.

CMYK

14

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

green business

Georgia has 5 billion KW Wind Energy Potential Per Annum The FINANCIAL, By Nina Burjanadze In Skra, Gori region has just finished the installation of the 10 kW wind turbine, which is ready to be connected to the central electric station of Georgia. The wind powered electrical generator is the pilot project of USAID and Karenergo, Georgian Scientific Wing Energy Center. Scientists prove that in Georgia ,the last 10years,have considerably grown the speed and the frequency of the wind, which can be used as very important energy source.

“This is the first wind electic generator, which will be transferred to the central energy stations,” said Archil Zedgenize, Director of Karenergo. ”The prime cost of the turbine is about $25000. It produces only 22,000 KW energy per year, which won’t be enough even for Skra settlement. The turbine needs only about 2-3 square meter. Energy stations are very friendly to the environment. I don’t mean that small turbines and short term usage can be really beneficial, but long term exploitation will give us really best results. We will constantly have 100% clean energy.”

The project started in 2008,

when Karenergo won the grant of USAID- the Energy Capacity Initiative Project. ”Till today we could manage to install only this one demonstrative wind turbine, because we don’t have any stable legislative bases for wind energy de-

velopment in Georgia,“ added Zedgenidze. “We need an attractive legislation and tariffs for investors to get interested to invest in wind electric power stations in Georgia.”

We consume about 10 MW billion energy per annum. As

Manana Gelovani, Leading Expert of Karenergo explained Georgia has 2000MW resource of wind on its whole territory.

“It makes 5billion KW hours per year. A 500MW Wind Energy Station will produces about 1,2billion KW hours. That will

cover about 50% of energy that Georgia consumes,” continued Gelovani. “The optimal for Georgia will be 3MW turbines.

As a rule, 1MW costs about EURO 1million. The number of the turbines is defined with the size and wind potential of the area,maximum from 10 to 20 on each mall. The most perspective places are the gorge of river Chorokhi,Paravani lake, mountain range of Likhi, the field of Mukhrani, outskirts of Kutaisi and west-eastern part of Tbilisi. Also, outskirts of Rustavi and the areas between Khashuri and Gori.

Tornike Gotsiridze, Energy Expert of the Energy Capacity Initiative Project complained that Government often mentions that the demand in the market defines need of any renewable energy in the Country.

“This is a wrong consideration of the subject,” noted Gotsadze.”In most of the western countries this non-traditional energy is developed with the help and support of the state.

The turbine expenses itself is considerably high and it won’t be interesting for the investors to invest in the wind malls if they don’t get so called feed-in tariffs from the government.

So as it’s known everywhere, there are two ways to attract and interest investors either to set feed-in tariffs, or the government and state organizations purchase renewable energy. We don’t need to look for the examples in the Western countries.

Even in Armenia was officially adopted the legislation to encourage investors to invest in renewable energy. As a result, nowadays they have a flow of investors for nontraditional energy in our neighbor country.”

The territory for the pilot project wasn’t randomly chosen. Skra is one of the windiest places, among others we have in Georgia.

“We chose the place because of its potential. Besides this is near the settlement of internally displaced people and we thought it would be kind of an advantage for them,” noted Gotsiridze.”The main idea of this grant was to test whether we have the wind potential energy experts talk about since the last 10years. In reality it was the hint for the government to become interested with wind energy. We recently received the letter from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources that they want to continue the project we started.”

Biofuels Can Provide up to 27% of World Transportation Fuel by 2050 IEA ‘roadmap’ report shows how biofuel production can be expanded in a sustainable way, and identifies needed technologies and policy actions The FINANCIAL

A

new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Washington says that the widespread deployment of biofuels can play an important role in reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector and enhancing energy security, when produced sustainably.

With the transportation sector growing considerably, and demand for transport fuels rising globally, the IEA assesses biofuels – liquid and gaseous fuels derived from biomass (organic material derived from plants and animals) – as one of the key technologies to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce dependency on liquid transport fuels. The report shows how global biofuel consumption can increase in a sustainable way – one in which production of biofuels brings significant life cycle environmental benefits and does not compromise food security – from 55 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) today to 750 Mtoe in 2050; this would mean that the global share of biofuel in total transport fuel would grow from 2% today to

27% in 2050.

“While vehicle efficiency will be the most important and most cost-efficient way to reduce transport-emissions, biofuels will still be needed to provide low-carbon fuel alternatives for planes, marine vessels and other heavy transport modes, and will eventually provide one fifth (2.1 gigatonnes of CO2) of emission reductions in the transport sector,” Bo Diczfalusy, the IEA’s Director of Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology, said at the launch of the report today in Washington.

The IEA prepared the Technology Roadmap Biofuels for Transport in consultation with representatives of government, industry, academia and non-governmental organizations. The roadmap provides an overview of the current status of different conventional and advanced biofuel technologies and the latest research on sustainability issues related to biofuel production. It also charts a course for expanding the production and use of biofuels to 2050, in a sustainable way.

This report is the latest in the IEA’s series of technology roadmaps, which aim to guide governments and industry on the actions and milestones needed to achieve the potential for a full range of clean energy technologies.

EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES NEEDED Biofuels can provide transport fuel with substantially lower CO2 emissions than conventional gasoline or diesel when comparing the entire “life cycle” of produc-

tion – that is, from the field to the vehicle. But there are caveats: it is important to reduce the use of fossil energy during cultivation, transport and conversion of biomass to biofuel. It is also important to avoid direct or indirect landuse changes, such as converting forests to grow biofuel feedstocks, which release large amounts CO2 and could offset the CO2 reduction potential of biofuels.

Most conventional biofuels (produced mainly from starch, sugar and oilseed crops) must therefore be improved in terms of conversion- and land-use efficiency to achieve considerable greenhouse-gas reductions. In addition, advanced biofuel technologies currently at the demonstration stage (produced mainly from lignocellulosic biomass such as wood and straw), need to be commercially deployed within the next ten years and will provide the major share of biofuels in 2050.

“Further support for advanced biofuel research, development and demonstration is still needed to improve conversion efficiencies and reduce costs. In addition, investments in commercialscale production units will be a key to enable advanced biofuels to reach full market maturity,” said Mr. Diczfalusy at the launch in Washington.

“Government action is needed to provide a stable, long-term policy framework for biofuels that allows for sustained investments in biofuel expansion. Specific support measures that address the high investment risk currently associated with pre-commercial advanced biofuel technologies will be vital to trigger industry investments in first commer-

cial plants.”

With these substantial investments in place, most biofuel technologies could get close to cost-competitiveness with fossil fuels, or even be produced at lower costs in the longer term. In total, the report assesses the expenditure on biofuels required to meet the roadmap targets between USD 11 trillion to USD 13 trillion over the next 40 years, depending on the actual production costs. “This figure may seem large, but in fact even in the worst case biofuels would only increase the total costs of transport fuels by around 1% over the next 40 years, and could in fact lead to cost reductions over the same period.”

SUSTAINABILITY IS KEY “With world population growing by more than 30% to 9 billion people in 2050, and food demand increasing approximately 70% according to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, competition of biofuel production for land with food, fodder, as well as fiber production needs to be carefully addressed to avoid negative impacts from biofuel expansion on food security,” said Mr. Diczfalusy.

There is a great potential for using low-risk sources that require limited land expansion, and should not compete with food production, to provide feedstock for the expanding biofuel industry. The report says the use of residues and high-yielding energy crops as feedstocks, and the efficient use of biomass, for instance through integrating biofuel

and bio-material production (so-called biorefineries), will be vital to reduce land competition. In addition, sustainability certification of biofuels, following internationally agreed sustainability criteria, will be an important step towards ensuring that biofuel production and use have a positive environmental, social and economic impact.

Around 3 billion tonnes of biomass per year will be needed in 2050 to produce the amount of biofuels envisioned in the IEA roadmap.

The report assesses that 1 billion tonnes of biomass residues and wastes would be needed, and this would need to be supplemented by production from around 100 million hectares of land - around 2% of total agricultural land.

This would be a three-fold increase compared with today, but the yield of biofuels could increase by a factor of 10 through the use of wastes and residues and through the use of more productive crops and processes.

The report stresses that governments should adopt mandatory sustainability standards for biofuels, and ensure they are internationally aligned, to avoid acting as barriers to trade. Since many points of criticism on biofuels’ sustainability are in fact issues concerning the whole agricultural sector, the report concludes that biofuel policies should be aligned with those in agriculture, forestry and rural development.

An overall sustainable landuse management strategy for all agricultural and forestry land will be the only way to avoid land-use changes with negative impacts on the environment and CO2 emissions,

and to support the wide range of demands in different sectors.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IS VITAL The report stresses that reducing tariffs and other trade barriers will be important to expanding the trade in biomass and biofuels to reach the levels necessary to meet emerging demand in different regions of the world. International co-operation will also be needed to further develop analyses of sustainable land and biomass potentials, and obtain detailed regional data on suitable feedstocks for biofuel production. To ensure developing countries can successfully adopt sustainable biofuel production, international collaboration on capacity building and technology transfer will be necessary, the report stresses. Developing countries interested in introducing biofuels can profit from the experience of other regions, including lessons learned and best practices for biofuel production, as well as the government policies that can help ensure that required investments are beneficial for local economies.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an autonomous organisation which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 28 member countries and beyond. Founded in response to the 1973/4 oil crisis, the IEA’s initial role was to help countries co-ordinate a collective response to major disruptions in oil supply through the release of emergency oil stocks to the markets.

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

15

FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

green business MAY 16, 2011

Clubs, Pubs…

Tel: 999 662 UNFORGATABLE VACATION IN TURKEY FROM 220 EUR THE PRICE INCLUDES : TRANSFER FROM TBILISI-ANTALYA-TBILISI AIR TICKETS TBILISI-ANTALYA-TBILISI HEALTH INSURANCE ALL INCLUSIVE HOTEL

From

Tbilisi

TO Aktau

Day

Depart

3.7

Arrive

00:40

03:20

DV 842

6

05:10

07:45

A9 651

Athens

4

07:00

08:55

A9 693

DAILY

00:50;11:30

03:10;13:50

J2 224/226

Batumi Dubai

2,3,5,7

09:30

10:15

CRJ

3.5

19:40

22:40

A9 703 VV/713

Donetsk

6

04:55

05:40

Frankfurt

3.6

19:35;

22:05

A9 621

Frankfurt

2,5,6,7

09:35

11:55

LH 769

Istanbul

DAILY

04:05;17:15

05:35 18:45

TK 1387/1383

Istanbul

DAILY

06:30

06:45

PC/738

Kiev

DAILY

07:50;17:55

09:25;19:35

VV 418

Kiev

DAILY

05:50

07:20

PS 728

Kharkov

2,6

05:30;11:00

06:20;11:50

A9 CRJ

London

1.4.6.7

06:55; 08:50

12:05; 14:00

BD 966

Minsk

5.7

17:30;12:00

19:20;13:50

A9 671

Minsk

DAILY

03:30

05:35

B2 1736

Munich

DAILY

04:55

05:55

LH 3215

Odessa

1,5

22:!5;

23:35

VV 440

5

17:00

20:05

A9 627

2,3,5,6

04:20

06:10

OK 935

X3,4

06:40

09:15

BT 723

Paris Prague Riga Tel-Aviv

4,7

16:50;21:00

18:45;22:45

A9 695

Vienna

4,7

08:30

10:00

A9 681

Days=( 1-Monday., 2-Tuesday., 3-Wedsday., 4-Thursday., 5-Friday., 6-Saturday., 7-Sunday. D-Daily; X-except off)

Special price from BusinessTravelCom CALL FOR DETAILED INFORMATION: BusinessTravelCom TEL: 999 662 E-mail: airtickets@sky.ge; sky@sky.ge; www.sky.ge SKYPE: elkaaa208

Special prices from BusinessTravelCom

Fly to Europe from 150 EUR (TAX INCLUDED) WARSAW BARCELONA MILAN BUDAPEST BRUSSELS AMSTERDAM PARIS STOCKHOLM DUSSELDORF FLORENCE BOLOGNA FRANKFURT COPENHAGEN STRASBOURG ZURICH HAMBURG HANNOVER

99 EUR +TAX 51 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 45 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 50 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 58 EUR 139EUR +TAX 62 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 65 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 68 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 71 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 80 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 87 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 88 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 90 EUR 39 EUR +TAX 91 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 100 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 104EUR 139EUR +TAX 109 EUR 139 EUR +TAX 116 EUR

TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL

FREE DELIVERY SERVICE!

Cinema Rustaveli Cinema 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 932-253, 555-000 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five”; “Rene is going to Hollywood”; “Thor” 3D; “Born in Georgia”; “Rio” 3D; “Scream 4” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Amirani” Cinema 36 Kostava Str. Tel: 99-99-55 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Sakartvelo” Cinema 2/9, Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 30-80-80; 69-66-47 “Fast Five”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Rio” 3D; (Ticket Price - 6 - 8 GEL)

Flight#

Amsterdam

Baku

21:00-00:30 - The Nali Band American Bar “Hadson & Hooker” 67 Beliashvili Str. Mob: 855 32-83-60 20:00-23:00 - Georgian Dances Restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” 3, Sanapiro Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Classic, modern, Russian estrada songs, chansons, romances and gipsy songs Restaurant “Matryoshka” Hero’s Square, Tel: 365-365 23:00 - DJ Club “Two Side” 7 Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:00 - Live Folk Music performance by “EgAri” Restaurant “Maspindzelo” 7, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:30 - Maidan Jazz Band Restaurant “Maidan” 6, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 75-11-88; 890 75-11-88 21:00-24:00 - Band “Pub” Bar “Fahrenheit” 5 Vashlovani Str. Tel: 99-67-72 21:00 - Kakha Jagashvili Cafй “Kala” 8/10 Erekle II Str. Mob: 899 79-97-37 20:00 - Georgian Folk and Pop Songs, Traditional Georgian Dances (Live Performance) Restaurant “Shadow of Metekhi” 29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tel: 30-30-30 20:30-23:30 - Georgian Civil Music, Quartet (In the Noble Hall) Puris Sakhli 7 Gorgasali Str. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - Band “Goblins” (Covers) Pub “Dublin” 8 Akhvlediani Str, Tel: 98-44-67 20:45-00:00 - Band “Wheels” Tavern “Toucan” 8 Kiacheli Str, Tel: 99-65-53, 92-25-54

150 184 189 197 201 204 207 210 219 226 227 229 230 239 243 248 255

EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR

Gallery Exhibition Fascism On May 9 at Gudiashvili 9 9 artists - Alexander Berdysheff, Jan Vorisek, Jemal Kukhalashvili, Denis Gonobolin, Rocko Iremashvili, Konstantin Mindadze, Yuri Berishvili, Zura Sekhniashvili, Andria Dolidze. Exhibition will last 9 days Gallery 9 9, Gudiashvili Str. Tel: 99-59-54, 858 24-25-96 11:00-19:00 - Murtaz Shvelidze’s personal exhibition - “Big Games” Gala Gallery 27 Atoneli Str. Tel: 93-14-18; Mob: 899 42-54-14 12:00-19:00 - “We come from Nikoladze” - The Exhibition is dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the former director of this Institute, an significant art figure - Kote Kiknadze and the 50th Anniversary of Nikoladze Art Instistute’61 graduates. 15 Artists will take part into the exhibition.

Will be represented about 50 artworks of Painting and Graphic Gallery “Vernissage” 7, Brothers Zubalashvili Str. Tel: 99-99-02 The “Hobby” Gallery Cordially invites You to the personal exhibition of Nino Chakvetadze “Back to the Childhood” “Hobby” Gallery 14, Chonkadze Str. (Sololaki area) 12:00-19:00 - Painter Kako Topuria’s works. On exhibition will be presented paintings on paper with gouache and oil, and also sculpture Art Gallery “Chardin” 13, Rustaveli Ave. (“Tbilisi Marriott”); Tel: 99-09-25 12:00-22:00 - Mixed Exhibition of Georgian Artists (paintings, graphics, porcelain, enamel, woodcraft...)

Gallery “Cameo” 11, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 72-48-72; Mob: 893 31-92-66 12:00-19:00 - Cloisonne Art Exhibition Enamel Gallery “Ornament” 7 Erekle II Str. Tel: 98-90-13 10:00-18:00 - Modern Fine and Applied Art Exhibition “Manana Art Saloon” 12, Baratashvili Str. Tel: 93-25-90

MAY 17, 2011

Clubs, Pubs…

21:00-00:30 - The Nali Band American Bar “Hadson & Hooker” 67 Beliashvili Str. Mob: 855 32-83-60 20:00-23:00 - “Kalakuri’s Quartet” - with live performance of city songs, and also universal songs Restaurant “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Georgian songs with live performance Restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” 3, Sanapiro Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Classic, modern, Russian estrada songs, chansons, romances and gipsy songs Restaurant “Matryoshka” Hero’s Square, Tel: 365-365 22:00 - Dini Virsaladze Live Band 24:00 - DJ Club “Two Side” 7 Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:30 - Georgian folk ensemble “Urmuli”, georgian dances Restaurant “Maidan” 6, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 75-11-88; 890 75-11-88 21:00-24:00 - “Cloud Blues Band” Bar “Fahrenheit” 5 Vashlovani Str. Tel: 99-67-72 20:00 - Live Folk Music performance by “EgAri” Restaurant “Maspindzelo” 7, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00 - Maia Kankava Cafй “Kala” 8/10 Erekle II Str. Mob: 899 79-97-37 21:00-24:00 - Jazz Band Restaurant “Chardin 12” 12 Chardin Str. Tel: 92-32-38; Mob: 877 480-460 21:00-24:00 - Band “Goblins” (Covers) Pub “Dublin” 8 Akhvlediani Str, Tel: 98-44-67 20:00 - Georgian Folk and Pop Songs, Traditional Georgian Dances (Live Performance) Restaurant “Shadow of Metekhi” 29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tel: 30-30-30 20:30-23:30 - Georgian Civil Music, Quartet (In the Noble Hall) Puris Sakhli 7 Gorgasali Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:45-00:00 - Band “Wheels” Tavern “Toucan” 8 Kiacheli Str, Tel: 99-65-53, 92-25-54

Cinema Rustaveli Cinema 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 932-253, 555-000 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five”; “Rene is going to Hollywood”; “Thor” 3D; “Born in Georgia”; “Rio” 3D; “Scream 4” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Amirani” Cinema 36 Kostava Str. Tel: 99-99-55 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Sakartvelo” Cinema 2/9, Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 30-80-80; 69-66-47 “Fast Five”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Rio” 3D; (Ticket Price - 6 - 8 GEL)

Theatre 20:00 - “Soul on call” Premiere -

(Ticket Price - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre (Theatre in Attic) 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 20:00 - “Luarsab Tatkaridze” (Ticket Price - 4 - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 19:00 - “Titus” (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Pantomime Theatre 37 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 99-63-14

Gallery Exhibition Fascism On May 9 at Gudiashvili 9 9 artists - Alexander Berdysheff, Jan Vorisek, Jemal Kukhalashvili, Denis Gonobolin, Rocko Iremashvili, Konstantin Mindadze, Yuri Berishvili, Zura Sekhniashvili, Andria Dolidze. Exhibition will last 9 days Gallery 9 9, Gudiashvili Str. Tel: 99-59-54, 858 24-25-96 11:00-19:00 - Murtaz Shvelidze’s personal exhibition - “Big Games” Gala Gallery 27 Atoneli Str. Tel: 93-14-18; Mob: 899 42-54-14 12:00-19:00 - “We come from Nikoladze” - The Exhibition is dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the former director of this Institute, an significant art figure - Kote Kiknadze and the 50th Anniversary of Nikoladze Art Instistute’61 graduates. 15 Artists will take part into the exhibition.

Will be represented about 50 artworks of Painting and Graphic Gallery “Vernissage” 7, Brothers Zubalashvili Str. Tel: 99-99-02 The “Hobby” Gallery Cordially invites You to the personal exhibition of Nino Chakvetadze “Back to the Childhood” “Hobby” Gallery 14, Chonkadze Str. (Sololaki area) 12:00-19:00 - Painter Kako Topuria’s works. On exhibition will be presented paintings on paper with gouache and oil, and also sculpture Art Gallery “Chardin” 13, Rustaveli Ave. (“Tbilisi Marriott”); Tel: 99-09-25 10:00-18:00 - Modern Fine and Applied Art Exhibition “Manana Art Saloon” 12, Baratashvili Str. Tel: 93-25-90 12:00-22:00 - Mixed Exhibition of Georgian Artists (paintings, graphics, porcelain, enamel, woodcraft...)

Gallery “Cameo” 11, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 72-48-72; Mob: 893 31-92-66 12:00-19:00 - Cloisonne Art Exhibition Enamel Gallery “Ornament” 7 Erekle II Str. Tel: 98-90-13

MAY 18, 2011

Clubs, Pubs…

21:00-00:30 - The Nali Band American Bar “Hadson & Hooker” 67 Beliashvili Str. Mob: 855 32-83-60 20:00-23:00 - “Kalakuri’s Quartet” - with live performance of city songs, and also universal songs Restaurant “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Georgian Dances Restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” 3, Sanapiro Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Classic, modern, Russian estrada songs, chansons, romances and gipsy songs Restaurant “Matryoshka” Hero’s Square, Tel: 365-365 21:00 - “Evening Project” Program: Salome Gotsiridze (Vocal) Teona Tsiklauri (Vocal) Tato Jinjikhadze (Guitar) Badri Tereladze (Keyboard player) Restaurant “Kalakuri” (Lounge bar) 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:30 - Maidan Jazz Band Restaurant “Maidan” 6, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 75-11-88; 890 75-11-88 22:00 - Mariko Ebralidze & Giorgi Sukhitashvili 24:00 - DJ Club “Two Side” 7 Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - Band “Band’a’roll” Bar “Fahrenheit” 5 Vashlovani Str. Tel: 99-67-72 20:00 - Live Folk Music performance by “EgAri” Restaurant “Maspindzelo” 7, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:00 - Georgian Folk and Pop Songs, Traditional Georgian Dances (Live Performance) Restaurant “Shadow of Metekhi” 29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00 - Maia Baratashvili Cafй “Kala” 8/10 Erekle II Str. Mob: 899 79-97-37 21:00-01:00 - Band “Wheels” Tavern “Toucan” 8 Kiacheli Str, Tel: 99-65-53, 92-25-54 21:00-24:00 - Band “Zarebi” (Covers) Pub “Dublin” 8 Akhvlediani Str, Tel: 98-44-67 20:00-23:30 - Piano and Violin (In the Salon Hall); Georgian Civil Music, Quartet (In the Noble Hall) Puris Sakhli 7 Gorgasali Str. Tel: 30-30-30

Cinema Rustaveli Cinema 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 932-253, 555-000 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five”; “Rene is going to Hollywood”; “Thor” 3D; “Born in Georgia”; “Rio” 3D; “Scream 4” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Amirani” Cinema 36 Kostava Str. Tel: 99-99-55 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Sakartvelo” Cinema 2/9, Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 30-80-80; 69-66-47 “Fast Five”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Rio” 3D; (Ticket Price - 6 - 8 GEL)

Gallery 11:00-19:00 - Murtaz Shvelidze’s personal exhibition - “Big Games” Gala Gallery 27 Atoneli Str. Tel: 93-14-18; Mob: 899 42-54-14 12:00-19:00 - “We come from Nikoladze” - The Exhibition is dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the former director of this Institute, an significant art figure - Kote Kiknadze and the 50th Anniversary of Nikoladze Art Instistute’61 graduates. 15 Artists will take part into the exhibition.

Will be represented about 50 artworks of Painting and Graphic Gallery “Vernissage” 7, Brothers Zubalashvili Str. Tel: 99-99-02 12:00-19:00 - Painter Kako Topuria’s works. On exhibition will be presented paintings on paper with gouache and oil, and also sculpture Art Gallery “Chardin” 13, Rustaveli Ave. (“Tbilisi Marriott”); Tel: 99-09-25 10:00-18:00 - Modern Fine and Applied Art Exhibition “Manana Art Saloon” 12, Baratashvili Str. Tel: 93-25-90 12:00-22:00 - Mixed Exhibition of Georgian Artists (paintings, graphics, porcelain, enamel, woodcraft...)

Gallery “Cameo” 11, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 72-48-72; Mob: 893 31-92-66 12:00-19:00 - Cloisonne Art Exhibition Enamel Gallery “Ornament” 7 Erekle II Str. Tel: 98-90-13

MAY 19, 2011

Clubs, Pubs…

22:00 - Resident DJ Tako Lounge Bar “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - “Kalakuri’s Quartet” - with live performance of city songs, and also universal songs Restaurant “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 22:00 - Maia Kvirkvelia & DJ Dachi Club “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Georgian songs with live performance Restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” 3, Sanapiro Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Classic, modern, Russian estrada songs, chansons, romances and gipsy songs Restaurant “Matryoshka” Hero’s Square, Tel: 365-365 21:00 - Band “Band’a’roll”, DJ Datuna

SkyyBar 22 Metekhi Str. Mob: 892 32-32-32 20:30 - Georgian folk ensemble “Urmuli”, georgian dances Restaurant “Maidan” 6, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 75-11-88; 890 75-11-88 22:00 - Nodiko Tatishvili & Salome Bakuradze 24:00 - DJ Club “Two Side” 7 Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - Megi & Co Bar “Fahrenheit” 5 Vashlovani Str. Tel: 99-67-72 20:00 - Live Folk Music performance by “EgAri” Restaurant “Maspindzelo” 7, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:00 - Georgian Folk and Pop Songs, Traditional Georgian Dances (Live Performance) Restaurant “Shadow of Metekhi” 29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - The Nali Band Bar “Hangar” 20 Shavteli Str. Tel: 93-10-80; Mob: 899 23-60-69 21:00 - Guliko Chanturia Cafй “Kala” 8/10 Erekle II Str. Mob: 899 79-97-37 21:00-24:00 - Jazz Band Restaurant “Chardin 12” 12 Chardin Str. Tel: 92-32-38; Mob: 877 52-97-79 21:00-01:00 - Band “Wheels” Tavern “Toucan” 8 Kiacheli Str, Tel: 99-65-53, 92-25-54 21:00-24:00 - Band “Zarebi” (Covers) Pub “Dublin” 8 Akhvlediani Str, Tel: 98-44-67 20:00-23:30 - Piano and Violin (In the Salon Hall); Georgian Civil Music, Quartet (In the Noble Hall) Puris Sakhli 7 Gorgasali Str. Tel: 30-30-30

Cinema Rustaveli Cinema 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 932-253, 555-000 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five”; “Rene is going to Hollywood”; “Thor” 3D; “Born in Georgia”; “Rio” 3D; “Scream 4” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Amirani” Cinema 36 Kostava Str. Tel: 99-99-55 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Sakartvelo” Cinema 2/9, Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 30-80-80; 69-66-47 “Fast Five”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Rio” 3D; (Ticket Price - 6 - 8 GEL) From May 19 in Tbilisi Cinemas “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”

Theatre 19:45 - “The Visitor” (Ticket Price - 6, 7 GEL) Rustaveli Theatre (Experimental Stage) 17, Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 72-68-68 20:00 - “Lie-true” (Ticket Price - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre (Theatre in Attic) 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 20:00 - “Veris Ubani’s Melodies” (Ticket Price - 10, 15 GEL) V. Abashidze State Music and Drama Theatre 182 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 34-80-90 19:00 - “Forge of the Souls or Blood to Blood” (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Ilia University Theatre 32, I. Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: 29-47-15

Gallery 11:00-19:00 - Murtaz Shvelidze’s personal exhibition - “Big Games” Gala Gallery 27 Atoneli Str. Tel: 93-14-18; Mob: 899 42-54-14 12:00-19:00 - “We come from Nikoladze” - The Exhibition is dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the former director of this Institute, an significant art figure - Kote Kiknadze and the 50th Anniversary of Nikoladze Art Instistute’61 graduates. 15 Artists will take part into the exhibition.

Will be represented about 50 artworks of Painting and Graphic Gallery “Vernissage” 7, Brothers Zubalashvili Str. Tel: 99-99-02 10:00-18:00 - Modern Fine and Applied Art Exhibition “Manana Art Saloon” 12, Baratashvili Str. Tel: 93-25-90 12:00-22:00 - Mixed Exhibition of Georgian Artists (paintings, graphics, porcelain, enamel, woodcraft...)

Gallery “Cameo” 11, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 72-48-72; Mob: 893 31-92-66 12:00-19:00 - Cloisonne Art Exhibition Enamel Gallery “Ornament” 7 Erekle II Str. Tel: 98-90-13

MAY 20, 2011

Clubs, Pubs…

Group “Diet Band” will offer you “Second hands” of famous songs.

Two 45 minutes sets. Collect the numbers of visits and get 50% discount for 18th visit Art-Cafй 11 45 Betlemi Str. Tel: 857 91-01-36 21:00 - Agora Live Band, DJ Datuna SkyyBar 22 Metekhi Str. Mob: 892 32-32-32 20:30 - Maidan Jazz Band Restaurant “Maidan” 6, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 75-11-88; 890 75-11-88 22:00 - Nodiko Tatishvili & Khatuna Jalaghonia 24:00 - DJ Club “Two Side” 7 Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 22:00 - Resident DJ Tako Lounge Bar “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - “Kalakuri’s Quartet” - with live performance of city songs, and also universal songs Restaurant “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 22:00 - Gio Khutsishvili & DJ Dachi Club “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Georgian Dances Restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” 3, Sanapiro Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Cancan, belly dance, russian and gipsy dances Restaurant “Matryoshka” Hero’s Square, Tel: 365-365 21:00-24:00 - Band “Pub” Bar “Fahrenheit” 5 Vashlovani Str. Tel: 99-67-72 20:00 - Live Folk Music performance by “EgAri” Restaurant “Maspindzelo” 7, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - The Nali Band Bar “Hangar” 20 Shavteli Str. Tel: 93-10-80; Mob: 899 23-60-69 22:00-01:00 - Group “Comic Condition” Tavern “Scarlet Sails” 25, Leselidze Str. Tel: 93-10-28 20:00 - Georgian Folk and Pop Songs, Traditional Georgian Dances (Live Performance) Restaurant “Shadow of Metekhi” 29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00 - Keti Paresashvili Cafй “Kala” 8/10 Erekle II Str. Mob: 899 79-97-37 21:00-01:00 - Band “Wheels” Tavern “Toucan” 8 Kiacheli Str, Tel: 99-65-53, 92-25-54 21:00-24:00 - Band “Zarebi” (Covers) Pub “Dublin” 8 Akhvlediani Str, Tel: 98-44-67 20:00-23:30 - Piano and Violin (In the Salon Hall); Georgian Civil Music, Quartet (In the Noble Hall) Puris Sakhli 7 Gorgasali Str. Tel: 30-30-30

Cinema Rustaveli Cinema 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 932-253, 555-000 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five”; “Rene is going to Hollywood”; “Thor” 3D; “Born in Georgia”; “Rio” 3D; “Scream 4” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Amirani” Cinema 36 Kostava Str. Tel: 99-99-55 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL)

“Sakartvelo” Cinema 2/9, Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 30-80-80; 69-66-47 “Fast Five”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Rio” 3D; (Ticket Price - 6 - 8 GEL) From May 19 in Tbilisi Cinemas “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”

Theatre 19:45 - “I’m craving for the straight wind” (Ticket Price - 6, 7 GEL) Rustaveli Theatre (Experimental Stage) 17, Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 72-68-68 20:00 - “The Art” (Ticket Price - 4 - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 20:00 - “Beautiful Georgian Woman” (Ticket Price - 5, 10, 15 GEL) Liberty Theatre 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 98-58-21 20:00 - “Veris Ubani’s Melodies” (Ticket Price - 10, 15 GEL) V. Abashidze State Music and Drama Theatre 182 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 34-80-90 19:15 - “Autumn of my Springtime” +12 (Ticket Price - 5, 8, 10, 15 GEL) Gabriadze Theatre 13, Shavteli Str. Tel: 98-65-90, 868 78-18-97 18:00 - “Marriage” (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Griboedov Theatre 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 93-11-06 19:00 - “There where my home is” (Ticket Price - 7, 10 GEL) Akhmeteli Theatre 8 Vekua Str. Tel: 62-54-37, 62-59-73, 62-61-97 19:00 - “Romeo and Juliet” (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Ilia University Theatre 32, I. Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: 29-47-15

Gallery 11:00-19:00 - Murtaz Shvelidze’s personal exhibition - “Big Games” Gala Gallery 27 Atoneli Str. Tel: 93-14-18; Mob: 899 42-54-14 12:00-19:00 - “We come from Nikoladze” - The Exhibition is dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the former director of this Institute, an significant art figure - Kote Kiknadze and the 50th Anniversary of Nikoladze Art Instistute’61 graduates. 15 Artists will take part into the exhibition.

Will be represented about 50 artworks of Painting and Graphic Gallery “Vernissage” 7, Brothers Zubalashvili Str. Tel: 99-99-02 10:00-18:00 - Modern Fine and Applied Art Exhibition “Manana Art Saloon” 12, Baratashvili Str. Tel: 93-25-90 12:00-22:00 - Mixed Exhibition of Georgian Artists (paintings, graphics, porcelain, enamel, woodcraft...)

Gallery “Cameo” 11, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 72-48-72; Mob: 893 31-92-66 12:00-19:00 - Cloisonne Art Exhibition Enamel Gallery “Ornament” 7 Erekle II Str. Tel: 98-90-13

MAY 21, 2011

Clubs, Pubs…

20:00 - Nika Kocharov - “Young Georgian Lolitaz” Gia Iashvili - “Sky Diving Penguins” Dima Oganesian - “Nebo SSSR” Nino Togonidze - “Electric Appeal” Plus Special Guests (Ticket Price - 10 GEL) Club “Night Flight” Right Embankment, Under the Baratashvili Bridge Tel: 92-30-16 21:00 - Band “Band’a’roll”, DJ Datuna SkyyBar 22 Metekhi Str. Mob: 892 32-32-32 22:00 - Duet “Georgia”, DJ Basa City Club 22 Metekhi Str. Mob: 892 32-32-32 20:30 - Maidan Jazz Band Restaurant “Maidan” 6, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 75-11-88; 890 75-11-88 22:00 - Resident DJ Tako Lounge Bar “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 22:00 - Disco Party - Khatuna Jalaghonia & Maka Gamkrelidze with David Iluridze Live Band 24:00 - DJ Club “Two Side” 7 Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:00-23:00 - “Kalakuri’s Quartet” - with live performance of city songs, and also universal songs Restaurant “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 22:00 - Merab Sephashvili & DJ Dachi Club “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Georgian songs with live performance Restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” 3, Sanapiro Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Cancan, belly dance, russian and gipsy dances Restaurant “Matryoshka” Hero’s Square, Tel: 365-365 21:00-24:00 - “Cloud Blues Band” Bar “Fahrenheit” 5 Vashlovani Str. Tel: 99-67-72 20:00 - Live Folk Music performance by “EgAri” Restaurant “Maspindzelo” 7, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - The Nali Band Bar “Hangar” 20 Shavteli Str. Tel: 93-10-80; Mob: 899 23-60-69 22:00-01:00 - Group “Comic Condition” Tavern “Scarlet Sails” 25, Leselidze Str. Tel: 93-10-28 21:00 - Guliko Chanturia Cafй “Kala” 8/10 Erekle II Str. Mob: 899 79-97-37 21:00-24:00 - Jazz Band Restaurant “Chardin 12” 12 Chardin Str. Tel: 92-32-38; Mob: 877 52-97-79 21:00-01:00 - Band “Dila” Tavern “Toucan” 8 Kiacheli Str, Tel: 99-65-53, 92-25-54 20:00 - Georgian Folk and Pop Songs, Traditional Georgian Dances (Live Performance) Restaurant “Shadow of Metekhi” 29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - Band “Rustavi 2” (Covers) Pub “Dublin” 8 Akhvlediani Str, Tel: 98-44-67 20:00-23:30 - Piano and Violin (In the Salon Hall); Georgian Civil Music, Quartet (In the Noble Hall) Puris Sakhli 7 Gorgasali Str. Tel: 30-30-30

Cinema Rustaveli Cinema 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 932-253, 555-000 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five”; “Rene is going to Hollywood”; “Thor” 3D; “Born in Georgia”; “Rio” 3D; “Scream 4” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Amirani” Cinema 36 Kostava Str. Tel: 99-99-55 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Sakartvelo” Cinema 2/9, Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 30-80-80; 69-66-47 “Fast Five”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Rio” 3D; (Ticket Price - 6 - 8 GEL) From May 19 in Tbilisi Cinemas “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”

Gabriadze Theatre 13, Shavteli Str. Tel: 98-65-90, 868 78-18-97 18:00 - “Marriage” (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Griboedov Theatre 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 93-11-06 19:00 - “Taxi Driver Givi’s Love Story” (Ticket Price - 7, 10 GEL) Akhmeteli Theatre 8 Vekua Str. Tel: 62-54-37, 62-59-73, 62-61-97 19:00 - “The Engine” (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Ilia University Theatre 32, I. Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: 29-47-15 12:00 - “Then with whom should I play?”

15:00 - “Telephone” - (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Tbilisi Nodar Dumbadze State Central Children’s Theatre 99/1, D. Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 95-78-74, 95-39-27

Gallery 11:00-19:00 - Murtaz Shvelidze’s personal exhibition - “Big Games” Gala Gallery 27 Atoneli Str. Tel: 93-14-18; Mob: 899 42-54-14 12:00-22:00 - Mixed Exhibition of Georgian Artists (paintings, graphics, porcelain, enamel, woodcraft...)

Gallery “Cameo” 11, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 72-48-72; Mob: 893 31-92-66 12:00-19:00 - Cloisonne Art Exhibition Enamel Gallery “Ornament” 7 Erekle II Str. Tel: 98-90-13 10:00-18:00 - Modern Fine and Applied Art Exhibition “Manana Art Saloon” 12, Baratashvili Str. Tel: 93-25-90

MAY 22, 2011

Clubs, Pubs…

21:00-00:30 - The Nali Band American Bar “Hadson & Hooker” 67 Beliashvili Str. Mob: 855 32-83-60 21:00 - Agora Live Band, DJ Datuna SkyyBar 22 Metekhi Str. Mob: 892 32-32-32 20:30 - Georgian folk ensemble “Urmuli”, georgian dances Restaurant “Maidan” 6, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 75-11-88; 890 75-11-88 22:00 - Latino Party - Paata Iluridze Live Band & “Vernisage” Dancers 24:00 - DJ Club “Two Side” 7 Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 20:00-23:00 - “Kalakuri’s Quartet” - with live performance of city songs, and also universal songs Restaurant “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 22:00 - Karaoke Party! Host - Salome Gogiashvili & DJ Dachi Club “Kalakuri” 3 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Georgian songs with live performance Restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” 3, Sanapiro Str. Tel: 365-365 20:00-23:00 - Classic, modern, Russian estrada songs, chansons, romances and gipsy songs Restaurant “Matryoshka” Hero’s Square, Tel: 365-365 21:00-24:00 - Band “Band’a’roll” Bar “Fahrenheit” 5 Vashlovani Str. Tel: 99-67-72 20:00 - Live Folk Music performance by “EgAri” Restaurant “Maspindzelo” 7, Bambis Rigi Str. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00 - Guliko Chanturia Cafй “Kala” 8/10 Erekle II Str. Mob: 899 79-97-37 21:00-24:00 - Jazz Band Restaurant “Chardin 12” 12 Chardin Str. Tel: 92-32-38; Mob: 877 52-97-79 21:00-01:00 - Band “Dila” Tavern “Toucan” 8 Kiacheli Str, Tel: 99-65-53, 92-25-54 20:00 - Georgian Folk and Pop Songs, Traditional Georgian Dances (Live Performance) Restaurant “Shadow of Metekhi” 29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tel: 30-30-30 21:00-24:00 - Band “Rustavi 2” (Covers) Pub “Dublin” 8 Akhvlediani Str, Tel: 98-44-67 20:00-23:30 - Piano and Violin (In the Salon Hall); Georgian Civil Music, Quartet (In the Noble Hall) Puris Sakhli 7 Gorgasali Str. Tel: 30-30-30

Cinema Rustaveli Cinema 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 932-253, 555-000 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five”; “Rene is going to Hollywood”; “Thor” 3D; “Born in Georgia”; “Rio” 3D; “Scream 4” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Amirani” Cinema 36 Kostava Str. Tel: 99-99-55 “Hop”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Fast Five” (Ticket Price - 6 - 11 GEL) “Sakartvelo” Cinema 2/9, Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 30-80-80; 69-66-47 “Fast Five”; “Go Brother, Go”; “Rio” 3D; (Ticket Price - 6 - 8 GEL) From May 19 in Tbilisi Cinemas “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”

Theatre 19:45 - “The Misfortune of Darispan” (Ticket Price - 6 - 12 GEL) Rustaveli Theatre (Grand Stage) 17, Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 72-68-68 20:00 - “Soul on call” Premiere (Ticket Price - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre (Theatre in Attic) 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 20:00 - “Book” (Ticket Price - 4 - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 19:00 - “God! Save us and People” (Ticket Price - 5, 10 GEL) Liberty Theatre 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 98-58-21 20:00 - “Forbidden Games” (Ticket Price - 10 GEL) V. Abashidze State Music and Drama Theatre 182 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 34-80-90 19:15 - “The Battle of Stalingrad” +12 (in russian) (Ticket Price - 5, 8, 10, 15 GEL) Gabriadze Theatre 13, Shavteli Str. Tel: 98-65-90, 868 78-18-97 12:00, 14:00 - “Scarlet Flower” (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Griboedov Theatre 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 93-11-06 19:00 - “Perfidy and Love” (Ticket Price - 7, 10 GEL) Akhmeteli Theatre 8 Vekua Str. Tel: 62-54-37, 62-59-73, 62-61-97 19:00 - “The Dream and the Reality + Bidzina Makharadze” - (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Pantomime Theatre 37 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 99-63-14 19:00 - “Somebody else’s wife and husband under the bed” - (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Ilia University Theatre 32, I. Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: 29-47-15 12:00 - “The Little Red Riding Hood and the Sucking Pig” 15:00 - “The Ransom of Red Chief” - (Ticket Price - 5 GEL) Tbilisi Nodar Dumbadze State Central Children’s Theatre 99/1, D. Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 95-78-74, 95-39-27

Theatre 19:45 - “Play Strindberg” (Ticket Price - 10 GEL) Rustaveli Theatre (Grand Stage) 17, Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 72-68-68 20:00 - “Extravaganza” (Finger Theatre) (Ticket Price - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre (Theatre in Attic) 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 20:00 - “The Art” (Ticket Price - 4 - 11 GEL) Marjanishvili Theatre 8 Marjanishvili Str. Tel: 955-966 20:00 - “I Love You, I Love You, I Love You” (Ticket Price - 5, 10, 15 GEL) Liberty Theatre 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 98-58-21 20:00 - “Forbidden Games” (Ticket Price - 10 GEL) V. Abashidze State Music and Drama Theatre 182 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 34-80-90 19:15 - “The Battle of Stalingrad” +12 (in russian) (Ticket Price - 5, 8, 10, 15 GEL)

Gallery 11:00-19:00 - Murtaz Shvelidze’s personal exhibition - “Big Games” Gala Gallery 27 Atoneli Str. Tel: 93-14-18; Mob: 899 42-54-14 12:00-22:00 - Mixed Exhibition of Georgian Artists (paintings, graphics, porcelain, enamel, woodcraft...)

Gallery “Cameo” 11, Rkinis Rigi Str. Tel: 72-48-72; Mob: 893 31-92-66 12:00-19:00 - Cloisonne Art Exhibition Enamel Gallery “Ornament” 7 Erekle II Str. Tel: 98-90-13 10:00-18:00 - Modern Fine and Applied Art Exhibition “Manana Art Saloon” 12, Baratashvili Str. Tel: 93-25-90

www.info-tbilisi.com E-mail: afisha@info-tbilisi.com

CMYK

16

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

green business 16 Rustaveli Ave. 17 Akhvlediani Str.

146 Agmashenebeli Ave., T/Fax: +91 02 49 Email: info@kenari.ge

Tel: 519 966

Trend: Hotels in Georgia Cut Energy Consumption The FINANCIAL

15 Lubliana Str., Tel: 51 00 01; Fax: 53 00 44 info@zarapxana.ge www.zarapxana.ge

78 Chavchavadze ave.; Tel.: 225 626 / 235 626; reception@primefitness.ge

1 Brother Kakabadze Str., Tel: 92 29 45; Fax: 92 29 46; tk@mcdonalds.ge

37 Chavchavadze Ave.; Tel.: 91 30 26; 91 30 76

5 Chavchavadze Ave., Tel: 22 44 17; 8 77 22 99 22 plasticsurgerygeo.com

3 Vashlovani Str.; (“Super Babilon” oposit) Tel.: 98 90 86

HOTEL “O. GALOGRE”

KALAKURI

13 Shavteli Str. Tel: 365 365 www.gmcgroup.ge

43 Abashidze Str. Tel: 22 60 18

For advertising please contact: 877 741 700 marketing@finchannel.com

FINANCIAL

8, VAKHTANG GORGASALI STR. BATUMI GEORGIA Tel: 888 222 7 48 45 info@hotelgalogre.com www.hotelgalogre.com

M

ost of the leading hotels in Georgia have reduced energy consumption, mostly use of electricity.

As hotel representatives say, they don’t use solar energy yet, but they are actively promoting linen and towel re-use programmes helping to reduce energy use.

“Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel has significantly reduced energy consumption in order to make the hotel more green,” Atakan Turhan, General Manager of the Hotel, told us.

“We have improved a lot, saving energy since the opening of the hotel. Our building has an automation system.

Now we have an intelligent building. We have decreased energy consumption by 40% with better management and optimization. This environmental protection system is one of the focuses of our hotel chain. We have to report the consumption of utilities to our head office every month and we have to come up with different resource-saving activities,” Turhan said.

“We have to make sure that we are consuming less and less energy and are improving our efficiency. We spend a great deal of time on this issue. Return on investment is evident in our saving money and also using less energy resources.

It’s good for the environment around us, it’s good for the resources of the country and thus

we spend a lot of time on this issue. It’s called being a responsible business that is a part of the responsible business programme that the Rezidor Hotel Group has,” Turhan said.

The Marriott Hotels in Georgia have reduced energy consumption by about 8-12%.

As its officials note, the Hotel doesn’t use solar energy for heating yet but they actively participate in linen and towel re-use programmes.

“In each guest room there are special notes that inform guests what procedures they should follow in the case that they are willing to help us reduce energy consumption. We have special motion detectors at our hotel and water savers,” said Elene Baratashvili, PR and Marketing Coordinator at the Marriott Hotels.

Another 5 star hotel, the Sheraton Metekhi Palace Hotel, has calculated the savings it has made since a policy of energy efficiency was introduced: “Electricity savings - 678,989 kw/h, equal to the usage of 71 5person families for a period of 12 months, or 28 kindergartens with 50 children for a period of 12 months; Natural gas savings - 46,364 m3, equal to the usage of 26 5-person families for a period of 12 months; Water savings - 19,417 m3, equal to the usage of 231 5-person families over a period of 12 months, or 720 kindergartens with 50 children for a period of 12 months,” said Nino Isakadze Complex Sales & Marketing Administrative Manager of the Sheraton Metekhi Palace Hotel.

“Our hotel has been separating and recycling its waste since 2010. We don’t use solar energy at the moment. We have a linen change programme and we have green notes for the guests to avoid energy wastage. Our hotel doesn’t have automatic taps and electricity, but Sheraton Metechi Palace started full renovation and is planning to have low flow taps, oxygen shower heads and LED light bulbs, as well as a special key system for electricity in the rooms,” Isakadze noted.

According to the Marriott Hotels’ representatives, they use energy-efficient light bulbs and environmentally responsible cleaners.

“Green Hotels are environmentally-friendly properties whose managers are eager to institute programmes that save water, save energy and reduce solid waste while saving money to help protect our one and only earth,” said the Green Hotels Association.

According to the Green Hotels Association, being green means guests, staff and management are healthier. There’s just no doubt that when odours, fumes, soot, droplets and residues of toxic, poisonous chemicals are not in the air, on our food or on anything we touch, we are not absorbing or breathing them. Sooner or later all properties will be sold, and any green property will demand a higher price because its value is much enhanced by lower utility bills per square foot, its healthier aspects and owner care.

BUSINESSTRAVELCOM

HOTTEST TOURS

TEL: 999662

Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel Rose Revolution Square 1 T: +995 32 402 200; F: +995 32 402 201 info.tbilisi@radissonblu.com radissonblu.com/hotel-tbilisi

Tel: 439494 Addr: 13 Shavteli Str. info@ambasadori.ge; www.ambasadori.ge

Tel: (+995 32) 50 99 99 Mob: (+995 95) 25 99 99 D.Agmashenebeli ave.#154 www.green-office.ge

Red Café- Tel: 201 211 info@redcafe.ge # 71 Vazha-phavela Ave.

13, Rustaveli Avenue.; Tel.: +995 32 779 200 www.TbilisiMarriott.com tbilisi.marriott@marriotthotels.com

4, Freedom Square, Tel: +995 32 779 100 www.CourtyardTbilisi.com courtyard.tbilisi@marriotthotels.com

Tel: (+995 32) 77 20 20 Fax: (+995 32) 77 21 20 Addr: 20 Telavi Str. www.sheraton.com/tbilisi

GEORGIA PALACE HOTEL

Tel: (+995 32) 242400 Fax: (+995 32) 242403 Kobuleti, Georgia E-mail: info@gph.ge www.gph.ge Addr: 275 Agmashenebeli Ave.

Berika International LTD GSA for Czech Airlines in Georgia Phone: +995 32 227941 Fax: +995 32 222941

Tel: (+995 32) 988 988 Fax: (+995 32) 988 910 E-mail:gmt@gmt.ge www.gmt.ge Addr: 4 Freedom Square

Georgian Real Estate Management The Green Building, 6 Marjanishvili Street, 0102 Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia Tel: (+995 32) 43 30 77 Fax: (+995 32) 43 30 79 www.firstbrokerage.ge E-mail: info@firstbrokerage.ge

The tickets are available at tbilisi international airport freedom square 4 courtyard marriott hotel, 1st floor Tel: 400 400; 400 040

36 Al. Kazbegi ave. Tbilisi, 0177, Georgia Tel/Fax: 29 43 43 info@intercontinental.ge www.intercontinental.ge

www.sheraton.com/tbilisi

LUCA POLARE

LE MARAIS

THAI

Addr: # 12 Eristavi Str. (at the round garden) # 34 Leselidze Str. Phone: 99 03 99 8 74 74 25 25 info@lucapolare.com www.lucapolare.com

32 Abashidze Str. Tel: (+995 32) 22 40 83

Addr: # 35 Abashidze Str. Phone: 22 17 70 www.thai.ge

Tel: 888 222 2900

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011

17

green business

IF YOU DON’T PRESERVE NATURE BY USING LOW-WATTAGE BULBS, WHO WILL? Today, with simple everyday actions, everyone can help preserve the environment and save power at the same time.

Ad by EDF. www. particuliers.edf.fr

CMYK

18

green business

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

Advertiser: The FINANCIAL. Contact FINANCIAL Ad Dep at marketing@finchannel.com

CMYK

FINANCIAL HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS FINCHANNEL.COM | MAY 16. 2011 SANCHO

23, Akhvlediani Str. Tel: (+995 32) 982598

SANTA FE

20, Akhvlediani Str. Tel: (+995 32) 935848

COFFEE GE

27, Abashidze Str. Tel: (+995 32) 225066

TOUKAN

8, Kiacheli Str. Tel: (+995 32) 996553

SCAN TO READ IN MOBILE Restaurants in Tbilisi

PREGO

2, Vazha pshavela Ave. Tel: 373610 7, Paliashvili Str. Tel: 25 22 58 25, Tarkhnishvili Str. Tel: 25 25 16

19

| places we strongly reccommend to visit | DISCOVERY

PICASSO

Hangar Bar

VERA STEAKHOUSE

SEGAFREDO ZANETTI ESPRESSO

TSISKVILI

37, Kostava Str. Tel: (+995 32) 983767

26, Chavchavadze Ave Tel: (+995 32) 223677

DUBLIN IRISH PUB

BUFFALO BILL

SIANG-GAN

40, Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 294230

13 Taktakishvili Str. Tel: 891198398 20 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 891193968 19 Petriashvili Str; 7 Pekini Str.

8, Akhvlediani Str. Tel: (+995 32) 984467

Belle Ville

4, Vashlovani Str. Tel: (+995 32) 989086

16, Akhvlediani Str. Tel: (+995 32) 936052

# 20 Shavteli Str. Tel: (+995 32) 93 10 80

Beliashvili Str. Tel: (+995 32) 530797

41, Gamsakhurdia Str. Tel: (+995 32) 379688

Better seen than heard

ENGLISH TEE HOUSE

26, l.Kiacheli Str. Tel: (+995 32) 93 65 53

French - European bar-restaurant Pleasant and cozy atmosphere High quality service, live music every day

4

2 24/

Better seen than heard

Entree

dining

DONUTS

10/12, Abashidze Str. Tel: (+995 32) 253985

5, Marjanishvili Str. Tel: (+995 32) 941620 32, Paliashvili Str. Tel: (+995 32) 221109

4 Freedom Square, Tel: 54 70 30 E-mail: tbilisi.fs@citadines.com

Prospero’s Books 34, Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 923 592

www.citadines.com

DZVELI SAKHLI

LITERATURULI CAFÉ 64, Paliashvili Str. Tel: (+995 32) 250669

2, Tarkhnishvili Str. Tel: (+995 32) 444546 31, Pekini Str. Tel: (+995 32) 313057 22, Abashidze Str. Tel: (+995 32) 220276 36, Kostava Str. Tel: (+995 32) 990746

3 Mtkvari Right Embankment.

Tel: 365 365 www.gmcgroup.ge

CMYK

20

green business

HEADLINE NEWS & ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL

MAY 16. 2011 | FINCHANNEL.COM

Advertiser: Wissol. Contact FINANCIAL Ad Dep at marketing@finchannel.com