Global Academic Conference on Emerging Markets hosted at NMMU Business School

The 2013 Annual Conference of the Emerging Markets Conference Board was held on 19-20 June 2013 at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in sunny Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

A doctoral consortium preceded the conference on 17-18 June 2013, allowing South African doctoral students to gain insights into cutting-edge research through personal interactions with some of the world’s top marketing academics (http://www.emcbconference2013.com/faculty.php).

The exciting programme included Amitava Chattopadhyay, the author of the current Strategy + Business book of the year, three of the seven scholars recognised in the SAGE press “Legends in Marketing” series, several high impact scholars doing exciting research on online and offline social networks and Base of the Pyramid consumers, as well as Dutch academic JB Steenkamp presented his new book (Brand Breakout with Nirmalya Kumar from LBS), less than 24 hours after its worldwide launch by Palgrave MacMillan.

The two-day conference provided:

A platform for showcasing and sharing insights and findings on marketing in emerging economies,

A meeting place where scholars from around the globe could explore collaboration and cooperation,

New impetus to shape the agenda concerning research on marketing in emerging economies, and

A developmental environment where novice researchers could gain new skills.

Leading authorities in marketing science and practice delivered papers and participated in special sessions on a wide variety of topics that address issues of importance to marketers, consumers, and policymakers. Industry speakers included Mr S. P.Shukla, a member of the Group Executive Board at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and as President is responsible for Group Strategy and the Defense Sector and Mr Gerald Mahinda, Managing Director of Brandhouse.

The conference was nominally co-sponsored by most of the world’s leading academic marketing associations and with the assistance of our international partners, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Rutgers University Business School, Georgia Institute of Technology CIBER and the Georgia State University. The NMMU International Office provided free housing to 12 of the doctoral fellows. In addition to the stimulating intellectual and social opportunities, delegates experienced the Eastern Cape flora and fauna.

The Annual Conference of the Emerging Markets Conference Board returns to the Indian Institute of Management in 2014 (at the NOIDA campus on the outskirts of Delhi) and then moves to Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2015.

The conference was promoted extensively on all of the sponsoring association websites during 2012 and 2013, increasing the international visibility and prestige of the School considerably. The conference was also covered by local media, such as this SABC News report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hczihy7DCi4&feature=youtu.be