CNN to sponsor "Best of European Business 2006/2007"

CNN, the world's leading international news network, is to be the international media partner for the 2006/7 Best of European Business Awards. Best of European Business (BEB) is being organized by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, the only global top management consultancy with European origins. This initiative is being conducted in the ten strongest European economies (Denmark, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland) together with academic and media partners from each of these countries.

The final event will take place in Brussels on March 15 and 16, 2007. The awards will be presented at the European Business Summit to be held on March 15, which brings together 2,500 senior figures in European business and government. In 2007 the event will be commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the European Economic Community.

In 2007, the BEB awards will recognize the most successful companies in Europe, judging them in three categories "growth", "Europeanness", i.e. making the most of business opportunities in Europe, and "cross-border mergers and acquisitions".

Winners of the European awards are drawn from ten European countries. These are chosen in national competitions in each of those countries by a high-powered panel of senior business leaders, academics and national media partners. Initial selection for the short list is made by Roland Berger consultants, based on strict quantitative and qualitative guidelines. In 2006, the winner of the European Grand Prix was UBS, the financial services group.

Torsten Oltmanns, Global Marketing Director of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants said: "We are delighted to have an organization with the global reach and reputation of CNN supporting these awards. Its increasingly authoritative business coverage makes it a worthy partner for Europe's premier business awards."

Mark Haviland, CNN Director of Marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa added: "CNN International's programming has strong business content and we see this partnership with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants as a great way to cement our credentials in front of a core European business audience."

At the European level, CNN International is the exclusive sponsor of the awards. In addition, there are media partners for each of the national competitions.

For further information, visit:
www.best-of-european-business.com   or call CNN Justine Bower (+44 207 693 0968) or the Roland Berger Strategy Consultants press department (+49 89 9230 8349).