M3 Communications Group, Inc., with CEO Mr. Maxim Behar, cooperated with the independent Bulgarian media Standard in organizing the first international forum in Bulgaria called Culture and Business - Together in the Digital World, which was held in the capital Sofia. The forum with a focus on the new opportunities for digitalization of the cultural heritage in Bulgaria was supported by the participation of the European Commission, the Ministry of Culture, the media and business. Among the honored guests and speakers of the event were Maria Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation, Culture, Education and Youth, Velislav Minekov, Minister of Culture, Iskra Mihaylova, MEP and Deputy Chair of the Renew Europe Parliamentary Group, Piet Jaspert, Vice-President of Europa Nostra and others.

Maxim Behar, CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc. and moderator of the Forum shared: “The past and the future are two different and at the same time similar concepts. When we talk about business, we are also talking about culture, about the preserved heritage that we pass on to future generations. Success lies in good business and a well-preserved culture.”

The event took place under the auspices of the Wonders of Bulgaria Foundation and the largest non-governmental organization for the protection of European cultural heritage - Europa Nostra. The program of the first edition of “Culture and Business - Together in the Digital World" consisted of an official part, moderated by Mr. Behar, and the discussions took place in two panels, which presented the opportunities for digitalization of the regions and introduced the new European Bauhaus initiative - a project to integrate science and technology. The moderator in the first panel was the MEP Iskra Mihaylova, and in the second panel for business and science in the digital world - Martin Zahariev, Vice Chairman of the Management Board of the National Board of Tourism. The main topic in both parts of the forum was the cooperation between business, culture and regions.

As part of the forum, a total of six young talents in the field of art, science and culture were awarded for their contribution to the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria. The award for young talent in category Theater Stage was presented to Pavel Ivanov from the National Theater "Ivan Vazov", in category Opera Stage the award went to Atanas Mladenov from the National Opera in Sofia, and Mirjana Todorova - a young artist working in the US and Europe, received an award in the category Art of the Future. The presentation of Stefan Hadzhistoykov, Viktor Kolev and Teodor Kirilov from the Sofia High School of Mathematics, who were awarded for their work in the field of mathematics, artificial intelligence and bioinformatics, was brilliant.

The highlight of the forum was the awarding ceremony of the top 3 mayors leading projects for digitalization of cultural heritage, which set a good example in this direction. The awards went to Sofia Municipality, Burgas Municipality and Petrich Municipality.

A recording of the whole event can be viewed here.