V+O Group | SEC Newgate
When international lighting leader Zumtobel Group chose Niš as the location for its new production facility for luminaires and components, the opportunity extended well beyond a ribbon-cutting. For a foreign investor entering the Serbian market, the stakes were high: building genuine credibility with local communities, overcoming deeply held skepticism about foreign employers, and establishing Zumtobel Group as a responsible, long-term presence in the region — all while introducing the brand and its product portfolio to a new market for the first time.
V+O developed the creative concept “Lights ON” — a framework that was at once literal and symbolic. The core idea was simple and powerful: the opening of this factory would bring real light to the region, through significant investment, 1,500 new jobs, and tangible local economic development. This concept was woven through every element of the event and all communication with media and stakeholders, creating a coherent narrative that was celebratory, grounded, and community-facing. V+O took full ownership of the communication strategy, creative direction, event organization, high-level protocol management, and media relations — coordinating more than 50 subcontractors across 16 different companies to deliver a seamless, high-impact activation worthy of the occasion.
The grand opening drew the highest levels of institutional attendance, with the President of the Republic of Serbia, four government ministers, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, and the Mayor of Niš among the ten senior officials present, alongside over 100 VIP guests. More than 100 media representatives attended in person, generating over 500 media announcements and delivering broad, sustained coverage across the country. The event successfully introduced Zumtobel Group to the Serbian public on its own terms — as an investor that brings not just infrastructure, but opportunity, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to the communities it enters.
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