The Brand Ukraine International Conference is Ukraine’s flagship annual event on country’s global image and reputation. Taking place in Kyiv — at the heart of Europe’s fight for freedom and resilience — this year’s conference will explore how values become a country’s strategic asset and a national security toolkit in the times of unprecedented geopolitical challenges.
If you work in place branding, government, diplomacy, international business, or communications — this is the must-attend event of the year. Expect inspiring world-class keynotes, high-level networking with decision-makers and thought leaders, and practical tools you can take back to your work the next day.
Nb! On September 13, the tickets cost will increase by 30%
Country Brand
as a Shield: Values Guarding
National Security
Working language: English
Simultaneous interpretation will be available at the event
Ukrainian national anthem performed by the opera ensemble from the Cultural Forces of Ukraine: Yurii Ivaskevych, Stanislav Pashchuk, Pavlo Hryshchenko, Nazarii Yatskiv, Artem Brazhnyk, and Ihor Mikhnevych
Official welcome and opening remarks from:
What does it mean to have a country’s brand as a shield when one stands on the frontline of the world’s fight for freedom and truth?
In a world where wars are fought not only with weapons but with words and meanings, Serhii Zhadan delivers a powerful reflection on Ukraine’s lived values — and why they must be seen, known, and understood globally.
This is a poet’s front-line manifesto: about why it matters what the world thinks of your country when your nation is under attack. A deeply personal and fiercely universal keynote — a call to understand what Ukraine stands for — and why it matters for the world.
Speaker:
In today’s volatile world, a country’s image is more than a soft power asset — it can shape alliances, mobilize societies, and even bolster defense. This high-level panel will explore how place branding can become a tool for both soft and hard power — especially in times of existential threat, and why values-driven leadership matter on the world stage — now more than ever.
Participants:
Reputation Lab — a leading international advisory firm dedicated to managing and enhancing the most critical intangible assets: reputation and brand — presents exclusive insights into how Ukraine’s reputation is perceived worldwide.
The session will highlight key strengths, challenges, and global reputation drivers for Ukraine — and explore how perception fuels foreign investment, export growth, and global opportunities for Ukrainian businesses.
Participants:
Despite the high level of emotional support for our country worldwide, the real reputational foundation remains vulnerable due to a gap with specific reputation attributes that ensure Ukraine’s long-term standing in the world. Today, Ukraine is in the spotlight of international attention: any event, success, or crisis instantly becomes part of the global information agenda and influences our reputation.
This panel discussion seeks answers to questions vital for Ukraine’s future:
How can we move from predominantly emotional perception to a clear, measurable reputational foundation?
Which reputation attributes should Ukraine focus on today to strengthen its global image tomorrow?
How can we, through joint efforts, create positive news drivers and counter those that damage the country’s image?
Participants:
moderator:
World-renowned historian, propaganda researcher, and Professor of Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California, Nicholas J. Cull in a live on-stage dialogue with Maryna Dadinova, Program Director at BRAND UKRAINE, will explore how countries can defend their image in an era of hybrid threats and global instability and share insights from his latest book "Reputational Security: Refocusing Public Diplomacy for a Dangerous World”.
Speaker:
Moderator:
PRo Toolkit Workshop (for Standard tickets holders) — three intensive 30-minute TED-style talks from international and Ukrainian communications leaders, offering practical tools for crafting stories that work on a global scale:
Stories that interest international media and the world — secrets to creating stories that capture the attention of global media while meeting the real needs of international audiences.
Speaker:
Scenario thinking: shaping meaning, not just attractive wrappers — an approach that builds communications from ideas and values to forms that resonate and mobilize audiences.
Speakers:
Visual storytelling — how visual and lighting solutions create emotion and memory, turning ideas into lasting impressions for the audience.
Speaker:
International Workshop "Export strategies that work" (for Business tickets holders only) — practical cases and a dynamic exchange of experience for exporters:
Flash insights from Reputation Lab — global data on the perception of Ukrainian goods and services abroad, willingness to buy, and key trust drivers.
presenters:
International cases — how countries with strong reputations turn global trust into export growth.
presenters: TBC
Tools from the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development — support programs and opportunities for entering foreign markets.
presenter:
Ukrainian exporters’ stories — honest stories of challenges, breakthroughs, and real results in new markets.
presenters:
moderator of the workshop:
Mykolai Serga will talk about how Ukraine is rethinking its values in the context of war: in the fight for freedom, a new military culture is emerging — without militarism, but also without pacifism, open to change and the future. Ukraine is ready to share this experience, shaping a new perception of itself in the world. This is evidenced by the work of Cultural Forces.
Presenter:
A charitable auction with unique lots will be accompanied by a live music program in partnership with the Cultural Forces of Ukraine, featuring Jerry Heil and performances by Taras Stolyar, Ivan Tkalenko, and Orchestra 59. All the proceeds will support the work of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
As night falls, the very building that hosts our conference will unveil a hidden dimension. Guests will be invited to step outside and see the familiar venue reborn as a living canvas—its walls animated through 3D projection, weaving light and sound into an unexpected artistic performance.
This immersive experience reimagines the conference’s theme of values, country brand, and shield, turning it into a sensory journey where light embodies resilience, sound reflects unity, and together they form a luminous shield of shared strength.
The venue itself will guard the night with a story told not in words, but in light.
The evening reception and networking will offer guests a chance to connect in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying a selection of traditional Ukrainian cuisine, showcasing the rich flavors and culinary heritage of the country.
Speakers & Artists
Kata Varblane
Nicholas J. Cull
Oleksandra Matviichuk
Maria Lypiatska
Vineta Kleine
Fernando Prado Abuín
Natalia Arenzana Arias
Serhii Zhadan
Jerry Heil
Mykola Kabluka
Mykolai Serga
oleksii hrushetskyi
oksana Donska
Board Member, Ukrainian Furniture Manufacturers Association
Maryna Vasylieva
Director, СSO «Export Alliance Ukrainian Wedding Dresses», YEDYNA wedding brand owner
Serhii Klimov
Ukrainian wine ambassador, owner of “Uwines” Ukrainian wine bar
Kyrylo cherednichenko
Advisor, The Independent Association of Ukrainian Banks (IABU)
iryna shyba
Deputy Head, EUACI
Perry Boyle
Co-founder and CEO of MITS Capital
Andrii Teliupa
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine