The Annual Fellows and Chartered Marketers' Forum organized by The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region was held on 16th November, 2009 at the Atrium Lobby, Cinnamon Grand Colombo. The Chief Guest at the ceremony was Mr. Bernard Savage, Head of Delegation of The European Commission to Sri Lanka and The Maldives; and the Guest of Honour was Mr. Chris Daly, Director of Membership, CIM UK. The Principal Sponsor of the event was Ceylinco Life.

Mr. Chris Daly, Director of Membershjip CIM, UK adressing at the forum

The Fellows & Chartered Marketers' Forum is one of the elite events in The Institute's calendar and is an exclusive event open for the senior members of The Institute. At this year's Fellows and Chartered Marketers' Forum, 52 new Chartered Marketers were invested while 3 senior marketers, namely, Dr. Uditha Liyanage, Mr. Hemaka Amarasuriya and Mr. Deepal Sooriyaarachchi, were recognized for their leadership in the spheres of Academia, Innovation in Business and Social Responsibility, respectively; which has contributed towards uplifting the profile of the marketing profession in Sri Lanka.

"Times of economic turbulence such as we are facing today give Marketers great opportunities to provide the spark to reignite business growth and bring a sense of optimism and hope to organisations - it is an opportune time to cement the strategic importance of Marketing in business." said Mr. Amal Cabraal, while congratulating the new Chartered Marketers.

Adding to Mr. Cabraal's message, the Guest of Honour, Mr. Chris Daly, Director of Membership of CIM UK, said " whilst unqualified and untrained marketers may help an organisation to muddle through the difficult times, it is professional marketers, those who are properly trained and qualified in marketing, who will spot the strategic opportunities and deliver real value for their organisations. The need for professional marketers rather than well-meaning amateurs has never been clearer."

In hindsight with the global economic melt down, the recent lift of GSP+ and its impact on the Sri Lankan economy, which has been a talking point in recent times, Mr. Bernard Savage, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Sri Lanka and The Maldives enlightened the participants on the role of the European Commission and the role of marketers in rejuvenating the economic development of the country.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK was granted the Royal Assent by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, in 1998, to offer the 'Chartered' status to members who are committed to The Institute's Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme. Nearly 5000 CIM members in over 80 countries around the world hold this elite status; while there are over 218 Chartered Marketers in Sri Lanka.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the world's largest and most prestigious professional body for marketing and The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region is the fastest growing CIM body. For four consecutive years, The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region has been able to secure the coveted Best Region Award presented by CIM, UK in recognition of the excellent value created towards its membership and the business fraternity.