The CEE Forum

The CEE Forum is the premier annual gathering of the Central and Eastern European capital markets and macroeconomic policy community, hosted by FT Live and bringing together finance ministers, central bank governors, sovereign issuers, leading banks, corporates and global investors for two days of focused dialogue.

What happens

A two-day programme combines main-stage interviews and policy discussions with parallel sessions covering sovereign debt issuance, infrastructure funding, capital markets development, banking sector dynamics and the macroeconomic outlook for the CEE region. The FT Live format brings unusually senior public-sector participation with finance ministers and central bank governors engaging in moderated dialogue alongside the leading private-sector capital markets and investment community. The format is deliberately concentrated and conversational rather than vendor-driven, with content oriented toward strategic and policy-level discussion. Closed dinners and small-group sessions extend the agenda into off-record policy dialogue.

Who attends

The audience reflects the FT's positioning at the senior end of CEE capital markets: finance ministers and senior treasury officials from CEE governments, governors and senior leadership from CEE central banks, senior leadership from CEE banks and the regional offices of major international banks, sovereign and corporate issuers active in CEE debt markets, institutional investors from across Europe, the UK and increasingly North America and Asia with CEE allocation, and senior leadership from international financial institutions including the EBRD and EIB active in CEE infrastructure financing. The audience of around 2,500 is unusually senior across both public and private sectors.

Dominant themes

The agenda each year tracks the strategic priorities of CEE capital markets: the macroeconomic outlook for the region under shifting global interest-rate environments, sovereign debt issuance strategy and investor demand dynamics across CEE markets, infrastructure financing including the role of EU structural funds and emerging green and sustainable finance frameworks, capital markets development across CEE countries with varying degrees of market maturity, the evolution of CEE banking sectors including the practical implications of European regulatory developments, and the geopolitical environment affecting CEE investment dynamics. ESG-related debt issuance and the role of sustainability-linked instruments feature consistently.

Planning to attend

Vienna is well-connected by air to most European, Middle Eastern and Asian hubs and the city's central district is walkable for most conference attendees. Hotel supply is plentiful but pricing rises during conference week. The FT Live audience profile means after-hours and small-group time is unusually high-value; combining main-conference attendance with sponsored receptions and dinners is essential. The conference language is English. International visitors should plan around the Vienna winter weather conditions of the January timeframe.

Use the expense calculator below to estimate the total cost of attending — registration, flights, hotels, meals, and ground transport.