You are warmly invited to attend the first ever GEM Global Forum, a major conference centered on the issue of entrepreneurship and its role in economic development. The Forum will mark the launch of the annual Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report and will be held in London on the 10th & 11th January 2007.

The Forum will be a gathering of global thought, business and policy leaders around the central issue of entrepreneurship and its role in economic development - a key GEM theme. High profile global speakers from across the spectrum of entrepreneurial activity will lead the debate including the Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, UK Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; Robert Davies, CEO, IBLF; David Pitt Watson, MD, Hermes; Ben Verwaayen, CEO, BT; EU's Deputy Commissioner for Enterprise, Françoise le Bail; Jean-Philippe Cotis, OECD Chief Economist; John Page, the World Bank's Chief Economist for Africa, Sir Ronald Cohen, Chairman, Bridges Community Ventures, Vernon Ellis, International Chairman, Acccenture and Lord Karan Billimoria, CEO, Cobra Beer. The event will include:

• The launch of the GEM Global report
• Keynote speeches from internationally recognised speakers
• Parallel sessions on entrepreneurship policy in different global regions led by leading GEM researchers
• Parallel sessions on themes in entrepreneurship policy, research and practice such as social entrepreneurship, women's entrepreneurship and economic entrepreneurship with business and thought leaders participating in each
• Open Space Forum - for discussing entrepreneurship hot topics
• The Big Debate: All Innovations Happen in Large Companies. Entrepreneurs are just Cowboys
• A Reception and Gala Dinner hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship at Lancaster House.

For the full programme or to book online go to www.gemconsortium.org or email gem@london.edu.