For Immediate Release:

Kellen Europe Discusses New Policies Impact on U.S. Trade Associations in Europe

Washington, D.C. (November 18th,  2008) —With the European political landscape focusing more on regulatory

activities and self-regulation by industry, American -associations will want to become more pro-active in their

understanding and monitoring of the European policy initiatives if they plan on expanding their activities overseas,

 a Kellen Company executive and trade association expert said Friday.

“Associations must take an international approach to business, therefore creating a European presence that will

stay vigilant and informed of the policy developments during the next two years of political changes due to the

forthcoming European elections ” said Maria Teresa Scardigli, vice president with Kellen Europe in Brussels, which

is part of the Kellen Company – a professional services and association management firm managing more than 80

companies globally, and one of the featured speakers at ASAE’s program, Europe Today: What Associations Need to

Know – The 2008 update.  “There will be real opportunities for globally savvy association executives who can

establish their presence in foreign markets.”

Scardigli, and Seppo Nurmi, deputy head of the trade section of the Delegation of the European Commission to the US,

 based in Washington, DC, gave an informative presentation to approximately 80 association professionals at the ASAE

 offices in the nation’s capital on Nov. 14 about how emerging political developments and policy issues in Europe

will affect the way U.S. organizations conduct business internationally. 

Scardigli, an expert in the association management industry, provided inside information on the European

Transparency Initiative and the new European chemical policy: REACH (the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization

and Restriction of CHemicals.) and advised on how to best comply with these initiatives. Scardigli said:

“It is important that interest representation in the US are advised on the benefits and possible implications

of compliance to these European initiatives”.

Nurmi focused on how a new president in the White House and the global economic crisis has and will impact

existing and future political relationships between the U.S. and E.U. and international trade trends moving

forward.

“The internationalization of policy issues and association activities create an increasing need for association

executives to enhance their ability to deal with this ever changing environment. ASAE and ESAE (the European

Society of Association Executives)- are the perfect fora for association executives to learn and share best

practices and knowledge,” Scardigli, who is also a board member of ESAE, said.

The ASAE program, in its last leg of a three-part series, was sponsored by ‘Brussels International’,

the Brussels Convention bureau. in collaboration with Kellen Company..

About Kellen Company
Kellen Company currently serves more than 100 client associations representing over 10,000 companies from

its five offices worldwide.  Among the services Kellen offers are association management, government affairs,

public relations, strategic advice, meetings management, creative communications and Web site development and

marketing.

Kellen Company is the premier global association management firm with offices and representation in the United

States, Europe, China, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.  For more information, visit www.kelleneurope.com

and/or www.kellencompany.com.

Contact:

Nele Devolder

Kellen Europe

+32 2 761 16 00