Pavel Takush, CEO of Justin Joy and organizer of the HR Synergy Forum 2024, is set to bring Cyprus one of the largest HR networking events to date for expat professionals.
Scheduled for October 30-31 in Limassol, this forum was inspired by the success of smaller HR meetups on the island. As a growing business hub, Cyprus is now attracting international attention, especially among Russian-speaking professionals, who will benefit from targeted discussions in their native language.
The forum will feature over thirty experts from fields like GameDev, FinTech, Entertainment, and IT, providing practical insights into recruitment, team-building, and HR innovation. By focusing on Russian-speaking expats, Takush aims to address the unique challenges facing relocated professionals and companies adapting to the island.
This two-day event includes panels, workshops, and coaching sessions, offering attendees both knowledge and actionable strategies. Networking will be a key component, with participants from Poland, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Serbia attending.
Takush sees this as an opportunity to establish Cyprus as a central hub for professional collaboration across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The event reflects his belief that Cyprus can become a thriving centre for HR and other business sectors, driven by community engagement and knowledge-sharing.
Can you tell us about the journey that led you to organize an HR forum in Cyprus?
The idea of the forum had been in the air for some time. We started with small HR meetups on the island, which gradually attracted more participants. It soon became clear that there was a demand for a larger event.
Our agency, Justin Joy, has extensive experience organizing major business events, though on the island, we primarily worked with corporate events and team-building. But with recent waves of relocation, interest in business networking events has grown significantly.
When Polina Kapitonova joined as our forum ambassador, bringing strong expertise and credibility, we had everything needed to attract both local and international professionals. Our goal now is to raise the HR brand of Cyprus as a whole.
Why did you choose to focus on the Russian-speaking expat community and conduct the forum in Russian?
At first, we considered an English-language event with translation to attract a broader audience. However, we ultimately wanted to create engaging discussions, and hosting the forum in Russian allows for deeper and more precise exchanges, particularly on professional topics.
It also offers a chance to focus on the unique challenges facing HR expats and those working with international companies, managing relocation, and employee adaptation to life in Cyprus.
Tell us more about the program of the HR Synergy Forum and what the audience should expect?
We worked hard to make this forum a breakthrough event. The program is filled with presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and coaching sessions. We’ve invited experts from various fields: GameDev, FinTech, Entertainment, and IT & App.
These speakers bring experience from global markets, including Cyprus. More than thirty experts who have solved complex problems in their fields, whether in IT, GameDev, FinTech, or beyond are speaking. The forum will showcase recruitment strategies, secrets of building international teams, and emerging trends that are reshaping HR daily. Day two will feature four-panel discussions and four masterclasses, providing hands-on insights into organizational processes.
The event will be a platform for learning, networking, and tackling issues unique to Russian-speaking HR professionals abroad, as Cyprus has become a home for many specialists from the CIS.
In your opinion, how important is networking among expats for fostering collaboration and growth in Cyprus?
Professionals in any field need more networking to grow, and events that unite them are essential. We often hear that large-scale events in Cyprus are challenging due to its size and limited population. But this is also an advantage: we have a unique opportunity to create an infrastructure that positions Cyprus as an attractive hub for professionals from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
For this forum, we’re hosting attendees from Poland, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Serbia. It’s fantastic to think that Cyprus can become a platform for knowledge-sharing, and we hope to expand this reach in future forums.
Initiatives like the HR Synergy Forum aim to create a space where those who have come to Cyprus can actively shape and enrich the local business environment. The goal is for Cyprus to become a true hub for talented specialists and companies contributing something new to the island’s ecosystem.
Do you think AI will soon handle all HR tasks? Should HR people worry that a chatbot will be conducting their interviews?
For now, rest assured – while chatbots can help with routine tasks, human interaction, empathy, and the nuances of understanding remain with us. So don’t worry; we’re still in the game! Although, I could be mistaken, and the future may be less rosy; it’s better to ask our speakers at the event.
Do you think we can expect to see an increase in business events across various fields in the coming years?
Yes, there’s a strong basis to believe that business events in Cyprus will grow in the years ahead. The island attracts entrepreneurs and employees with its low taxes and favourable economic climate, opening doors to international companies and startups. Cyprus’ strategic location, excellent climate, good transport links, and growing infrastructure, with new hotels and conference venues, make it an appealing site for large meetings and events.
We live and work in an ever-changing, increasingly complex world. HR professionals, with their unique skills and expertise, bring structure and balance to these shifts, ensuring that human elements remain at the heart of work.
Cyprus, with its alluring atmosphere and growing professional community, has the potential to be a central part of this process. For sustainable progress, though, we need not only skills but also a constant exchange of knowledge, support, and education.
At forums like HR Synergy, new approaches and ideas emerge, where empathy and collaboration are key, harmonizing human needs with business strategy. In the end, it is precisely these human-centred approaches that respond to today’s challenges.
