Eastern Europe comprises 26 states with over 400 million people. Growth rates in the IT sector average between 20 and 25%. It is therefore no surprise that IT and telecoms companies cast covetous eyes towards these emerging markets.

Hotwire's pan-European clients, such as RFID printer maker Printronix, have unrivalled access to PR support in these markets through the consultancy's affiliate network. With subsidiary offices in the major economic and commercial centres Moscow, Warsaw, Prague and Budapest, Frankfurt-based East Side Consulting offers support across the region. East Side Consulting founder and managing director Rosa Vujovic describes the market: "Companies wishing to have a strong reputation in Eastern Europe must be fully committed to the region. News must have a local angle and you must cultivate local relationships," she says.

Managing all accounts centrally from Frankfurt, East Side deploys local expertise in each market.

Hotwire managing partner Kristin Syltevik explains the importance of the network: "More and more of our clients see Eastern Europe as a significant growth opportunity, particularly as Western European markets mature. It is certainly beneficial to Hotwire to have a partner with the ability to provide a centralised approach to what is a very complex and diverse region."

USEFUL INFORMATION: www.east-side-consulting.de