The Print Media Academy of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) and the Center for Research of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (ifm) at the University of Mannheim - Germany's leading university for business management - have joined forces to offer a new intensive seminar "Knowledge Camp for Company Successors". The six-day intensive seminar in English language will be held from May 16 to 21, 2011, at the Print Media Academy in Heidelberg.

Participants will learn how to position their company successfully in a competitive environment and in an increasingly global market. During these six days they will explore modern management approaches together with colleagues from similar businesses. The aim of the seminar is to gear corporate strategy to the future and to maintain and increase corporate value over the long term. "When young managerial staff take over at small and medium-sized enterprises, they are always faced with complex challenges," explains Martina Brand, head of International Business Training at the Print Media Academy. "It is virtually impossible and makes little sense for them to try to acquire the necessary know-how on their own. The best way to acquire new knowledge and to develop the necessary skills is to talk and work with external specialists and like-minded people," she continues.

Learning from experts and in a network

The seminar adopts a practical approach. It is based on actual case studies and answers participants' specific questions. Training is provided by experts from the Print Media Academy and professors from the University of Mannheim. They have many years of in-depth practical experience in industry and consultancy, working on an international level. Solutions and strategies for company succession are developed in workshops. The training team supervises and coaches participants for practical scenarios. The opportunity to network and share information with other participants is an important aspect of the seminar.

"Many company successors are poorly prepared for the tasks that await them," says Professor Michael Woywode, head of the Center for Research of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (ifm) at the University of Mannheim. "However, our experience tells us that they achieve above average success during the succession phase if they acquire expert knowledge and apply this to their specific situation. This largely avoids the pitfalls associated with company succession," continues Woywode.

The entire program and a detailed seminar timetable can be accessed at www.print-media-academy.com. The fee for the six-day seminar is EUR 3,400 plus VAT. Travel, accommodation or other expenses are additional.

Free of charge Webinar

Prospective participants have the possibility to take part in a short online seminar. Professor Marcel Crisand, Managing Director of the Center for Research of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (ifm) at the University of Mannheim, will give valuable information for a successful start at the helm of your printing business. Details on dates and times as well as online registration is available at www.print-media-academy.com

The Print Media Academy

The Print Media Academy of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG offers specialists and management staff a comprehensive range of training opportunities specifically geared to the needs of enterprises in the print media industry and beyond. Well-known speakers and training experts impart knowledge on technology innovations and successful management. www.print-media-academy.com

The ifm at the University of Mannheim

The ifm (Center for Research of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses) is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Mannheim. For more than 20 years, the institute's research work has focused on topical and structural issues relating to small and medium-sized enterprises. Professor Michael Woywode currently heads a team of 25 research staff. The ifm's great strength lies in its interdisciplinary orientation and its ability to bridge the gap between science and practice. The ifm considers it important to pass on its experience for use in real-life situations and is therefore committed to providing a large number of practical lectures, interactive seminars and other training events each year. www.ifm.uni-mannheim.de