PRAGUE,   21st December, 2009: Best Communications is delighted to announce a record fourth quarter with new retainers from 5 leading consumer and B2B brands:  Enterprise Investors, J&T Real Estate, Ben& Jerry’s, AVG, and Prague exclusive hotel The Augustine to its portfolio.

Enterprise Investors - One of the oldest and largest firms managing private equity and venture capital funds in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe appointed Best to represent them in the Czech financial market.

J&T Real Estate- has decided to embark on a new communications strategy, employing Best Communications to marshal its Public Relations strategy in the Czech Republic for its residential project in Prague 1.

AVG - one of the world’s top anti-virus software developers, with its origins in Brno in the Czech Republic, set Best Communications the task of reconnecting the Czech public with one of their most successful companies internationally as well as with the communication of their new products and services.

Ben& Jerry’s - America’s number one ice cream brand, part of Unilever’s portfolio, arrived in the Czech Republic in the summer of 2009 and opened their first Czech store in a prime location at number one, Wenceslas square. The scoop shop has recently undergone a complete renovation which has introduced even more Czechs to the wacky and wonderful flavours of the company.

The Augustine- The Augustine hotel is part of the exclusive Rocco Forte group and Best Communications has been hired to ensure its position as one of the most exclusive hotels in Prague.

Best Communications’ CEO, Euan Edworthy states;

“Best Communications new business wins in the last quarter of 2009 demonstrate the depth and diversity of our agency by acquiring new accounts across the business board: FMCG, real estate, financial and software technology. Our purpose is to be the gold-standard PR agency in the Czech Republic and by winning such prestigious accounts as we have done recently, we are certainly getting closer to our goal.”

She takes responsibility for the growth of the firm's client portfolio in the Czech and Slovak Republics, working in close liaison with Euan Edworthy, Best's founder and CEO, and other partners. Tereza said: "I am delighted to be given this opportunity. I was impressed by Best's people from the moment I met them and I am looking forward to playing my part in leading the company to bigger and better things. I think there is tremendous potential for first-class public relations practice in the Czech and Slovak Republics and I believe Best is well-placed to be a prime mover in the PR profession's development here."

Euan Edworthy said: "Tereza has a rare combination of knowledge, intelligence, insight and sheer energy. She has done marvellous work for our clients over the last two and a half years and has made a vital contribution to the development of our five-year business plan. She is exactly the right person to drive the consultancy forward to its goal of becoming the leading Anglo- Czech PR firm.

In order to officially kick off the Christmas period, Starbucks launched their new Christmas menu with the opportunity to try their newest range of coffee and cakes as well as their new collection of Christmas merchandising gifts for 2009 and new Starbucks Gift Card! Journalists were delighted at the press confererence as they tucked in to samples of all kinds of new, delicious products such as Orange&Cranberry Muffin, Gingerbread Loaf Cake, Royal Cake and Poppy Seed Cake and Starbucks' new Whole Bean coffee. Starbucks also launched their range of Christmas gifts, a wide collection of mugs, tumblers, thermos flasks, Christmas gift packs and ‘Bearista’ bears. A lot of fun was had by all

As usual, celebrities, VIPS and journalists came along in droves to IMAX's latest star-studded event, this time enjoying the famous story of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. With IMAX's 3D experience, guests experienced the exhilirating rollercoaster night-ride alongside Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, PResent and Future. Luckily IMAX provided a delicious feast afterwards to bring everyone's heartrates back to normal, as well as the chance to have a go in their very own Christmas sleigh!

KFC's new facebook page, administrated by Best Communications, is full of new competitions and special offers. The B-Smart campaign will also run in physical stores in parallel to the social media campaign. Fans of the BSmart menu will be asked a challenging question - if they are 'smart' enough to know the answers, they will receive a 2nd B-Smart meny voucher for free. Best Communications also unveiled KFC's new coffee & sweets menu at a well-attended press conference in early October.

In September, ProLogis leased 14,300 square meters to the GEIS Group in ProLogis Park Ostrava, Czech Republic.

In ProLogis Park Nove Mesto - TRANSKAM have taken up an additional 5,000 square meters, meaning that the park is now 100 % fully leased.

On the solar front, ProLogis is stepping up its programme in Spain with a significant new installation in Madrid and Barcelona.

Celebrities and VIP's turned out in force yet again for another fabulous adventure with IMAX. This time, 3D underwater world was a realistic, and sometimes scary, dive into the magical world that exists under the waves. Giant balloon installations of guests' favourite fish (not to mention a giant octopus) wowed the crowds as they mingled amidst assembled photo journalists and other well-known socialites.

As usual, competitive spirit soared as teams of 3 competed for the heady recognition as 'Best Brains' in the annual summer Quiz. For the more sport-oriented, the team building day also played host to the inter-office badminton and table tennis championships. A few glasses of wine and a pint or two of beer later, and it was back on the train at the end of a wonderful late-summer day!

Quick Service Restaurant giant, KFC, has embarked on a fresh communications strategy, hiring leading Anglo-Czech PR firm Best Communications to head up a consumer PR campaign in the Czech Republic. The campaign is expected to help sharpen the KFC brand image and drive sales until the end of 2009 and through 2010.

Prague-based developer, DavCor, today announced that it has received a building permit for construction works on its 100 apartment residential complex, Rezidence Jubileum, on Komunardo street in Prague 7, Holesovice. Commencement of construction works on this new courtyard complex - dubbed ‘eco-chic’ thanks to its cycling and green roofs programmes - is expected to start as soon as negotiations with the main contractor have been concluded, the developer added.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the latest film based on the famous books about 'the boy who lived' written by British author J.K. Rowling. In Prague, VIP guests and journalists were treated to a celebrity premier of the film in 3D at IMAX's Flora cinema. Despite sharing the premier night with a number of other cinemas across Prague, IMAX's Harry Potter in 3D celebrated a full house with great VIP attendance.

Prague-based real estate development and investment group, Quinlan Private Golub, introduced a brand new mortgage insurance product recently. This new insurance means that customers interested in the residential project, Modransky Haj, will receive added security in what is a difficult economic climate. This new mortgage insurance was prepared by mortgage broker Hyposervis in response to a residential market study conducted by Hyposervis and Deloitte at the beginning of the year. Quinlan Private Golub’s new sales centre for residential projects located in Cerna ruze shopping centre on Na Prikope was presented in the second half of the press conference.

Best client, Starbucks, recently opened the first African Starbucks Farmer Support Center based in Kigali, Rwanda. The Farmer Support Center will work with East African coffee communities to help farmers continue to improve their coffee quality and to increase the number of suppliers producing Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ coffee. Starbucks agronomist and quality experts will work directly with farmers to develop and use more responsible methods to grow better coffee, to help improve the quality and size of the harvest – and ultimately earn better prices for it. 

Prague-based developer, DavCor, announced the launch of an one-of-a-kind competition in the Czech Republic. The concept is simple: anyone who buys an apartment at DavCor’s new Prague 7 development, Rezidence Jubileum, will be entered into a “lottery style even chance” competition  to win the project’s premier penthouse, a 106 sqm rooftop apartment, with multiple terraces, valued at CZK 10,000,000. With just 100 apartments in the courtyard complex, buyers will have a 99:1 chance of walking away with this fantastic prize.

For many in Prague, Africa remains a distant and inaccessible place. With IMAX's new Wild Safari 3D film, however, audiences can explore the unique wilderness of this fascinating continent. As ever, VIP guests turned out in force for the celebrity premier of the new 3D adventure, as organised by Best Communications.

A team from the University of Technology in Brno has made it through to the final round of Airbus' Fly Your Ideas global competition for students of higher education. The Kometa Brno team will be competing for the top position with four other teams from Australia, Singapore, Spain and the US.

The Rocco Forte Collection’s newest property, The Augustine, the quintessence of Prague’s history, character and beauty will welcome first guests from 14th May 2009. This follows a special public open day, which took place on the 12th May, for neighbours and citizens of Prague to see and experience the elegance and spirit of Prague’s newest 5star deluxe hotel.

The 101-bedroom property, located underneath Prague Castle, has been created from a set of seven buildings, many of which have historical significance, including the 13th century Augustinian St Thomas’s Monastery, after which the hotel is named.  Several practicing Augustinian friars still live in a separate part of the monastery, adjacent to the hotel grounds.