Beyond the Bubble | Dominating the AI Conversation at the Serbian Davos
The Kopaonik Business Forum (KBF) is often treated as a backdrop for LinkedIn vanity posts and social climbing. For Publicity Bureau, however, it is an arena where you either establish yourself as a leader setting the pace, or remain a mere footnote in someone else's presentation. This year, the panel titled “AI BUBBLE: Risks and Benefits of Different Strategies” (organized by NIN and Digital Serbia Initiative) was arguably one of the most attended sessions. The hall was packed, and the moderator, Natali Delić (Telekom Srbija), had to cut short a wave of audience questions because the topic struck a nerve at the very heart of 2026 business anxiety.
But that success wasn't accidental. It was the result of surgical PR preparation that starts long before the first microphone is turned on.
1. “Wargaming”: Analyzing the Panelists' Chessboard
Serious PR doesn't go to Kopaonik hoping for good questions. We do “wargaming”. Yup, exactly that - deeply analyzing the expected stances of each panelist to position Vedran exactly where he is strongest.
Tanja Kuzman (Digital Serbia Initiative) opened the discussion on the global race and the concentration of GPU power. Her focus on infrastructure was the perfect setup for the "big picture", a world where capital is massively allocated, but results are still pending.
Aleksandar Bogdanović (Yettel Bank) represented the side of banking discipline. He spoke about how AI in finance requires a strictly controlled framework and client trust. This provided the perfect cue for Vedran’s thesis on data grounding - Wonderful doesn't hallucinate because it operates within strictly defined business logic.
Branimir Gajić (Inspira Group) insisted on leadership. His argument that technology is worthless without ready management, was a direct setup for Vedran’s most-quoted metaphor of the forum.
Our PB Maneuver? While others discussed the “what” and the “why,” Wonderful Mr. Bajer came in with the “how.” His line: “There’s no point in putting a Formula 1 engine into an old tractor, you won’t get speed - you’ll just break the machine faster,” became the moment that broke through corporate stiffness and forced the audience to take out their pens.
2. Why PR Must Be in the “Front Row” (Literally and Metaphorically)
KBF is a specific beast. You have journalists looking for a bombastic headline, and CEOs looking for solutions to their operational pains. My role as a PR consultant wasn't just to straighten a tie, it was to:
Read the Room: We tracked reactions to fear (FLS – Fear of Looking Stupid) and immediately adjusted the answers to sound encouraging yet uncompromising.
Focus the Narrative: We ensured that the term “Agentic AI” became the keyword of the day. The difference between AI that “just talks” (an expensive search bar) and AI that “executes actions” (an agent in production) is what separated Wonderful from the hype.
3. “The Bajer Effect” and the Never-Ending Line
The best proof of a job well done? When the panel ends, and Vedran can't make it to the exit because a line has formed for introductions. We saw it last year, and it happened again, from owners of massive systems to hungry investors, everyone wanted 30 seconds with the man who just explained that an AI agent solves in three seconds what takes humans two days. That is the “Bajer Effect” :) the fusion of charisma, expertise, and our narrative edge.
4. KBF as a Business Catalyst
KBF is the “Serbian Davos” not because of the hotels, but because of the density of influence per square meter. It’s a place where deals are closed in transit, where journalists get head-on access to leaders, and where acquaintances turn into contracts.
But in that crowd of 1,500 people, if you don't have a clearly defined roadmap, you are just noise. At Publicity Bureau, there is no room to believe in improvisation at this level. I believe in a process that transforms a speaker into an authority cited for months to come.
The Lesson from Kopaonik: AI is no longer a vision to be dreamed of, it is an operational reality. And if you take the stage without PR support that understands your business, you’re already falling behind.