About the Chair

Chirstophe ALAUX is University Professor of Management Sciences (CNU 06) at the IMPGT of Aix-Marseille University, qualified to direct research and Agrégé de Sciences Économiques et sociales. Elected in 2017, he begins a 2nd term in 2022 as Dean of the U.F.R. Institut de Management Public et Gouvernance Territoriale d'Aix-Marseille Université. Since 2015, he has also been Director of the "Attractiveness and New Territorial Marketing" Chair, which is supported by 37 territories throughout France. Every year, he and the Chair organize the Place Marketing Forum, which brings together nearly 300 professionals to discuss outstanding international cases. In 2022, with the IMPGT, he organized the 6th international academic conference of the International Place Branding Association in Aix-en-Provence.

A teacher and researcher in public marketing, his main area of research is territorial attractiveness and territorial marketing: residential, tourist, event and investment attractiveness, governance of attractiveness, territorial identity/image/reputation and e-reputation, territorial employer branding (QVT²), etc. He also works on the themes of marketing/quality of public services and social marketing/behavior in the public interest.

He participates in French and international research programs (H2020 COGOV, IMAGETERR, INTERREG STDGR) and supervises PhD projects. 
He is co-chairman of EGPA Study Group XVI "public communication and marketing" (European Group for Public Administration) and a member of the scientific committee of the journal Politique et Management Public.

Associate author of the book "Marketing territorial" with Camille Chamard and Joël Gayet, published by De Boeck in 2014, he regularly publishes scientific articles in classified journals (Management international, RFAP, PMP, GMP), book chapters or papers at international conferences. He develops numerous action-research projects in partnership with local authorities, and acts as a scientific expert for a number of French territorial marketing strategies: Only Lyon, Aix-Marseille Provence Métropole, Toulouse, Nice, Normandy, Cantal, Lot, Isère, Loire, Aveyron, Manche, etc.

In 2012, he created the IMPGT's Master 2 in "Public Marketing and Communication", and in 2018 the Master 2 in "Attractiveness and New Territorial Marketing". He co-directs these two courses, which are offered on a sandwich basis, to apprentices, lifelong learners and local elected officials.

He is an expert speaker at numerous professional conferences (Convention intercommunalités de France, Assises de l'attractivité de l'Isère ou du Grand Reims, Forums), professional journals (Brief, La Gazette des communes, Revue Espaces, Journal des départements) and mainstream media (La Tribune, Sud Radio, Le Point, La Tribune, Le Monde, les Echos, Challenges, l'Express, The Conversation).

After writing her thesis on the links between urbanization, international trade and economic development in the Mediterranean, Christine CUENCA taught economics at university and then in business schools. She was also coordinator of an international conference organized in Marseille for the Cercle des Économistes and the Institut de la Méditerranée. She has participated in the development of territorial diagnostics in the PACA region for the Agence d'urbanisme du Pays d'Aix and the Institut d'Études Politiques d'Aix. Associate researcher at the Pôle Développement Durable et Territoires Méditerranéens, she contributed to the reflections of the Plateforme Créativité et Territoires. Since 2016, she has been in charge of international monitoring and research promotion at the A&NMT Chair.

She monitors best practices in attractiveness and territorial marketing around the world to feed the monitoring site for the Chair's Founder and Partner territories (case studies, summary notes, analyses and benchmarks). The aim is also to source inspiring cases and speakers for the Place Marketing Forum, organized each year by the Chair. It carries out studies on behalf of the Chair's Founders and Partners (IMAGETERR, E-reputation).

With a BTS in Commerce and a Master's 2 in Human Resources and Skills Development, Annie Delanghe has over 30 years' professional experience in partnership relations, human resources and training, the last 12 of which have been dedicated to regional attractiveness, first as project manager for economic development and employment, then as director of an attractiveness agency for a rural area of 30,000 inhabitants. Within the Chair, she works on project management and partnership relations with partners and founders.

A graduate of the Aix-Marseille School of Journalism and Communication with a master's degree in communication strategies and press relations, as well as a master's degree in international relations and affairs from Aix-Marseille University, Sarah joined the ANMT Chair at IMPGT in October 2024. As Communications and Events Manager, she implements communication strategies and, alongside Annie, manages events, notably the Place Marketing Forum. She also coordinates the Chair's communication efforts, overseeing websites and social media, and liaising with founding partners. Her expertise in communication and her knowledge of international relations are essential assets for enhancing the ANMT Chair's influence.

A graduate of the University of Montpellier with a Master's degree in Political Science, specializing in research and consultancy, Marion completed her Master's 2 work-study program at Médiamétrie, a research institute, where she contributed to the conduct of quantitative studies. She joined the A&NMT Chair in September 2025 as a territorial marketing researcher. Together with Christine, she conducts strategic intelligence on international attractiveness and territorial marketing practices, which is then distributed to the Chair's Founders and Partners. She also conducts studies on the image and reputation of territories for these same partners.