More than 240 professionals, managers and elected officials in charge of territorial attractiveness gathered on April 13 and 14 for the 10th edition of the Place Marketing Forum.
The Place Marketing Forum, a major event in the field of territorial marketing and attractiveness, was held in the magnificent Ville Rose and its surrounding region. This event has become a must for managers, elected officials and young talent in the sector. Its main objectives are to discover, exchange and share best practices, with a view to promoting the attractiveness and development of territories. This approach to attractiveness, developed in particular during the forum's discussion sessions, emphasizes the preservation and sustainability of the environment, as well as the cohesion of the vision of the various players and the territory's inhabitants-users.
Towards infinity and beyond, a visit to the Cité de l'Espace for a memorable Eductour!
Discover one of the totems of Toulouse and its region: the famous Cité de l'Espace. Toulouse and the surrounding region are world-renowned for the diversity of the space and cultural sectors that thrive here. A veritable European nerve center dedicated to the dissemination of space culture, participants traveled to the farthest reaches of the cosmos during a guided tour of the Cité.
Impact and evaluation of attractiveness initiatives
Since 2022, each edition of the Place Marketing Forum has focused on a key theme, reflecting current issues, trends and concerns. After a PMF22 focused on the attractiveness strategies of metropolitan areas, marked by major transitions, the PMF23 was more focused on the impact of these same strategies. Various French and international local authorities (regions, départements, metropolises, cities) were represented at the conferences. The aim was to share the best initiatives and approaches, and thus inspire professionals facing new challenges in the sector.
The fundamental aim of the forum's DNA is above all to enable the various audiences present to gain a better understanding of the methods and tools used by the territories identified, to analyze the transferability of such approaches to our own French territories, and to identify the levers that have fostered the successful implementation of these initiatives. With this in mind, the PMF23 was inaugurated in the presence of elected representatives from the Occitanie region, to discuss their vision and the issues surrounding the impact of attractiveness initiatives on their own territories.
Conferences and think tanks brought together various international projects and cases, including Copenhagen (Denmark), Denver (USA), Montreal (Canada), Flanders (Belgium), the Loch Ness Inverness region (Scotland), Hamburg (Germany), Sfax (Tunisia), as well as French local authorities, including Lyon, the Occitanie region, Toulouse, the Moselle department, the Pyrenees, the Métropole Européenne de Lille, the Manche department and the Normandy region. The presentations focused on the notion of impact, in the fields of tourism, MICE (business tourism) and economic development - attracting investment.
The forum closed with three think tanks conducted in collaboration with the Chair's founding territories and partners:
- The Health, well-being and sustainability think tank, led by Laura CARMOUZE, Deputy Director of the A&NMT Chair. The issues of well-being and health were addressed from the angle of their appreciation as real assets for territories, rather than simply as indicators for measuring quality of life.
- The think tank " Gouvernance des démarches d'attractivité", led by Christophe ALAUX, Director of the A&NMT Chair and IMPGT. After having addressed the participation of local residents and innovative partnerships in the last two editions, the aim here was to share French and international experiences, in order to illustrate the strategies and operational tools that promote cross-functionality between attractiveness sectors.
- The think tank Enjeux et perspectives à l'échelle métropolitaine, a brand-new think tank launched in partnership with the European metropolis of Lille and the metropolis of Lyon. Metropolitan areas have been pioneers in implementing territorial marketing approaches, and are now developing their practices. Speakers discussed the notion of collaboration between major metropolises, both in France and internationally.
Awards ceremony during the networking evening at Toulouse Natural History Museum
Another highlight of the PMF was the networking evening at the Toulouse Natural History Museum. France's second-largest natural history museum in terms of exhibits and collections, it's also a key venue for seminars, festivals, film screenings, gala evenings and business meetings. Cultivating curiosity while disseminating scientific culture, this totem of the Pink City contributes to "questioning the Man-Nature-Environment relationship at the heart of social and environmental issues", a perfect echo of the themes addressed at the Place Marketing Forum.
Two projects were honored and rewarded: Visit Inverness Loch Ness for the "Vote des jeunes talents" award, represented by Michael GOLDING, Managing Director of the attraction agency for the famous Scottish region, and the Comite régional du tourisme et des loisirs de la région Occitanie for the "Coup de Cœur du Public" award, represented by Jean PINARD, Managing Director.
A 10th edition that had an impact and was rich in lessons learned, and which augurs well for a future 2024 edition, to be held soon in the port city of Caen!
Our readers are also interested by
