DAYTwo
Wednesday November 30th
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Destination Marketing Goes Social
TIME FOR SMART ALLIANCES
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Fiesta, Siesta and... Volkswagen
Green with Happiness
page 41 Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltrú
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Strong Hub, Fast Wheels
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Looking Good in the Jewel of Arabia
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It’s the Economy... Again!
HUMAN towers – an art you will have the opportunity to enjoy today, courtesy of the Catalonia Convention Bureau - are not only a physical feat but also a spectacular show. This strong Catalan tradition also perfectly epitomises the spirit of cooperation and teamwork necessary to achieve great results. And this spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation could be one of the most vital qualities in today’s business world. A friend or a foe? For smart people, in the era of “coopetition” (competition + cooperation), it just depends on circumstances. One has to be smart, and possibly even define alliances with competitors, to address the markets in which a common interest is stronger than competition. One key trend
we found on the show floor is clever collaboration, especially in the field of destination marketing. We put on our explorer hat to find out more about these alliances. You might want to take another look at that old competitor of yours; he may just be your next best ally!
Looking South In a pioneering initiative in Spain, Málaga, Gijón and Costa del Sol have created an alliance to improve the positioning of these destinations. Programmed to run for the next four years, this ménage-à-trois was created based on the success of the collaboration three years ago between the southern city of Málaga and the corresponding region of Costa del Sol. Gijón, located
in northern Spain, has come on board to “make the alliance more competitive, bringing more market intelligence and maximising synergies in a north-south axis, following the rotation of congresses,” explain Paco Quereda, Director of the Málaga Convention Bureau. The idea is simple: a congress which came to Málaga will not come back for a few years given the necessary rotation of congresses. Why not offer this information and contact to Gijón, who will return the favour with contacts from their past congresses? Carolina García, Director of the Gijón Convention Bureau, is upbeat: The alliance “will increase business opportunities for companies in both territories, where the efforts and bud-
gets required would be difficult to achieve independently”. Belén Pérez-Gascon, Director of Convention Bureau Costa del Sol says the alliance also “allows organisers with little time to get to know more than one destination at one time”.
Looking East It is not just cities that have recognised the benefits of collaboration. The Eastern European countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have taken the understanding to a national level. “We decided it was a good idea to cooperate with neighbouring countries and cities a long time ago,” says Jolanta Beniuliené, Head of the Vilnius Tourist In-
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