visit.brussels 10 thingsto do - european festivals association · brussels in palais de tokyo...
TRANSCRIPT
visit.brussels
10 things to doto open up a Tourism Strategy
to Cultural Events and Festivals
Geert Cochez, deputy CEO
HOW IT USED TO BE : CULTURE AND TOURISM, WORLDS APART
• Brussels : focus on professional tourism, leisure tourism
rather recent development (last 20 years)
• A classical tourism approach : attracting visitors
• Cultural tourism : heritage oriented
• The arts in tourism ? = only museums and exhibitions,
because of return on investment
• Within the cultural field : fear of instrumentalisation of the
arts
10 THINGS TO DO
1. INCORPORATE CULTURE: THE TECHNICAL PART
• Database ? Hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions…
• 2011 : integration of the cultural events database within the
tourism agency
• Collecting +20.000 events a year
Þ New role : opening our mission from tourism marketing to
cultural communication
Þ New target group : local citizens
10 THINGS TO DO
2. THINK BEYOND THE « TOP 10 » OR « TOP 20 »
Affinitary marketing strategy
Affinity groups can defined around different factors:
• Stages in life : students, family, single, etc.
• Elements of behavior : purchasing behavior, sense of
belonging (brands, clubs, ...), commitment to an
institution…
• Way of life : passions, professional occupation…
10 THINGS TO DO
Which « affinity » themes ? => Identitary portrait of Brussels
Art & Creativity : Comic strips / Jazz / Fashion & Design / Contemporary Art / Performing Arts (dance, opera, circus)
City Life : Foodies (Gastronomy + Beer) / LGBT / Kids / Youth / Nightlife / Green / Tourism for all / Sport / Neighbourhoods & Diversity / Culture 2.0 (Pop culture, Geek Culture, Street Art)
Heritage : History / Heritage / Museums / Art Nouveau & Art Deco / Surrealism / Folklore / UNESCO
Europe : European Capital / European Quarter / Expat communities
10 THINGS TO DO
3. COMBINE « NICHE » AND « MAINSTREAM » TARGET GROUPS
Within the affinitary marketing approach, you can as welladress the « geeks » as an audience with a « mainstreamintrest » for the topic.
For example: comic strips :- General promotion : attracting city trippers with the Smurfs,
Tintin,….- Affinitary approach: promoting young Brussels graphic
novel illustrators at the Angoulême Festival
Þ Combining mainstream and more alternzative cultural offer
10 THINGS TO DO
4. INCORPORATE CULTURE: THE HUMAN PART
• Team of product experts
• Networking, go-between, contact point,…
• Helping events and festivals develop their
communication strategy
• Cultural networks member of our strategic committee
• Management level : Deputy CEO with cultural background
Þ Augmenting credibility and raising confidence
10 THINGS TO DO
5. CREATE A CULTURAL BRAND
• « agenda.brussels » next to the « visit.brussels » brand,
both connected in the « be.brussels » city marketing
strategy
10 THINGS TO DO
Segmentationaffinitaire
6. GIVE « RHYTHM » TO THE CULTURAL CALENDAR
10 THINGS TO DO
7. CREATE SUPPORT TOOLS
• Collective promotion campaigns
• Press trips
• Preferential tarifs for bannering in town
• Logistic events support and consultancy
• Next to city card: thematic coupon leaflets (winter, summer)
• Formats :
• thematic year : MIXITY.brussels 2017
• thematic focus : Horta inside out 2018
10 THINGS TO DO
8. CREATE EVENTS WHERE THEY ARE LACKING (A TRICKY THING TO DO)
Brussels Comic Strips Festival / Fête de la BD
Bright.brussels Light Festival (februay)
10 THINGS TO DO
9. GO FOR CO-PRODUCTIONS AS A « WIN-WIN »
Showcase festivals abroad :
• 2016 : INDISCIPLINE, contemporary performance art from
Brussels in Palais de Tokyo (Paris) curated by
Kunstenfestivaldesarts and WIELS
• 2017: RADIKAL, contemporary dance form Brussels in
Radialsystem (Berlin) with 4 Brussels arts centres
• 2018 : FocusCIRCUS.brussels
10 THINGS TO DO
10. CONTAMINATE THE REST OF YOUR TOURISM SERVICES
Examples :
• Visit.brussels awards : opened up form ”tourism” oriented
towards “image” oriented
• Convention Bureau focusing on “Bleisure”
• Convention Bureau focusing on creative industries
congresses
• Ambassadors programme choses cultural topic (Circus)
10 THINGS TO DO
visit.brussels
10 things to doto open up a Tourism Strategy
to Cultural Events and Festivals
Geert Cochez, deputy CEO