Athens, November 29, 2016 – The U.S. Embassy Athens, in partnership with the Benaki Museum and the British Council, is organizing the conference “Museums and Tourism: A Working Relationship.” The event is taking place on December 8, 2016, 09:30 – 17:00, at The Benaki Museum, Pireos 138.
The sixth annual Museum Conference invites museum and arts administrators, curators, artists, tourism professionals and students to share ideas and insights on how museums and other cultural institutions can strengthen their role as destinations and be part of sustainable cultural development. Prominent speakers from Greece, the U.S. and the UK will look into ways cultural organizations can form stronger partnerships with municipalities, tourism associations and other stakeholders to expand their visitors. They will also discuss how investing in culture and museums can have a strong economic impact for countries where tourism is one of the top industries. As cultural tourism develops into an experience industry, there is an opportunity for museums to further engage the tourism market, activate their audiences and increase their revenue, while at the same time strengthening their role as unique storytellers of the history, culture, and contemporary life of societies.
The conference is under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens and supported by City of Athens Convention & Visitor Bureau (ACVB)
There will be simultaneous interpretation into Greek and English. Entry is free, on a first come-first served basis. Pre-registration for the conference is available on Eventbrite.
The conference will be recorded by the Bodossakis Foundation Lectures on Demand (blod.gr) and will be available online. On that date, the conference will live stream at the restaurant of the Benaki Museum and online through DIAVLOS
This year, following the keynote presentations by the international experts, there will be three break-off workshops open only to culture and tourism professionals. The international speakers will join forces with culture and tourism experts in Greece, Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), Sophia Antoniadou, Co-founder and CEO of Discover Greek Culture and Alexandra Nikiforidou, COO and Project Leader at PostScriptum Ltd, to lead the hands-on workshops. Working language for the workshops is English and no translation will be provided.
Pre-registration for the workshops is available on Eventbrite.
Conference Program
9:30 Registration
10:00-10:30 Welcome Remarks
10:30-11:10 Francesco Manacorda, Artistic Director, Tate Liverpool
From Audiences to Constituencies: The future of Activating the Museum’s Public
11:10-11:50 Rosemarie Reyes, Partner, Roseworks Marketing
Creating a Cultural Connection: Maximizing Partnerships to Increase Tourism
11:50-12:30 Jim Broughton, Head of International Engagement, The Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum and the World
12:30-13:10 John A. Giurini, Assistant Director for Public Affairs, The J. Paul Getty Museum
Lessons in Cultural Tourism
13:10-14:00 Break
14:00-15:00 Networking Session
15:00-17:00 Workshops
#1: Creating Networks Among Arts and Tourism Institutions
#2: Audience: Understanding the Uninterested
#3: Targeting Niche Tourist Groups – Elderly, Disabled, Visually Impaired
The international speaker
Jim Broughton is responsible for the Natural History Museum’s international diplomacy, partnerships and global business activities – including its touring exhibitions program, its publishing, picture library, and the renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Jim trained as a designer and has a background in exhibition development and museum master-planning, chiefly working within international collaborations. He has worked previously at the British Museum, at Historic Scotland and in consultancy, with much of his career spent on large partnership projects in Asia. Jim is Vice Chair of ICOM UK.
John Giurini joined the Getty in January 2005 as Assistant Director in the Communications department of the J. Paul Getty Trust. In November 2007, he became head of public affairs for the J. Paul Getty Museum. In this capacity, he oversees all communications efforts for the Museum’s two Los Angeles locations, which includes media relations, marketing and branding, strategic planning and community relations, as well as donor relations. John is also a member of the Museum’s senior management team. Prior to joining the Getty, John ran his own public relations consulting practice specializing in consumer products, travel and tourism, retail, and non-profit organizations.
Francesco Manacorda, is the Artistic Director of Tate Liverpool, where he conceives and executes the public programs. Before joining Tate Liverpool, Francesco has served as Director of Artissima in Turin, curator of the Barbican Gallery in London, and Visiting Lecturer in Exhibition History and Critical Theory at Royal College of Art, London. Francesco has curated numerous group shows including, as well as solo exhibitions with artists such as Clemens Von Wedemeyer, Hans Schabus and Tobias Putrih. He has curated the Slovenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennial in 2007 and the New Zealand Pavilion in 2009. He is also a writer, having contributed reviews and features extensively to many publications including Domus, Flash Art International and Art Review.
Rosemarie Reyes has worked tourism with tour wholesalers in New York and France. In 2002, she started Roseworks Marketing, a strategic communications and marketing consulting firm specializing in tourism and entertainment. Her many clients include Broadway/West End shows such as Mammia Mia!, Wicked, Blue Man Group, and Chicago. Tour wholesalers, like Travel Bound and Opentours, and destination management organizations such as the California State Tourism Office. Recent clients include the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Ground Zero Museum Workshop. She is also a free-lance writer with regular contributions to travel industry journals and magazines like “The Tour Operator” and “Shop America Magazine.”
On December 9, the conference will take place in Thessaloniki, at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, 09:00-16:30, in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Thessaloniki, the British Council, the British Embassy in Greece and the State Museum of Contemporary Art. The conference is under the auspices of the City of Thessaloniki. Entry will be free, on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be simultaneous interpretation into Greek and English. Registrations begin at 09:00 am. Electronic registrations for the Thessaloniki conference are available at Eventbrite
