26th October, 2011: BaltMet Promo had the final Policy roundtable in Gdansk. The rountable started with food-for-thoughts key-note by Annika Rembe, Director General, Swedish Institute. Marcus Anderson, from Baltic Development Forum presented the draft Action Plan for the Marketing of the Baltic Sea Region to investors, tourists and talents.

The draft tackles the questions between competition and cooperation. This Action Plan is policy oriented, i.e. the overall aim is to explain the benefits of regional cooperation in promotional activities, to encourage policy makers in national ministries and government agencies to take dimensions of regional marketing into account and, ultimately, to create conditions conducive to an improvement in this particular field of regional cooperation.

There are four main arguments in favour our BSR-­level marketing:

• Market size argument – a larger market and more opportunities can be marketed, potentially giving more impact in the marketing communications.
• Image transfer argument – places that are less known and/or with less positive images can benefit from tagging onto the more positive or known images of other places in the region
• Economies of scale argument – international marketing is costly, but by pooling resources costs can be cut through economies of scale
• Product development argument – the possibility of transnational product development

More on the subject will be in the next Promo Newsletter.

21th October, 2011: BaltMet Promo final Policy Roundtable will take place between 12.30 and 15.30 on 24 October in Gdansk. Policy Roundtables aims to galvanize regional stakeholders into marketing the Baltic Sea Region on a global scale. The programme will include food-for-thought presentations to kick off discussions. As keynote speaker we have invited Annika Rembe, Director General of the Swedish Institute.

Action Plan is a result of BaltMet Promo Policy Roundtables

Action Plan with policy recommendations on how the Baltic Sea Region better can profile and brand itself globally will be created on the basis of the conclusions from the previous Policy Roundtables, concrete results of the BaltMet Promo project and analysis of other marketing projects and efforts. Read more about the Policy Roundtables

BaltMet Promo Policy Rountable is part of Baltic Development Forum Summit 2011 back-to-back meetings

This year’s BDF Summit is organised in close cooperation with the EU Commission’s Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

To ensure that the Strategy succeeds in taking cooperation in the Region to higher levels, new ambitions and targets now need to be discussed. The place and time for this deliberation is Gdansk, the 24-26 October 2011, during the 13th Baltic Development Forum Summit and the European Commission’s 2nd Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. More about the Summit

Regional Identity and Region Branding 25th October 16.00-17.30

Is it possible to claim that a common regional identity exists in the Baltic Sea Region? What unites and what transgresses the diversities in terms of language, economic development, political systems and religion? To answer such complex questions one must draw on knowledge from many scholarly fields – historical, cultural, and political studies – as well as take the European dimension into consideration. Prof. Bernd Henningsen will present his report on the matter, and we will discuss how to strengthen a common identity internally, as well as an image to the outside world, in order to attract talents, investments and tourists.

• Prof. Dr. Bernd Henningsen, Humboldt University, Germany
• Annika Rembe, Director General, The Swedish Institute
• Wolf Born, Head of Unit, State Chancellery Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Karina Pētersone, Director, The Latvian Institute
• Pekka Sauri, Deputy Mayor of the City of Helsinki, Finland

Moderator:

• Marcus Andersson, Head of Public Affairs, Baltic Development Forum

21th October, 2011: Registration to Baltic Sea Region – Japan coproduction forum is open untill 25th of October.

We invite you to register for Baltic Sea Region – Japan coproduction forum that will take place from 11 to 13 of November, 2011. Well known lecturers from Japan and Europe will present their seminars and discussions about film production in different regions and it’s possible collaborations.

More about the forum is HERE. 
 
Please register until 25th of October. Selected participants will be informed until 1st of November. To registration

10th October, 2011: Well known lecturers from Japan and Europe will present their seminars and discussions about film production in different regions and its possible collaborations.A distinguishing feature of the forum will be pitching session of selected projects. Ten promising filmmakers from the BSR (Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland), as well as ten cinematographers from Japan will present their projects to the experienced European and Japanese film professionals aiming at inspiring joint productions.

Moderator

The Baltic Sea Region-Japan Co-production Forum will be moderated by Nik Powell, a renowned British film producer, winner of numerous film awards (Oscars, Golden Palm, etc.) and lecturer. In 2009 he attended the European Film Forum Scanorama and conducted a master class in the Go Young Generation Co-production Forum.

The guest lecturers from Japan:

Dr. Hiroomi Fukuzawa – a producer, professor at Free University of Berlin and a contributor to the Berlinale International Forum of New Cinema;

Michiyo Yoshizaki – a cofounder of the legendary NDF film studio. NDF has already received 17 Oscar nominations and many other festival awards at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and etc.

Takahiro Hamano – a documentary filmmaker and news director with the Japanese National Television.

European lectors:

Dagmar Jacobsen – a world famous German producer and co-owner of Selavy Filmproduktion involved in many joint film productions and tutor at the Deutsche Film und Fernsehakademie in Berlin;

Marcel Łoziński – an outstanding Polish documentary filmmaker, nominee and winner of a number of film awards, including an Oscar and awards from the European Film Academy, Krakow Film Festival and Sidney Film Festival.

Lithuania will be represented by Rasa Miškinytė – a distinguished producer, founder of a film company Era Film and chairwoman of the Independent Producers Association of Lithuania.

Read more (pdf)

Registration to Baltic Sea Region – Japan coproduction forum is now open!

We invite you to register for Baltic Sea Region – Japan coproduction forum that will take place from 11 to 13 of November, 2011. Well known lector from Japan and Europe will present their seminars and discussions about film production in different regions and it’s possible collaborations.

More about the forum is HERE. 
 
Please register until 25th of October. Selected participants will be informed until 1st of November. To registration

4th October, 2011: BaltMet Promo Tourism Pilot event was organized at the Imperial-hotel in Tokyo. First tourism pilot event was organized 30th September at JATA travel showcase in Tokyo Big Sight.

The seminar part at the Imperial hotel was organized at the Tsuru-room and reception at the Ohgi-room. Over 80 persons participated to the event. The event was conducted and also the bloggers were interviewed by Mr. Noto Shigeyoshi.  Welcome greeting and introduction of Balt Met Promo was held by Ms. Iina Oilinki, from the City of Helsinki continued by Ms. Linda Pukite, from the city of Riga, who presented the Live like locals concept and also what the tourism pilot includes.

Tourism pilot experts presented the bloggers three different destination packages and the cities involved. Helsinki and St. Petersburg was presented by Ms. Mari Lihr. Baltic cities by Mr. Edgars Kuzmans, Warsaw by Ms. Ewa Swiderska and Berlin by Mr. Thomas Mielke.

32 bloggers participated in competition to three different ten days trips to Baltic Sea Region. Three bloggers were selected from Japan to Live like locals in the Baltic Sea Region and their feelings were presented at both events.

Follow the travel experience to the Baltic cities!

Helsinki – Saint Petersburg by Mayumi Takahashi http://uramayu.typepad.jp
Tallinn – Riga – Vilnius by Chihiro Ishino http://ciicic.jugem.cc
Berlin – Warsaw by Kaoru Yoshida http://garakuta-www.jugem.jp

In the picture below from the left Mayumi Takahaski, Chihiro Ishino and Kaoru Yoshida

Why Baltic Sea Region?

Baltic Sea Region (BSR) includes ten countries on the top of Europe. The region creates endless opportunities for people interested in design, shopping, eating, history, culture, music and nature. Baltic Sea Region is easy to reach from Japan and distances within the region are short. Live like locals -concept enables you to get the know the region through own wxperience. Concept is based on expert opinions and extensive research, targeted at individual travellers, Japanese young women trend-setters in travelling. Included inviting bloggers in order to spread the message as widely as possible and using social media.

Live like locals -brochures published in English and Japanese

Live like locals -brochure in English and Japanese (pdf, 8 Mb)

In pictures below Mr. Noto Shigeyoshi is interviewing the bloggers and the last pictures is at the reception after the seminar.

30th September, 2011: BaltMet Promo Tourism Pilot event was organized today at the JATA Travel Showcase 2011 in Japan at Tokyo Big Sight. Another marketing event for Japanese tourism operators will be organized 4 October at the Imperial-hotel.

Promo event was present at JATA seminar schedule.

JATA Travel Showcase is Asia’s largest tourism exhibition that receives every year more than 100,000 visitors.

Three bloggers from Japan Lived like locals in the Baltic Sea Region and their feelings were presented at the Promo event. BaltMet Promo EU-funded Project was presented and also the the Live like locals concept. Tourism pilot experts presented the bloggers three different destination packages and the cities involved.

Baltic States,  
Tallinn – Riga – Vilnius 
August 16 – 26,
Ms. Chihiro Ishino, Blog

Berlin and Warsaw 
August 22  -September 1
Ms. Kaori Yoshida, Blog 

Helsinki & St.Petersburg 
September 8 – 17
Ms. Mayumi Takahashi, Blog

Ms. Kaori Yoshida visited Berlin and Warsaw. 

Ms. Mayumi Takahashi (left) visited Helsinki and St. Petersburg and Ms. Chihiro Ishino visited the three Baltic State cities: Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius.

27th September, 2011: In BaltMet Promo 5th newsletter you will find articles:

• Live like locals –concept will be promoted in Japan 
• Registration to Baltic Sea Region – Japan coproduction forum is now open!
• Final Policy Roundtable in Gdansk

To the newsletter

BaltMet Promo project aims at joining forces in promoting the Baltic Sea Region on a global scale. Overall aims are to create a dynamic transnational and multisectoral marketing community to attract tourists, talents, and investors to Baltic Sea Region. www.baltmetpromo.net

16 September, 2011: We invite you to register for Baltic Sea Region – Japan coproduction forum that will take place from 11 to 13 of November, 2011. Well known lector from Japan and Europe will present their seminars and discussions about film production in different regions and it’s possible collaborations.

The Baltic Sea Region-Japan Co-production Forum is a three-day event for young filmmakers. It aims to open up possibilities for collaboration and joint film production between Japan and countries of the Baltic Sea Region.  The event will be held from 11 to 13 November, during the Scanorama European Film Forum, at a conference hall of the Radisson Blu Astorija Hotel in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The moderator of the Baltic Sea Region-Japan Co-production Forum is Nik Powell, a renowned British film producer, lecturer, whose films have won numerous awards (Oscars, Golden Palm, etc.). In 2009 he attended the Scanorama European Film Forum, and conducted a master class in the Go Young Generation Co-production Forum.

More about the forum is HERE.
 
Please register until 25th of October.
Selected participants will be informed until 1st of November.

16 September 2011: The Policy Roundtable will take place between 12.30 and 15.30 on 24 October in Gdansk. Policy Roundtables aims to galvanize regional stakeholders into marketing the Baltic Sea Region on a global scale.

The programme will include food-for-thought presentations to kick off discussions. As keynote speaker we have invited Annika Rembe, Director General of the Swedish Institute, and who has previously led the Swedish delegation to the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 and had a key role in the Baltic Investment Promotion Agencies (“BIPA”) initiative. She will present her thoughts on the marketing of the Baltic Sea Region in a global perspective.    

Share experiences and ideas on tourism promotion, investment promotion and talent attraction with fellow experts.

Discuss the Action Plan for the Marketing of the Baltic Sea Region to investors, tourists and talents, which will be presented for the first time at the meeting. 

The Action Plan is to include policy recommendations on how the Baltic Sea Region better can profile and brand itself globally. It will be created on the basis of the conclusions from the previous Policy Roundtables, concrete results of the BaltMet Promo project and analysis of other marketing projects and efforts. The experienced process consultant Verner Kristiansen, who has moderated the previous Policy Roundtables, will guide the discussions in order to get as much input to the Action Plan as possible. 

REGISTRATION 

Please register before 10 October by sending an email to Ditte Henriksen at Baltic Development Forum at dh(at)bdforum.org

BDF SUMMIT 2011

Right after the meeting, the jointly organised 13^th Baltic Development Forum Summit and 2^nd Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, will begin. The event will gather about 700 decision-makers from the region and beyond. 

Please read about the Summit and the Forum here: http://www.bsr2011.eu, and register here: http://www.bsr2011.eu/registration/register/

14 September, 2011: Live like locals -brochures published in English and Japanese.

The brochure covers the Baltic Sea Region that is the area surrounding the Baltic Sea, covering the Scandinavian countries, the Baltic states, Poland, Germany and the most western part of Russia.

You will find information about the cities of Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Malmö, Oslo, Riga, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Vilnius and Warsaw. The cities create a lively region full of tastes, fashion, design, nature and architecture as well as cultural and historical heritage.

Brochures will be used in two different occasions in Japan first at JATA Travel fair in 30 September and the second a seperate marketing event for Japanese tourism operators will be organized 4 October at the Imperial-hotel.

Publication of the brochure is related to a Tourism Pilot Competition for individual bloggers that was organized during summer 2011 in Japan to win a trip to Baltic Sea Region area and travel under “Live like locals theme”.  Three bloggers were selected out of 32 applicants.

Each winner will have a different trip to the region. One will experience Helsinki and St. Petersburg, second three Baltic states and third Berlin and Warsaw. These three destinations were selected through both demand and supply researches. The selected bloggers have active blogs that concentrate on tourism, design, fashion and lifestyle.

Read more about bloggers trips to the region