We are excited to announce that Sara Whelan, Hemel Hempstead Place Strategy Manager, will be speaking at our not-to-be missed best practice event on Tuesday 15th November.
Sara has been an integral part in taking forward the development and transformation of Hemel Hempstead and works closely with a range of stakeholders to deliver the Hemel Place Strategy, particularly the Hemel Hempstead town Centre Strategy.
Prior to this, Sara was Head of Development Management for six years at Dacorum Borough Council and has held Planning and Place shaping roles at The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London Borough of Camden and Three Rivers District Council. Sara also supports POS (Planning Officers Society) as Policy Manager which includes liaising with government on future policy directions.
Sara will join other leading edge thinkers and practitioners on the day to share best practice and answer your questions.
The full agenda, hosted by our Founding Director John Till, is as follows;
Place: what’s the future?
Professor Martin Reeves, CEO, Coventry City Council, who will look forward with regards to:
- Covid, changes to work/live, the online revolution, climate change and more; how do our places respond?
- What are the critical things you must have in place to ‘reset’?
- What might a place of the future be for, what will you do there?
How do you fund a different approach to developing and promoting your place?
Cristian Marcucci, Assistant Director for Communications, Staffordshire County Council, considers:
- What does a different approach look like and cost?
- How to make the case for council funding to support place brand implementation and how do you measure the results?
- What are the outcomes both positive and negative of doing things differently so far?
Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager takes a close look at:
- What’s the relationship between the different Government funding pots and a fresh approach to place development and promotion?
- Why a place story is fundamental to investment and intervention decisions?
- How public funding has driven change in Chesterfield and will do in Staveley; the role of a place brand and story in making this happen?
Ensuring stakeholder engagement is at the heart of sustaining a place brand approach
Rachel Bayley, Burnley Place Brand Manager and Kate Ingram, Strategic Head of Economy and Growth, Burnley Borough Council, provide their insight as to:
- Why does a business get involved in helping promote the place and financially contribute to being part of an ambassador programme?
- Making clear the value of a place brand from day one, gaining proper investment
- How do the Burnley Bondholders support place promotion?
- The consensus is that SMEs haven’t time to get involved, is this your experience?
Les Ratcliffe, Chair, Coventry & Warwickshire Place Board – Champions, will provide his perspective of:
- The nature of the Coventry and Warwickshire Champions scheme and the role it has in the area
- What the initiative has achieved, what have been the high points?
- The secret to sustaining interest in the programme
- The importance of partnership working
Using a place narrative and place-led approach as a catalyst for physical change in a place
Sara Whelan, Hemel Hempstead Place Strategy Manager, will cover:
- How a narrative can inform and guide the regeneration of a place
- Creating place coherence, from buildings to spaces
- Positively connecting your community to change
‘Culture is the greatest currency of place’; what is its role in place development and promotion?
Paul Williams, Culture and Tourism Consultant, Chair, Stoke on Trent’s Cultural Destinations Partnership and Board Member, We Are Staffordshire, considers:
- Culture has seen a massive rise in prominence in recent years, why is that and what does it bring to a place?
- How should a place develop a cultural approach and what is needed?
- Can you really measure the benefit of an investment in culture?
Visualising your place story, how to develop a new language and approach to communicate your place
Peter Anderson, Creative Director thinkingplace, Founder and Owner Peter Anderson Studio, examines:
- How to use visuals and imagery to strategically communicate and develop a place
- Thinking differently about the experience you offer, using your place story to create a fresh sense of place
- Why what people can do between your buildings really matters, what’s your space strategy?
Place, the latest disruptive thinking and open floor place therapy session
John Till, Founder and Director thinkingplace, provides insight as to:
- How are places doing things differently and what really matters to a place today?
- A chance to share your challenges and successes with the group
Places are booking up fast, to reserve your space please drop us an email to hello@thinkingplace.co.uk.
It will be an interactive, inspiring and insightful event – not to mention it’s in-person! We hope you can join us!
🗓️ Tuesday 15th November 2022 (new date)
⏰ 10.00am – 4.00pm
🏢 Telegraph Hotel, 157 Corporation Street, Coventry, CV1 1GU (new venue)
