Join us at our free best practice event – Helping you put the pizzazz into your place!

Event postponed – new date to be confirmed

Making your place the hero: best practice advice from leading-edge thinkers!

Kindly hosted at Friargate by Prof. Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Coventry City Council.

thinkingplace are delighted to host this FREE learning event on Tuesday 13th September 2022 from 10.00am to 4.00pm for anyone involved in promoting and shaping their place.

We asked various people involved with this work what their priorities are and what they would like to learn about.

This has shaped the content of the day and we’ve brought in leading-edge thinkers and practitioners to share their best practice and answer your questions.

There will be fast moving and interactive sessions as well as the opportunity to network with your peers.

Speakers confirmed so far include;

Agenda includes;

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 and Lynda Sharp, Economic Development Manager, Chesterfield Borough Council take 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/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

Driving change in places

Mike Palin, Executive Director Markets, Partners and Places for Homes England will cover:

The role of Homes England in place based regeneration and housing development
Providing capacity where it matters
A perspective of priorities for future places

‘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?
A chance to share your challenges and successes with the group

We are thrilled to host this in-person event at the fantastic new Friargate complex in the heart of Coventry, conveniently located next to the mainline train station for easy access.