Elevating the city: the experience of the Florence Advisory Board

Conference tourism greatly benefits Florence as a destination. Here, we speak with members of the Advisory Board about the importance of increasing the quality of conference tourism for the destination and the tools with which to do so. The Advisory Board, established in November 2022, has precisely this objective of facilitating and supporting those who want to bring high-profile events to the city, creating the connections and conditions for this to happen between institutions, convention bureaus, and the scientific-academic community.

Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence and President of the Advisory Board
Enhancing and promoting Florence as a city of knowledge and as an international destination for congress tourism are increasingly fundamental issues. In addition to the undoubted economic and social impact of this business on the territory, this kind of tourism allows for strategic planning years in advance. By means of the invaluable work of the city’s ambassadors who form the Advisory Board, it is now essential to focus energies on raising the quality of the congresses to be acquired and identifying clusters of particular interest to Florence, the outcomes of which will be further developed when the congress is completed, for the benefit of all. The City Council will have to play a central role in these strategic decisions for the city.

Professor Alessandro Bianchini, Researcher at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence
Receiving the Ambassador Award was a source of pride, and joining the Advisory Board was doubly so. Florence is a city that has always been investing a lot in itself, and I have always been supported by the city and the Convention Bureau. In my professional life, I have the feeling that everything tends to be quite complicated, and we often fail to be systematic. Therefore, having a board in which members of academia, administration, and event promoters are represented is key to simplifying the creation of connections. I believe that being able to create an ecosystem is the most important and effective action in order to grow together.

Doctor Riccardo Saccardi, Director of the Unit of Cellular Therapy and Transplant Medicine, AOU Careggi
The role of a Florence Ambassador is to identify in his or her own field the areas that excel and those who may be able to attract conventions that are of high scientific profile, precisely because of their ability and expertise at an international level, and then accompany them through the Firenze Convention Bureau in order to encourage these kinds of meetings. Certainly, being part of the advisory board makes it easier for professionals to get in touch with institutions and thus find ways to bring high-profile congress tourism to Florence.

Alessandra Petrucci, Chancellor of the University of Florence
The agreement signed a few years ago between the Firenze Convention Bureau, the University, the Municipality, the Metropolitan City, and the Chamber of Commerce and, even more so, the recent establishment of the Advisory Board, constitute fundamental strategic tools for the promotion of Florence as a location for high-quality conference tourism. Through these channels, an important synergy can be created, with the university’s activities impacting the city positively. The national and international vocation of the University of Florence is expressed in multiple ways, from the hospitality extended to the many foreign students and scholars thanks to a structured offering and a broad international mobility network, to the presence of excellent centers in the scientific and cultural fields, and the relationships with the dozens of international universities present in the city.

Professor Franco Trabalzini, Head of the Department of Otolaryngology, AOU Meyer
Definitely a plus in working with the Firenze Convention Bureau is that it is a link between the academic, institutional, and congress worlds, and that means that when you organize a conference, it’s not just you along with your team or just your hospital, but institutionally the whole city is supporting you. An additional resource is then the Advisory Board. The board is formed by a group of people, which I am proud to be a part of, together with the Mayor of Florence and the Chancellor of the University of Florence, a group whose membership gives you extra incentive in the planning of event organization, and also in sharing this planning with the city, whose absolute support you can feel.

Professor Grazia Tucci, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Florence
I’m sure that we can do a lot to ensure that there’s greater connection in the future, and the Convention Bureau can play a very important role in this. The objective of the Advisory Board is to support the city of Florence in order to bring important conferences here, which is not an easy task because very often these conferences are linked to logistics that cannot be governed by a single researcher. However, the Board can certainly provide support in the holding of a conference, that can be of help to anyone wishing to embark on this path.

Florence Ambassador Award // October 26

The Florence Ambassador Award, which this year reaches its 7th edition, rewards the figures in the academic and congress world who have distinguished themselves for having increased the prestige of the city and elevated its national and international attractiveness for the acquisition of events and congresses, leading to a favourable economic impact.