A journey through the presidents of Destination Florence

TIMELINE
July 1995 – December 2007 > Massimo Papini
January 2008 – December 2009 > Alessandro Tortelli
January 2010 – May 2018 > Giacomo Billi
May 2018 – July 2020 > Italo Romano
July 2020 – September 2023 > Federico Barraco
September 2023 – Present > Jacopo Vicini

Alessandro Tortelli
I remember my term as president as a period of both challenges and achievements. To begin with, facilitating the entry of the Province of Florence into our share capital was an important step: by transferring the shares from Firenze Fiera we guaranteed greater stability to our share capital, ensuring a solid base for the future. Together, we then carried out the first accurate research on the impact of conference tourism in the city, which provided us with valuable information that enabled stakeholders and institutions to grasp the importance of the conference sector for Florence.

There were many small and large goals achieved in those two years, but I would like to mention two aspects of my presidency that were extremely significant from both a professional and personal point of view. First of all, nominating, alongside Giacomo Billi, the new managerial figure of the bureau: Carlotta Ferrari. Never has a choice proven to be more far-sighted, considering the constant growth of the convention bureau and the goals which were unthinkable at the time that are today becoming reality with the birth of the Foundation. Secondly, I would like to give a special mention to Gianna Francini, who was an exceptional support for me and a backbone of the entire company for many years, until her well-deserved retirement!

Now, all I can do is wish the whole team good luck for the challenges that this future brings with it, and I’m certain that the birth of the Foundation will be just the beginning. Onwards and upwards!

Giacomo Billi
The first time I heard about the Convention Bureau was in July 2009. I had just become Councilor for Tourism for the Province of Florence, which at the time had full charge of tourism matters, and became the majority shareholder of the bureau. Who would have thought that I would be its president for the next 10 years? Despite the necessary exit of the Province from the social structure following the national reform, a few years later, we managed to create something never seen before in the land of the Guelphs and Ghibellines: a control room that would systematize those who dealt with tourism in the area, both for the leisure and conference sectors.

What makes me most proud, looking back, is that since then the Convention Bureau has constantly grown, step by step, in an escalation as unexpected (for me!) as it is methodical and intelligent, because it has always been firmly anchored to the reality that guided our choices. We dreamed big, also thanks to Carlotta’s guidance, and division after division, we came to deal with all the main tourism sectors (conferences, destination weddings in 2015, and lastly, individual), effectively becoming a promotional tool available to the territory, but always with great humility!

There’s another aspect that I want to underline regarding these years of presidency: when the Province was forced to leave the bureau, its share was acquired and absorbed by the city’s private tourism operators, who took charge of it, becoming for a long time the true majority shareholders.

Even then, this team effort was almost miraculous, and it’s my duty to give credit to all those who believed in this challenge from the beginning, without whom today we would not be able to talk about the Foundation. Thanks to all the Convention Bureau members, who were dreamers just like us!

Italo Amedeo Romano
A few years have passed now, but I remember with pleasure and a hint of pride the years of my mandate as president. They were brilliant years: the first that comes to mind is the importance of being awarded the municipal tender which, for another 5 years, confirmed us as the sole entity chosen by the Municipality for the promotion of the destination, capable of attracting tourism of greater quality in Florence. It was a turning point for our activities, which strengthened the partnership with institutions and significantly increased the resources at our disposal.

The link with the territory and the institutions has always been a cornerstone of the Con- vention Bureau. During my mandate, this link was underlined by the entry of Confindustria and other tourism trade associations into the social structure, and by the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Municipality of Florence, the Metropolitan City, the Chamber of Commerce and the University of Florence, which identified us as the sole entity for the implementation of initiatives to enhance tourism – especially conference tourism – and deseasonalize it, thus opening up new opportunities for growth and development. It was a goal that we achieved together through commitment and determination.

Today, that bond becomes indissoluble, with the birth of Fondazione Destination Florence. For this reason, I can only look confidently to the future of this new entity and of our spectacular city.

Federico Barraco
Looking back on my Destination Florence Convention Bureau experience, a few key dates come to mind. March 9, 2020, when the Italian Government placed the entire country on lockdown. The national reopening phase began on May 18. A return to normality was expected, and an attempt was made to save the summer season. Then, on July 9, 2020, I was appointed president of the DFCVB, with a second lockdown announced on October 19. Tuscan airports recorded overall traffic of 2.9 million passengers, compared to 8.2 million the previous year. This data leads me to have two reflections: the first pertains more to the statistical-mathematical sphere which can be summarized in the first axiom of Murphy’s law, translatable into a more direct: “What on earth!” The second reflection, humour aside, was the one that drove all our activity during my three-year mandate: gathering strength, creating a system, and making the most of the moment to redesign the role of DF, its modus operandi and its possible development. They were intense years, in which the trust and collaboration of everyone (from employees, to partners, members, board members and institutions) allowed us to throw our hearts beyond the obstacle, to take some risks, and, in spite of it all, to obtain very significant results. They were years in which we managed to raise an all-time high in funds to finance promotional activities, as well as notable numbers in the conference sphere. We consolidated relationships with local stakeholders, as well as the economic sector, Regione Toscana, Toscana Promozione Turistica, Fondazione CR Firenze, the Municipality of Florence, and Firenze Fiera. And, above all, they were years in which we managed to get the role and importance of a project like DF recognized.

Today, DF takes on other forms which will give greater stability and a greater perspective in the medium and long term. It’s a turning point which, I hope, will be able to free DF’s energies from the worry of finding resources year after year and bring a breath of fresh air to its mission.

Jacopo Vicini
The foundation fills a void; we have been talking about it for many years, and we are finally here. We needed a place where the world of tourism and public organizations could meet and move towards a stable and structured city with a long-term, systematic strategy. The objectives that we have are those of quality, sustainable tourism, and the best coexistence between residents and tourists.

When I took office in September, I had two concerns. One was that the public organizations would not be able to meet the deadlines that we had given them. Instead, we have managed it in record time. The other was that I feared our members would not follow us, and this didn’t happen. There has been hardly any perceptible difference, and this gives us great pride, but also great responsibility. I hope that the foundation can be a model for other cities in Italy. We always imagined the project as something that needed to be shared in order to work, and that the world of tourism can unite as a team, because it is only together that we can reach results.

IN MEMORY
Upon the recent, sad passing of Massimo Papini , founder of the Firenze Convention Bureau, we reflect on his notable career and remember his significant contribution to both the city and those who knew him. Formerly the municipal and provincial councilor for health, he became president of the Congress Centre in 1982, dedicated to greatly increasing conference activities in Florence and creating innovative marketing models to promote the image of the city as a location for congresses. His creation of the Firenze Convention Bureau in 1995 was a great step in furthering this activity, serving as president until 2007. He was aware of how fragmenting the conference offerings of the city could potentially limit Florence’s potential, promoting the unification between the Congress Centre, business, and Fortezza da Basso, which would lead to the creation of Firenze Fiera.