This year, ECM’s Annual Conference was held in Lyon from 8th - 10th June. Its theme was food as a tourist attraction and the extent to which it can act as a competitive advantage in the marketing of a city. The event brought together 160 participants. Today François Gaillard, CEO of Lyon Tourist Office and Convention Bureau and “the host” of ECM Annual Conference shares some of his impressions with us.

The event will be held in Bilbao from 16th to 19th November 2011 and its one-day seminar will focus on best practice in city marketing – approaches, methods, projects and processes that have proven themselves over time and can act as role models.

At the General Assembly of European Cities Marketing held in Lyon, France, on 10th June 2011, Heike Mahmoud (Berlin) was elected as the Association’s new Vice President and the head of the Convention Forum.

Vienna’s MODUL University this year hosted two major events on September 15 and 16: the 7th TourMIS Users’ Workshop (day 1) and the International Seminar on New Media Analysis and Strategies for Tourism Marketing Organiations (day 2).

Founder and Honorary President of the MPI French Chapter since 1997, ECM Board Member and Chairman of Communications Committee, Rémy Cregut is a man with a diverse and rich professional background.

Based on a sample of 59 European cities, including many leading city tourism destinations in Europe, the ECM Benchmarking Report reveals that in 2010 the total number of bednights generated by these cities registered year-on growth of 7.0%. International bednights increased by 6.8%.

Philippe Vignon is a Genevan fluent in French, German, English and Italian who started his professional career with l’Oréal Suisse before moving to EasyJet Geneva, where he stayed for 11 years as Marketing Executive. He became the Managing Director of Geneva Tourism & Conventions in April 2010. Philippe Vignon recently got involved in ECM and he already shows his strong motivation by chairing the next Seminar to be held in Sofia on 17th March.

Denis Zanon worked over a 24 year period for tourist organisations situated in the French Alps, working in places such as Chamonix, Annecy, and Courchevel. A specialist in business tourism, he moved south to the Côte d’Azur to become the new General Manager of Nice Tourisme et Congrès in July 2008. Treasurer of ECM since October 2010, Denis Zanon now reveals something of himself.

Since 1991, Anne Wallin-Rødven has managed the Convention Bureau of VisitOslo. She is committed to ECM and has been a member of the Board since her election in June 2007 at the General Assembly in Athens. Attending the Mercado Workshop in Berlin on 17-19th February 2011, she tells us more about this event she helped to set up in 2009, when it took place for the first time in Montreux.