A public conference being held by the Nation Branding Committee on 27 January 2016 will aim to develop a plan for creating 'A strong image for an open, dynamic, reliable country'.
The conference is due to take place after the Luxembourg government gave the green light last Friday for an action plan to be implemented under the country's Nation Branding initiative, which was launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of the Economy.
The Nation Branding process will aim to highlight the Grand Duchy as a country rich in history and stories; open and welcoming to foreigners, endowed with political, social and economic stability, and the proud proprietor of its own culinary and cultural heritage.
In July 2015, Secretary of State for the Economy, Francine Closener, outlined three specific characteristics defining the Grand Duchy's profile, these being: reliability, in terms of its maintained political stability, security, quality of life and solid infrastructures; dynamism, manifested above all in the country's historical adaptation from an agrarian country, to a steel industry hub, to an international financial centre; and openness, as evoked in its multiculturalism, the large proportion of its population which is comprised of outsiders, and multilingualism.
The aim of the conference will be to present the initial measures put forward as part of the nation branding process. The subject will be introduced by Francine Closener, and will be followed by a general discussion of the question 'Is nation branding just a marketing exercise?'
Discussion participants will include Sasha Baillie, chair of the Nation Branding Committee; Patrick Ernzer, Director of Communication and Media at the Chamber of Commerce; Marc Feider, senior partner at Allen & Overy; Anna Loporcano, ambassador of Design for Europe; Donato Rotunno, director/producer and founder of Tarantula Luxembourg; Diego Velazquez, journalist, Brussels correspondent for the Luxemburger Wort; and Christiane Wickler, CEO of Pall Center.
The discussion will be held in Luxembourgish, with French and English translations provided. Christiane Kremer, journalist at RTL Radio Lëtzebuerg, will act as moderator.
The conference will take place at 18:30 at the Studio of the Luxembourg City Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg. Registration is mandatory and can be completed by e-mailing nation.branding@mae.etat.lu.
Photo by Luxembourg Government
