UNESCO Creative Cities Network 10 th Annual Meeting 14 16 September 2016 Östersund, Jämtland Härjedalen, Sweden General Information Date: 14-16 September 2016 Venue: Participants: Organizers: Theme: Östersund City and the Region of Jämtland Härjedalen, Sweden Delegates of 116 UNESCO Creative Cities and UNESCO representatives Östersund City, Region of Jämtland Härjedalen, UNESCO Fostering the culture and creative sectors as drivers of sustainable development: Maximizing the potential of urban-rural connections 1. HOST CITY The region of Jämtland Härjedalen is situated in central Sweden and consists of the two provinces Jämtland and Härjedalen. Östersund, founded in 1786, is the county seat and the region s only city. The cultural scene is a main contributor for making Östersund a nice city to live in. Active associations and societies, innovative entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, provide a wide range of cultural events and creations. Here in our beautiful landscape, the pure nature, the rich culture, history, and especially the passionate food enthusiasts have created a cluster of farmers, culinary entrepreneurs and restaurateurs. The proportion of organic farmers and commodity producers is high compared to the rest of Sweden. An increasing number of small-scale entrepreneurs succeed in combining prime food production with interesting cultural events, where gastronomy becomes one of many attractions. Member of the Network in the field of Gastronomy since 2010, the city was also appointed as Sweden s first Culinary Capital by the Swedish Government in 2011. 1
2. OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUAL MEETING From 14 to 16 September 2016, Östersund, designated in 2010 as UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, in the Region of Jämtland Härjedalen, Sweden, will welcome the 116 UCCN members from 54 countries to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network 10 th Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting in Östersund will be a key platform of dialogue between the Creative Cities and UNESCO, covering UCCN strategic objectives as well as exchange of information among Member Cities. More specifically, the main objectives of the Annual Meeting are to: Exchange up-to-date information on activities carried out by cities, which intend to achieve the objectives of the Network both at the local and international level and to formulate new inter-city partnership initiatives; Determine the Network s strategy and operations, and agree upon important matters related to its future development, including the priorities of the Network for the coming year; Offer a key platform of dialogue between the Creative Cities and UNESCO, regarding the organization s priorities on culture, creativity and sustainable development as well as other issues of mutual interest. Prior to the UCCN 10 th Annual Meeting, Mid Sweden University in Östersund will organize a conference on Valuing and Evaluating Creativity for Sustainable Regional Development (VEC) (11-14 September 2016), designed to support research and evaluation needs of the UCCN. The UCCN delegates are invited to participate in this conference. If your city is interested in participating to the VEC-research conference, please visit the following website to obtain all the necessary information and proceed with the online conference registration at: http://www.uccn2016research.com. Please note that registration for the VEC Conference differ from registration for the UCCN16 Annual Meeting. 3. MAIN CONTENTS OF THE AGENDA The Meeting in Östersund will be inaugurated by the Swedish Cultural and Democracy Minister Alice Bah Kuhnke, and the Mayor of Östersund, AnnSofie Andersson. Plenary sessions: The plenary sessions will be dedicated to review the main achievements of the Network and the flagship initiatives developed by its members both at the local and international level since the last Annual Meeting held in May 2015 in Kanazawa (Japan). On the basis of city member s experiences and inspiring key-note speakers contributions, the future development strategy of the Network, the reinforcement of linkages with UNESCO s work in culture and sustainable urban development, notably in the field of research, and the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda will also be featured, among other topics. 2
The first round of the Membership Monitoring Exercise will be reviewed and the selection of the Host Cities of the XI and XII Annual Meetings will be completed. Creative field workshops: As a key component of the UCCN Annual Meeting, the creative field workshops will provide an opportunity to facilitate the integration of the new members designated in December 2015, review major initiatives and partnerships undertaken at the local and international levels, identify perspectives for cooperation, and enhance interactions among local, regional and international stakeholders. Mayors Meeting: This high-profile political meeting will be focused on integrating culture and creativity into local development strategies and plans; broadening perspectives on the interconnection between sustainable urban and rural developments. Mayors from the UCCN will be invited to exchange views upon creative experiences as a strategic tool for implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda at the local level, as well as for broadening perspectives on the connection of urban and rural developments. Transversal thematic workshops: Focusing on transversal issues of mutual interest, the thematic workshops are intended to foster exchanges and cross-cultural cooperation among members on the following proposed topics: maximizing urban-rural connections through interventions based on culture and creativity; fostering partnerships and exchanges intended to support the mobility of artists and cultural professionals within the Network; revitalizing cities through culture and creativity; and developing research and creating a data hub for the UCCN. Moreover, an exhibition showcasing UCCN Members good practices in operationalizing the Network s Mission Statement will be presented. Business-to-business workshop: Interactive Business-to-Business sessions to launch discussions on innovation and to stimulate international creative business exchanges in the cultural and creative sectors will be open to regional companies and cultural professionals and company representatives from the participating delegations of member cities. Steering group working sessions: Gathering the coordinators and deputy coordinators of the seven creative fields, the representatives of the host city of the 10 th Annual Meeting and the UNESCO staff, the Steering Group working sessions will be held regularly during the Meeting to monitor the global management of the Network and facilitate the drafting of its Conclusions. Cultural programme: Besides these events, a special cultural programme open to the UCCN delegates and the general public will feature regional artists, creators and entrepreneurs in the fields of creativity and gastronomy, both from Östersund and all around the Region of Jämtland- Härjedalen. Optional add-on special programme for the delegates on the weekend of 17-18 September will be proposed (with fees). 4. PARTICIPANTS Delegates of 116 UNESCO Creative Cities and UNESCO representatives participating at the 10 th Annual Meeting. 3
A minimum of one delegate to a maximum of three from each UNESCO Creative City is/are invited to attend the 10 th Annual Meeting. Should your delegation be composed of more than one person; cities are recommended to send at least one cultural entrepreneur or creative stakeholder. All delegates should be properly registered through the dedicated online platform before 15 th July. 5. LANGUAGES The working languages will be English and French. Simultaneous interpretation services will be provided for the plenary sessions and the Mayors Meeting. The creative field workshops, the transversal thematic workshops and the Steering Group working meetings will be in English only. 6. EXPENSE COVERAGE The host city Östersund will cover the following expenses for the participating delegates: Logistics and organization of the Annual Meeting. Internal transfers between Östersund/Åre Airport or Östersund Railway Station to the meeting venues on 13 September. Dinners on 14 and 15 September and lunches on 14, 15 and 16 September. Cultural programme activities that will take place in the City and the surroundings areas from 14 to 16 September 2016. An additional special program will occur during the weekend of 17-18 September. Cultural activities are subject to a fee. Business-to-Business workshop. Participation over 3 delegates will imply an additional fee for each additional person, including food and study visits in the general programme at an extra cost of 250,00 (Contact Congresso Office for further information). Please note that the plenary sessions and the opening ceremony will be strictly reserved for the official delegation (3 persons only). The participants will cover the following expenses: Travel to Östersund (to Östersund/Åre Airport or Östersund Railway Station). Accommodation (breakfast incl.). Meals, which are not specified above. All other personal expenses related to the travel to Östersund and/or the participation at the Annual Meeting such as insurance, vaccinations, visa fees, airport tax and any other expenses incurred during the meeting. 7. REGISTRATIONS AND VISA APPLICATION In order to facilitate your participation, the city of Östersund invites you to use the online registration form at: http://creativegastronomy.com/uccn2016/registration. The Registration Desk, located in the entrance of Storsjöteatern, also providing information and booking of activities, will be open on the following dates: 13 September 2:00 7:00 pm 4
14 September 8:00 am 1:00 pm 15 September 8:00 am 1:00 pm (Registration desk will be available at the General Assembly venue) Participating delegates should make their own arrangements for obtaining necessary entry documents (i.e. visa) for their travel to Östersund, Sweden. It is the delegates responsibility to find out whether an entry visa is needed for travelling to Sweden. If you need an invitation letter to obtain your visa, please contact Östersund UCCN team. 8. MEETING VENUES Meeting venues in the city centre and close to Östersund will be used for the plenary sessions as well as for the creative field and transversal thematic workshops. Details on the specific venues along with a map will be provided to the registered delegates along with the official agenda. Regional arenas outside Östersund will be visited during different study visits showcasing the gastronomic and cultural profile of Östersund and the region of Jämtland-Härjedalen. Please notify us of any allergies, dietary requirements, or medical conditions you have. 9. ACCOMMODATION Participants must cover their own accommodation expenses and ensure their own hotel reservation, ideally in one of the hotels near the city centre pre-booked by the city of Östersund and recommended in the online registration form. Please make your hotel reservation when you register for the annual meeting. Hotel information will be available at: http://creativegastronomy.com/uccn2016/registration 10. TRAVEL INFORMATION Östersund is located in central Sweden and about 600 km north of the Stockholm-Arlanda airport (airport code ARN). The Stockholm-Arlanda airport is the main international airport in Sweden and Östersund is serviced by the Åre-Östersund airport (airport code OSD). Flights from the Stockholm area to Östersund are available from Stockholm-Arlanda as well as from Stockholm s smaller Bromma airport (airport code BMA). Airport buses run to and from the centre of Östersund in connection with most arrivals and departures to the Åre-Östersund airport. Taxis are also readily available from the airport. The airport is located about 10km from the centre of Östersund. If you prefer to travel by train, you can board the train at Arlanda airport. There are some direct train lines to Östersund please visit the SJ website (www.sj.se) for schedule and fare information. The train station in Östersund is located in close proximity to the city centre (about a 5 minute walk). Internal transfers between Östersund/Åre Airport or Östersund Railway Station to the meeting venues on 13 September will be arranged. 5
11. WEATHER The City of Östersund in the month of September is highly variable with an average temperature in September of 47 F/8 C. We recommend that you bring comfortable walking shoes and a warm jacket since some of the study visits and lunches will be outdoor. 12. CURRENCY The official and legal currency in circulation in Sweden is the Swedish Krona (SEK, plural kronor ). Major credit cards are widely accepted throughout Sweden. You may withdraw cash with a Visa, MasterCard, Maestro or Cirrus card at any Bankomat or Uttagsautomat ATM. In order to pay or withdraw cash with your credit card, your card must have a chip and PIN (Personal Identification Number). 13. FURTHER INFORMATION For further information about the 2016 UCCN Annual Meeting and access travel information, please visit the official website: http://creativegastronomy.com/uccn2016 or contact Östersund UCCN team. 14. PROJECT TEAM Dag Hartman Project Coordinator European and International Projects Region Jämtland Härjedalen dag.hartman(at)regionjh.se +46 (0)70-6607303 Marion Magen Assistant Project Manager Region Jämtland Härjedalen marion.magen(at)regionjh.se +46 (0) 070 253 14 04 Logistics Tina Happe Märit Blixt info (at) congressoab.se +46 63 121400 Press contact Sofia Klasson sofia (at) trampolinpr.se +46 705804202 6