Past Conferences

ULI Europe at Barcelona Meeting Point

Transforming and Energizing Cities:
Urban Tourism as Catalyst

25 October 2005
Hall No. 1, Fira de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain

Speakers

Program

Corporate Partners

Program Sponsors

Conference Overview

Tourism is a vital component of urban economies. For many cities, tourism is the engine behind regeneration, job creation and investment. It is the catalyst for a wide range of investment and development opportunities, from transportation and other infrastructure projects, to hotels, retail, and leisure amenities. City governments and private sector developers, investors and operators have recognized the power of tourism to transform their cities and create economic value.

European cities have long been at the forefront of this trend with several attracting more visitors than most countries. The lessons learned from these success stories are being adopted by other cities around the world as they invest in urban regeneration, heritage conservation and adapt the city to visitors and capital.

Join ULI at Barcelona Meeting Point and connect with leading developers, investors, operators and advisors. Share the current ideas and best practices with the people, companies and cities at the forefront of success in urban tourism.

Who Should Attend

• Developers of urban tourist projects, and developers considering venturing into this market
• Architects, engineers, and attorneys
• Real estate consultants, lenders, and investors
• Public officials.

and Why . . .

• To get better connected with the most distinguished professionals and real estate development executives working in the urban tourism market.
• To stay ahead of the competition and get the most current market information.
• To understand clearly what is and will influence this development niche.
• And much more!

Conference Chair

André Jordan
Chairman of the Board
Planbelas—Sociedade Imobiliára SA
Lisbon, Portugal

André Jordan is recognized as the doyen of the leisure property industry in Europe. He created the renowned Quinta do Lago resort, the Vilamoura XXI project and was instrumental in the creation of several other projects in Portugal, all of which are recognized for their high standard of planning, design and environmental responsibility. In 1988 and 89 he re-launched the La Manga Club, the most complete residential resort in Spain. His most recent project is the Belas Clube de Campo community in the Sintra hills of the Lisbon region. He has also been noted for the creation of world class golf courses and two of them have been recently included in the top 100 best courses in the World, outside of the United States, namely San Lorenzo, in Quinta do Lago, and The Old Course, in Vilamoura, both in the Algarve.

Keynote Speaker

Jean Claude Baumgarten
President
World Travel & Tourism Council
London, United Kingdom

In 1999, Baumgarten was appointed president of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The WTTC is the forum for global business leaders comprising the presidents, chairs and chief executive officers of 100 of the world's foremost companies. It is the only body representing the private sector in all parts of the travel and tourism industry worldwide. Its mission is to raise awareness of the full economic impact of the world's largest generator of wealth and jobs—travel and tourism.

Prior to joining WTCC, Baumgarten spent more than 20 years with Air France in such positions as: vice president for the Americas and Asia, executive vice president of commercial operations and member of the executive and strategic committee, executive vice president of corporate, international, and industrial affairs, and finally as advisor of the chairman.

Baumgarten is both an Officier de l’ordre National du Merite and a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres. He is advisor in foreign trade to both the French government and the chairman of the Tourism Commission.

Program

Tuesday, 25 October 2005

08.00 - 09.30
Registration

09.30-10.45
Welcome and Opening
Plenary Session
The City as Destination: How Urban Tourism Changes the Face of Cities

Intense competition for the investment and revenue generated by urban tourism has led cities to literally reinvent themselves. Growing at an astonishing pace, business and leisure tourism now plays a pivotal role in the economic development strategies of city governments around the globe. In this session, a panel of distinguished mayors will share the story behind how urban tourism is helping, supporting, and driving the transformation of their cities and the opportunities this creates for investors and developers.

10.45 – 11.00
Break

11.00-12.15
Reaping the Benefits: The Economic Rewards of Urban Tourism—Leveraging Sports, Culture, and Commerce

This session will examine the viability of urban tourism projects from both public and private sector perspectives. Case study presentations of those who have successfully leveraged sports, culture, and commerce to reap economic benefit will be explored. The panel will share lessons learned and mistakes made when undertaking such projects. Each panelist will present the vision, plans, funding strategies, long term performance and impact of their projects. Hear how public/private partnerships provide the framework for successful private investment. Learn what public authorities must do, deliver, and expect of the private sector and vice-versa. Discover what cities must do to attract tourism and who pays for it.

12.15 – 12.30
Break

12.30 - 13.45
Something for Everyone: New Trends in Accommodation

The choice of accommodation products has increased significantly over recent years. Travelers now have an array of options including boutique hotels, timeshares, fractional ownership, traditional hotels and cruise liners. How have these trends affected cities, tour operators, and the private sector? This panel of developers, hospitality operators/mangers, and tour operators will explore the evolution and business models for these new product types. Are they viable, how do they enhance urban development; and what are the trends for the future? The panel will share their perspective on how these new products are changing traditional business models but also the character of cities.

13.45 - 14.00
Break

14.00 - 16.00
Lunch and Keynote Presentation Featuring Jean-Claude Baumgarten

Over the past few years, the travel and tourism industry has had to contend with a series of unprecedented challenges. International events, such as terrorism, SARS, and economic turbulence have led to significant changes in travel and tourism demand.

At the same time, international events have also acted as a catalyst, accelerating fundamental changes in market behaviour and travel patterns that have been slowly emerging over the past decade. While business plans have become increasingly short term, more and more governments are starting to realize that they cannot leave travel and tourism growth to chance. This emerging global consciousness represents a great opportunity for our industry. Baumgarten will share his views on these changes and what they mean for travel and tourism development.

16.00 - 16.30
Break

16.30 - 18.00
Making the Deal: Finance, Investment and Development Trends

Funding innovative hotel, leisure and tourism infrastructure can be uniquely challenging. In this closing session, investors, lenders and development executives will discuss what, where, and how to make the deal a reality. The panel will explore the economic criteria for structuring and financing successful tourism-dependent projects. Discover what investors and lenders look for when underwriting investment and development. What role do public funding, public/private partnerships and other incentives play in making tourism related projects a reality?

18.00
Conference Program Ends

Barcelona Meeting Point 2005

25-30 October 2005

Barcelona Meeting Point celebrates its eighth year preceded by international success and constant growth. One of the best real estate symposiums in Europe, Barcelona Meeting Point offers:

• Over 100 world class speakers.
• 45,000 square metres of exhibits.
• Flexible visitors registration fees.
• Attendance from all over the globe.

This is an event that you won’t want to miss. For complete information on Barcelona Meeting Point, visit www.bmpsa.com

Richard Rosan
President
ULI–The Urban Land Institute
Washington, D.C., USA

About ULI

ULI–the Urban Land Institute is the preeminent, multidisciplinary real estate organization that facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information, and experience among industry leaders and policy makers, dedicated to creating better places.

ULI sponsors education programs and forums to encourage the open, global exchange of ideas and sharing of experience; initiates research that anticipates emerging land use trends and issues and proposes creative solutions based on that research; provides advisory services; and publishes a wide variety of materials to disseminate information on land use and development.

Established in 1936, the Institute now has more than 26,000 members worldwide, in over 80 countries, representing every area of the real estate industry, including: developers, owners, investors, lenders, builders, architects, planners, lawyers, analysts, academics, public officials, young leaders, and students.

William Kistler
President
ULI Europe
London, United Kingdom

About ULI Europe

ULI Europe is committed to bringing ULI and its timely and informative programmes to all segments of the development community in Europe. ULI Europe relies heavily on the experiences of its more than 1,500 members, who reflect the full range of disciplines that define the land use and development field.

ULI Europe hosts council meetings, conferences, and workshops throughout Europe and publishes a quarterly magazine, Urban Land Europe.