2nd International Conference on “Destination Branding and Marketing” at Institute For Tourism Studies (IFT)

Macao is at the crossroads with its image positioning and marketing in tourism. It is undeniable that gaming has become a leading economic pillar of Macao which is confirmed by current statistics, Macao people would still like the world to appreciate other aspects as a unique tourism destination, from Macao’s UNESCO World Heritage, international events, local cultural festivals, leisure and entertainment treats, to the culinary delights. Strategies in enhancing the image of Macao from a gaming destination to a multidimensional leisure and entertainment hub are desired. With this reason, having successfully organised jointly with the College of Consumer and Family Sciences, Purdue University, USA in 2005, IFT continues to organise, with a new co-organiser Peking University, the 2nd International Conference on “Destination Branding and Marketing”, 17-19 December, at the Grand Hall of Inspiration Building in IFT, with the theme “New Advances and Challenges for Practice”. This conference is an outcome of a long-standing partnership among the three organisers, and is expected to touch on some imminent issues that Macao is facing, and generate useful ideas that can be further explored, and applied in other destinations undergoing or wishing to undergo transformation. The opening ceremony of the conference was hosted by Dr. Fanny Vong, President of IFT and Dr. Dennis A. Savaiano, Dean of College of Consumer and Family Sciences, Purdue University. Delegates from Australia, Belgium, Mainland China, Denmark, India, Italy, South Korea, Mauritius, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, South Afraica, China Taiwan, Turkey, United States, Hong Kong and Macao; Participants from tourism and hospitality professionals, destination marketing practitioners, executives, researchers, academics, graduate students, convention and visitor's bureau executives, event planners and organisers, travel industry members, operators, and travel-related business owners and investors were invited to attend this conference. Aiming to create a forum and opportunity for the latest developments, trends, and research emerging in the area of destination branding and marketing, ideas are shared, discussed, and debated in the conference. Papers of both applied and conceptual orientation are presented on the following topics, along with other relevant concerns:
- Destination branding and marketing development
- Measuring destination branding and marketing effectiveness
- Destination product innovation
- Cooperation, collaboration and competition in destination branding and marketing
- Success or failure stories, best practices and case studies in destination branding and marketing
- Consumer travel behavior, visitor segmentation and psychology in destination branding and marketing
- Branding for special interest and niche tourism in the context of destination branding development (nature, heritage and culture, adventure, events, conventions and gaming)
- The economics of destination branding and marketing
- Joint or regional destination branding, promotion and marketing
- Tourism distribution and online branding and marketing
- Hospitality and hotel management in a destination branding context Speakers include:
- Bill Baker
President of Total Destination Marketing, USA
- Dr. Liping A. Cai
Director and Professor of Purdue Tourism and Hospitality Research Centre, USA
- Dr. Jonathon Day
President of Placemark Solutions, USA
- Jim Epperson
Executive Director of Harrison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, USA
- Dr. William C. Gartner
Professor of Department of Applied Economics in University of Minnesota, USA
- Dr. Rich Harrill
Director of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Travel & Tourism Industry Centre, International Tourism Research Institute, in University of South Carolina, USA
- Dr. Steven Pike
Senior Lecturer in the School of Advertising, Marketing & PR at Queensland University of Technology, Australia
- Roger Pride
Director of Marketing of Wales Tourist Board, UK
- Dr. Bihu Wu
Professor and Director of the Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research, Department of Urban and Regional Planning in Peking University, China