On 12 March 2024, sixteen local authorities from Ireland and
the UK will gather in Dublin to discuss the important topic of
‘place branding’ and how the associated techniques and strategies
can be applied to the economic, political and cultural
development of cities and regions. The event, hosted by Dublin
City Council in collaboration with the British Embassy and
Connected Places Catapult, will identify the strengths and
potential benefits of branding places. Participants will
engage in workshops and discussions to share best practice on how
to make their regions better places in which to live, work,
and invest.
This will be the 12th time the ‘Joining the Dots’ programme will
meet and the second time in the city of Dublin. ‘Joining the
Dots’ is a programme that promotes economic development in UK and
Irish regions through the sharing of best practices by local
policy experts. The aim being to identify common challenges, and
then explore solutions and opportunities for
growth. Beginning in 2018 the event has been hosted in over
10 different locations throughout the UK and Ireland, including
Cork, Birmingham, Galway, Manchester, Liverpool and Belfast. This
time around 16 Local authorities, 8 from the UK and 8 from
Ireland will gather in Dublin.
Last night, proceedings were kicked off with an event at the
world-famous Guinness Storehouse, which itself is a symbol of how
branding and regeneration can bring a new lease of life to an
area. Gathered guests soaked in the night view across Dublin
while hearing from the British Ambassador to Ireland, and Daithí de Róiste, Lord
Mayor of Dublin.
Speaking about the latest joining the Dots event, the
British Ambassador to Ireland, said:
‘Joining the Dots’ is a fantastic vehicle that promotes economic
links and opportunities between regions of the UK and Ireland,
helping to identify opportunities to connect businesses,
researchers and academia to promote UK–Irish economic growth.
Previous ‘Joining the Dots’ events have delved into important
issues ranging from advanced manufacturing to inclusive
innovation and last October we celebrated its 5th birthday in
Cork with an excellent event on the retrofit of housing. I am
delighted that the programme has returned to Dublin this week to
host a masterclass on ‘Place Branding’. Over the course of this
visit, UK and Irish participants will engage in workshops and
discussions to share best practice on how to make their
destinations better places in which to live, work, and invest.
Daithí de Róiste, Lord Mayor of Dublin, added:
I am delighted to be supporting the Joining the Dots
initiative. Bringing together local authorities from across
Ireland and the UK to network and share ideas will not only
promote economic development but will build closer UK-Irish
relationships and understanding.
Alex Cousins, Business Director at Connected Places Catapult
added:
I’m incredibly proud that through the ‘Joining the Dots’
programme we are able to bring together local authorities and the
private sector to accelerate innovation and foster economic ties
between UK and Ireland. Dublin is a fantastic city in which to
hold our latest session where we’re focusing on the hot topic of
place branding and examining the economic, cultural and political
benefits that it can deliver.
