A look back at a date with Robin Hood

The Crowne Plaza Nottingham – the city’s main conference hotel – hosted the three day meeting. A civic reception took place at the Council House and a gala dinner was held at Colwick Hall Hotel. Delegates also got to see some of the city’s tourism highlights including the award winning Nottingham tourism centre, Nottingham Castle and went on a hunt for our outlaw at Sherwood Forest.

City brands were put to the test by Jeremy Hildreth, Head of Place Marketing at Saffron Consulting. Hildreth’s 72 strong European cities barometer compares city’s assets and attractions against the strength of their brand. Participating industry leaders, Experience Nottinghamshire’s Image and Branding Panel and city champions were amongst the audience.

The ECM Autumn meeting was hosted by the city of Robin Hood, Nottingham. 109 delegates attended the full day seminar to learn more about “The visitor journey in European cities – striking a balance between brand promise and the reality of the visitor experience”.

Professor John Heeley, Chief Executive of Experience Nottinghamshire, shares his impressions of the ECM autumn meeting:

In your opinion, what is the most beneficial aspect of the ECM meetings to the participants?

It is the opportunity to share knowledge, perspectives and ideas, especially through the seminar. I thought the seminar theme at the ECM Nottingham meeting was a really interesting one, and I found the presentations of Mandy Lane and John Lennon especially enlightening.

Professor John Heeley was asked:

What was most rewarding about hosting the ECM meeting?

Hosting the event was a great challenge, but one I would recommend to all members. After all, it’s a great way of showing off your city to a really discerning audience! I felt really proud of my staff who worked hard and professionally to ensure the event worked well – from the accommodation bookings to the Gala Dinner, through to the social programme and the visits – formal and informal – to the Nottingham Tourism Centre. We more or less broke even on the event, so that was an achievement in its own right as well as a big relief!

For you, what was the best moment of the meeting in Nottingham and why?

The best moments were the spontaneous ovation afforded to Claes Bjerkne and the presentations delivered by John Lennon, Mandy Lane and Jeremy Hildrith. AND surviving the ladder entertainment at the Gala Dinner!