Events can deliver transformational long-term benefits for places. Here are five places that are re-thinking the ways that they approach events to ensure that they’re prioritizing a long-term, sustainable future for their communities.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Ottawa was ready for a cultural refuel. Enter the Unofficial Museums campaign, an initiative to celebrate the hidden gems within the city. In total, 76 ‘museums’ were opened in a single day as special status was granted to festivals, restaurants, concert venues, attractions, and more. A new dessert shop, First Bite, became the Unofficial Museum of Croffle (croissant + waffle)! Learn more here. Learn about Ottawa's Award entry for Best Placemaking Initiative 

How are places actively working to engage their local communities in creating a vibrant and thriving future for their place? From Jamaica to New Zealand, here are nine insights to help you connect with your community.

The demand for happiness is higher than ever – and Visit Finland are ready to help people rediscover their joy. Discover how the team launched ‘The Masterclass of Happiness’ to help share the Finnish mindset with the world.

Fiji regularly tops the survey for the happiest country in the world. The new positioning highlights Fiji as more than a postcard destination, instead showcasing a genuine perspective on happiness.

Learn about Fiji's Award entry for Best Communication Strategy: Tourism

For the first time in 64 years, Wales reached the FIFA World Cup finals, and the team took advantage of the momentum with an authentic, people-led campaign to introduce Wales to the world.

Learn about Wales' Award entry for Best Communication Strategy: Place Brand

With Christmas around the corner, the Go Vilnius team used the festive season as an opportunity to raise awareness of the city - using a carol with lyrics inspired by wrong answers about Vilnius's location. 

A series of public input sessions called Future Festivals gave residents the chance to play larger-than-life games to gather feedback that would inform the development of the city’s two-year workplan.

Learn about the City of Williamsburg's Award entry for Best Citizen Engagement

Learn about Great Britain's Award entry for Best Place Brand Communications Strategy 

A Tinder-branded profile for VisitAarhus allowed the team to engage with their prospective audience on an equal footing with flirtatious communication in search of a perfect holiday match.

Learn about Aarhus, Denmark's Award entry for Best Communication Strategy: Tourism

From wayfinding to digital skills building, here are six examples of places who are building the future of their visitor economy in partnership with their locals.

Colorado has traditionally spent millions each year selling the state as a place to play – yet very little on promoting itself as a place to do business. Discover how a complex research initiative helped build a regional brand for Metro Denver.

On the eve of Finland’s independence centenary in December 2017, the goal was to create a moment of togetherness - a low-threshold way for Finns to join in and tell the narrative of Finland - using the simple medium of a grocery conveyor belt.

Looking for global inspiration for marketing a city, country, or region? We’re delighted to spotlight the most innovative and impactful campaigns from across destination marketing, investment promotion and economic development.

People are getting more savvy and are quick to call out organisations who aren’t walking the talk. However, if you can embed your sustainable values throughout your organisation and ensure that your strategy is reflective of your community, it’s possible to make real impact with your approach. Here are some top examples of how cities and nations around the world are making sure that they’re living their sustainable values to lay the path for a more resilient future.