I Staff Exchange “Devora, Es Burgos”, an Eventful Gastronomic Event!

I Staff Exchange “Devora, es Burgos”, an eventful gastronomic event!

REPORT

Photos by ©Romulus Opriscan and ©María Koke

REPORT I Staff Exchange “Devora, es Burgos”, an eventful gastronomic event!

The Staff Exchanges within the project Gastronomic Cities were designed as a tool for learning from Burgos gastronomic good practice.

The first Gastronomic Cities Staff Exchange (out of 3) was based on gastro- tourist packages, and brought a technical delegation from each “receiving” city to the 2014 edition of Devora, is Burgos, the flagship gastronomic tourism weekend, that was held on 12 and 13th April, to see how the event is organized and agreed (from the professional point of view, being analytic!), but also to have the experience from the citizen/tourist perspective (Living Lab weekend!): The receiving cities had a full experience, and saw on the ground how is organized, how the event is developed and enjoyed by the audience, the impact for the city and the synergies with different local and provincial fields.

The specific objectives for the receiving cities within the I Staff Exchange were: • Take ideas and some food for thought from Burgos event (the message is: Go and find your engine event!) • Learn on the organization and promotion event. • Check all the possibilities that stakeholders cooperation and sponsorship can bring. • Motivate their stakeholders (including decision makers) participating with peers in Devora activities, committing then for cooperation. • Give their feedback to Burgos city on how the event could be improved both from organizer and user point of view. The city delegations were composed by decision makers, event organizers, bloggers, HORECA representatives, and of course, local project coordinators.

The Staff Exchange included a 2 days full programme combining active participation within the event and also project meeting debriefing sessions, training workshops and common sessions.

…but… what is Devora, is Burgos?

Devora = Devour

Devour = Eating eagerly (like an animal)

The Strategic Plan City of Burgos, the Burgos HO-RE-CA Federation and Burgos city Council organize (In 2014, it was held the 3rd Edition) a gastronomic tourism weekend called "Devora, es Burgos", an integrated promotional campaign to be developed in a weekend format, including special prices for menus, tapas, hotels, shuttles connecting the city with wineries from Ribera del Duero and Arlanza and agro food factories, show-cooking by Burgos chefs, children space on food culture,…everything connected to special prices to cultural resources: The objective is setting up a tourism product that linked together the cultural and gastronomic offer in Burgos. www.burgos25.com

Accommodation is offered at 25 Euros per person including breakfast, and special menus at the best restaurants for 25 Euros per person. Burgos 25 is a great opportunity to experience the beauty of the city of Burgos through its gastronomy and it works as an engine event for the whole city strategy on gastronomy.

The event background comes from the new brand of the city ‘Smile, is Burgos’, so, following the same philosophy, one of the projects was called ‘Devora is Burgos’

It is an event in which we want to differentiate from other territories through gastronomy. We make the difference by using something that comes together with the territory.

Again, following the slogan Devora, is Burgos, different tags/labels were created for the different promotional weekend activities:

The different editions of the event have fixed activities, and also new and rotative activities that are included in each edition.

It is not the objective of this report giving a full description of the event, but briefly these are the activities included in 2014 Devora is Burgos that the city partners were able to experience on the ground:

Devora, es Burgos 2014

Devora en Burgos: Devour in Burgos/Hotels Enjoy the best hotels in Burgos at a single price: 50 euro for a double room with breakfast. Reservations are made at each hotel, with 'Burgos 25' reference.

Dónde devorar/Where to devour/Restaurants 25 Euro per person, the menu includes four courses and local wine from Ribera or Arlanza.

Mini Devora/ Mini Devour/Tapas Specially designed tapas, with local wine (Ribera or Arlanza), beer or water for 2,5 Euro.

Show Cooking Cooking Show developed by local Chefs and producers from Burgos

Diálogos de gastronomía/ Gastronomy dialogues 5 very well known sport figures –from different sports disciplines- had a smart and cool talk on diet and sport. (Each Devora edition, the dialogues topic is changing, always maintaining the philosophy: Gastronomy combined with another popular topic)

Devora bus/ Devour bus Bus transfers to Burgos province wineries in Ribera and Arlanza. You do not have to worry about anything; we take you and bring you.

Devora catas/Devour Wine tastings The local wine expert Paco Berciano offers three unique tasting wines from Ribera and Arlanza local wines. The expert tours the wine landscape through five Burgos wines.

Devora Cultura/ Devour Culture Prices discounted at the Cathedral, Museum of Human Evolution and Book Museum. All customers from the hotels and restaurants (included in the Devora promotion) have a reduction in the price tickets to the Cathedral, the Human Evolution Museum and Book Museum during the Devora weekend, through an identification card.

Devora infantil/Devour Children Peque Chef and Devora en familia (Devour in family): Children cooking contest and cooking workshops (for family audience).

Devora Industria/Devour Industry Shuttle buses to visit the facilities and production process of local food companies: Cardeña cold meat and San Miguel Beer Company.

Devora kilómetros/ Devour Kilometres World Heritage running Tour: 5 Kilometers running circuit led by local Olympic runner Diego Ruiz. The route goes through the protection zone surrounding Burgos Cathedral that Unesco is analyzing for approval. (City centre circuit).

Amigos de Antonio vs Amigos de Miguel/ Antonio´s friends versus Miguel´s friends Two Chef teams contest, seven TV-Programme Top Chefs together with Burgos Chefs. A professional jury together with a popular jury deciding the winner. The Chefs elaborate four microplates, two of which with Burgos products.

The main advantage of the programme is that most activities don’t require a big budget. What is offered, hotels and restaurants, are already there, there is nothing new to be created; Museums and exhibitions reduce the price of the tickets only for that weekend, and cultural activities can be arranged to be matched in that weekend. To be mentioned the sponsorship or the in kind contribution from the HORECA sector.

Key and successful elements identified (together with the partnership reflections):

BURGOS FOUND ITS GASTRONOMIC ENGINE EVENT

'Devora is Burgos' works because it responds to a strategy in the medium and long term to position the city as one of the leading gastronomic destinations in domestic tourism.

Innovative event composed of a myriad of gastronomic and cultural-touristic events. Simple idea but complex in terms of activities and stakeholders’ involvement. Whole weekend which is perfect in length as it allows tourists to come for more than just one day. Creating synergies between culture and gastronomy is an efficient way of attracting tourists. It has all the ingredients needed for a successful model: creativity, diversity and good taste! 3 very well balanced days. It is a consolidated event, but opened to evolution and concept rethinking in the next future.

CITIZENSHIP PARTICIPATION Devora, es Burgos aim is getting citizens and tourists participation and involvement. The philosophy is:

If you are not invited to dinner, you are part of the menu

This citizenship participation becomes real in different ways such as: enjoying special menus and tapas (enhancing consuming), and also hotels as tourists, participating in the wine tastings, attending the Chefs cooking contest (a popular jury was selected through the Social Networks), participating with the children in the family audience activities, attending the Gastronomy dialogues, fulfilling the cultural facilities of the city, visiting wineries and agro food local companies…The whole combination gives an extraordinary street livelihood to the city, beneficial for the city, its image and its economic development.

ECONOMIC AND MEDIA IMPACT

Impact 'Devora is Burgos 2012'. The economic impact reached 560,000 Euro, according to an external study. Over 250 rooms booked, more than 2,350 menus, 8,450 tapas and a audience of over 2,000 in the showcooking. 'Devora is Burgos' website also achieved a significant improvement concerning number of visits, with 91.169 visits in 27 days, reflecting the great interest generated from the initiative. Impact 'Devora is Burgos 2013' The 36 restaurants participating in the event served 5,600 menus during the weekend. This datum turns into 140,000 Euros. It must be added to these data 11,500 tapas sold and 100% of the hotel rooms offered with conditions ' Devora is Burgos ' , which means a final direct economic impact on HORECA sector of over 250,000 Euros. Impact 'Devora is Burgos 2014' 7,000 menus and 180,000 page views in the website (in 3 weeks) were reached . The most shocking moment was on Sunday April 13 in the auditorium Evolution Forum. The Cooking contest gathered more than 1,100 people. In total, about 10,000 people participated in any of the activities planned. Could you have this photo in your city?

This photo was taken during 2014 Devora is Burgos weekend, in San Lorenzo Street, one of the most “gastronomic” streets in the city. Burgos, invited the participating cities to apply this image to their cities and look for the same impact.

Apart from a coherent programme, dissemination, image and promotion is a key element for such an event:

2012 2013 2014

For an event like Devora is essential to use online communication tools, such as web, app, and social networks, following the image and coherence of the whole approach.

High visibility in the national Media is also crucial in order to ensure a large number of tourists from larger cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, etc.

DIVERSIFYING AUDIENCE

Different activities and a rich gastronomic diversity for every taste are offered. Including a sport competition –a way to promote healthy lifestyle- or children activities diversify and complete the target audience, not only foodies but a whole variety of tourists and citizens. An activity such as the Devora Dialogues attracts people that maybe are not directly interested in Gastronomy but are keen on the well known figures and the popular topic related, for example, in 2014, sports. Diversifying target audience enhances the event impact and its sustainability. Besides, offering discounts for cultural activities offered a full tourism experience.

Nevertheless, the whole programme is touch with the coherence of Devora´s hallmark, as a unique city product.

RURAL-URBAN LINKAGE

Transfer buses to wineries and food companies in Burgos provinces gives the chance of widening the event impact beyond the city. For example, no ordinary transfers from the city are done to the Wineries, showing a potential market niche. Feedback from the Agrofood companies’ visitors is very positive and the visits enhance relationship with the companies for other initiatives with the city. It´s a good opportunity to have an insight with the food companies producing the ingredients for the gastronomic products used by the local restaurants and pubs.

It should be mentioned as well the province product promotion that it is done along Devora activities: During the showcooking, preparing and explaining meals with the local products and marks; during the running competition where a promotional bag is given with local products; during the wine tastings, where the main actor are 5 local wines…

COCREATION AND SYNERGIES

As it has been mentioned, different disciplines and sectors take part and are enhanced during Devora, is Burgos in combination with Gastronomy. Restaurants and local chefs consolidate and leverage creativity and talent for the design of special menus and tapas and also during the show cooking, which are a show window for potential clients.

HO-RE-CA STAKEHOLDERS COOPERATION

Such event is not possible without being supported by professionals from the hostelry and gastronomy sectors. In Burgos, hotels and restaurants joined together within HORECA federation. Those restaurants and hotels that want to participate in the project have to pay a small fee, which is then invested in the development of the web and advertising tools. Among others, this is an example of the public and private cooperation.

THE EVENT IN THE TOURISM CALENDAR: WHEN IS ORGANIZED

Devora, is Burgos takes advantage of low season tourism. In 2014 edition, it was held the weekend just before Easter holidays, and the approach is to having a tourism pre campaign for that festivity, having a word of mouth promotion and taking into account the last minute decision of this kind of weekend short trips.

In this event framework, the city delegations participated in most of the Devora activities. A good example of proactive contribution on the ground was the Chefs participation within the Show Cooking. The aim was to make them feel as an important part of the event, as well as seducing then with the idea of cooperating an applying this approach in their cities!

Suggestions and possible improvements from the partnership

The event could also be replicated during other periods of the year when the level of tourists is not too high.

The number of stakeholders from the HORECA sector and other economic agents involved should also be increased in order to provide a larger services offer for tourists.

The creation of video clips regarding the event to be broadcasted nationally could be a good idea to increase visibility of the event. Also creating commercials for different products in Burgos and especially during the Devora es Burgos event could also increase the visibility of the event.

Commercial ads in main airports from Spain or other parts of Europe could also be a good idea in order to inform potential tourists about Devora es Burgos event.

Another important aspect would be not to overlap the period of the Devora es Burgos event with other gastronomic events in neighboring larger cities.

25 euro price for the hotel seemed very convenient although the 25 Euro for a meal seemed a bit pricy. A lower 10-15 Euro option could be considered.

Within this experience, a self- assessment game was proposed to the cities, through an exercise on how they would organize an hypothetic similar event in their cities, taking advantage of already existing resources, events,…These were the results in a schematic format:

ALBA IULIA CITY HYPOTHESIS: How could we do a similar event to Devora in our city?

1. When to organize event? Alba Iulia Municipality organizes each year several events dedicated to agricultural activities. Last year it took place an event dedicated to gastronomy, another dedicated to organic food products and one dedicated to agriculture. An event like Devora could be attached to any of the 3 events.

2. Who would be organizer of such event? Such an event would be organized in a public-private partnership along with municipality also the HORECA sector, farmers associations and food producers will be involved. The Mass Media would also be approached and involved in order to ensure visibility for the event. Cooperation with travel agencies and tourist organizations is also very important.

3. Main content of your event: The leading message/theme of the event would be a combination of culture, gastronomy, tourism and history. The combination of gastronomy with historic tourism and culture would create an innovative and interesting event for all types of tourists.

4. Consider the target market of the event: The first target group would be formed of the local residents of Alba Iulia who need to discover the gastronomic side of the city. The second target group would be formed of tourist coming from other cities, both nationally and internationally. Families with children and also seniors would be attracted to the city for this event.

5. What products and services would you include in a weekend event package? The events would consist in a combination of cultural, historic and artistic events combined with gastronomic shows and competitions and expositions, in order to determine the visitors to try as many gastronomic products and locations and to have a great experience. The stakeholders would be involved in many of the preparatory activities in order to convince them of all the benefits gained from organizing such an event with their involvement.

6. Can you draft an outline? First inviting all the interested stakeholders to let them know about the events and convincing them of the benefits: Involving most stakeholders in order to create a large impact at the local level: In one hand, the HORECA representatives and on the other the food producers/farmers associations. In parallel, ensuring a large Media coverage at local, regional and national level. The event would last 3 days during a weekend.

7. Can you foresee the budget sources for event?

The budget would come from different sources. Part from the municipality and part from sponsorships from the private sector and also voluntary activities from the HORECA sector in order to attract the tourists to stay longer in the city. They would lower tariffs for food and accommodation in order to attract tourists.

8. How would you attract inhabitants of your city to participate in events? The inhabitants from the city would be attracted through a large promotion of the event in the city and through good prices for the services offered during the event in order to convince them to go out and have fun.

9. What would you do for sustainability of such weekend event? If the first event is successful, it would repeated each year at an even greater scale and try to involve as many stakeholders as possible even from county level, rural areas and other cities in order to combine the events with others at regional level. If possible 2-3 events throughout a year would be created, even at smaller scale.

FERMO CITY HYPOTHESIS: How could we do a similar event to Devora in our city?

1. When to organize event? Fermo has Tipicità event that could work as a container to attach gastronomic events. Given that Tipicità is generally held in the second week of March, a good period to attach gastronomic events could be June, maybe when the Republic Celebration is held (2nd of June). Of course it will be necessary to figure out when this vacation happen (if during the week or during the weekend), anyway the first week of June could work out (generally good weather and schools normally close in its second week), therefore people would not have left the city for vacation yet.

2. Who would be organizer of such event? The board would be constituted by several subjects: the municipality of Fermo, representatives of the Fermo Strategic Plan, representatives from the hotels, restaurants and category associations (HORECA), Tipicità representatives and Chamber of Commerce. Cooperation with Marca Fermana that represents Fermo DMO will also be a key element. Also citizens should be better involved to make them proud of their city activities for the promotion of the Territory.

3. Main content of your event: The main content would be gastronomy and culture: Both culture of gastronomy and culture linked to cultural heritage first, and then enlarge the focus in order to include typical manufacture products as well. Guided tour to wineries and local food products productive plants could represent one element of the event (as it has been done with the Morcilla Factory in Burgos).The City of Fermo should be valorized (city center in primis) and become an active laboratory of gastronomy and culture. Also gastronomic events in Fermo could be imagined linked to flagship cultural regional initiatives (like as an example the Rossini Opera festival, Sferisterio lyric season). For 2014 and 2015 the events could also represent a promotion platform within the Milan EXPO.

4. Consider the target market of the event: Leisure people represents the first target, people interested in gastronomy and healthy lifestyle. At first, promotion would be carried out at regional level, then at national one. Foodies and people interested in healthy lifestyle could work as a target as it is quite transversal; therefore it is possible to attract different kind of people.

5. What products and services would you include in a weekend event package? The idea of Devora 25 (restaurants and hotels for 25 Euros) can be easily implemented. On top of that, other events to be linked would be: In the first year: Visits to wineries and wine tasting; Visits to local food products factories; Discounted tickets for people who have slept in the hotels or have eaten in restaurants to visit monuments and other cultural sites (just like in Burgos – city should become more attractive and alive) If the following years it will be possible to attach also: Visits to outlets (in the Marche region there are several important brands outlets) for the people who are interested; Discounted tickets for people who have slept in the hotels or have eaten in restaurants to visit firms

where shoes, hats (and all typical manufacture products produced in Marche) are produced.

6. Can you draft an outline? It is too early to imagine a specific scenario.

7. Can you foresee the budget sources for event? Possibility to create a board/association where all representatives involved in the Gastronomic Cities in Fermo could be involved. Capitalizing on the several exchanges that are going to take place during the project, it could be possible to create an association that already contains main stakeholders with contacts able to reach enough budget to carry out the event. Budget will then be gathered from banks involved in the Marche territory, HORECA operators that will be involved through their association category and Municipality. Thanks to Tipicità that works as a container, it will be feasible to find also sponsors to involve. Moreover the selling of specific tourism packages would generate incomes for the event organization.

8. How would you attract inhabitants of your city to participate in events? By constituting a committee where all major associations are represented, it will be possible to involve citizens. The committee will involve all possible associations in the territory explaining them what benefits the community can gain from such events. Associations will in turn disseminate information and involve citizens directly. Further also it is important to involve the already existing association working since years for the territory and traditional city events (Cavalcata dell’Assunta Committee).

9. What would you do for sustainability of such weekend event? The event will take part every year in June and will always be promoted first during Tipicità event in March, capitalizing on the strong visibility of a twenty year old festival. At first, the weekend would concentrate mainly on food and culture of food while in the course of time; it can be attach to promote other typical products that are not linked to gastronomy such as typical manufacture products. If the events will gain the foreseen visibility, then it will be possible to extend these kinds of events to other cities in the Marche region, so that the whole territory can benefit from the good practice. Sustainability could be guaranteed also involving in the package promotion tour operators and tourism incoming consortium. Great effort should be done at communication and promotion level, fostering networking capacities and social skills in involved operators, organizer and policy makers making them aware of the relevance of an appropriate promotion strategy. At city level, this event should be repeated in smaller scale, promoting Fermo city centre development and a greater hospitality culture which involved all the tourism, gastronomy and culture operators in a common effort. Small scale events could be associated to the valorization of specific products linked to the tradition and the production of the territory and promote one weekend per months. Valorization of the products should always be associated with cultural events promoting city image and actively involving citizens.

KORYDALLOS CITY HYPOTHESIS: How could we do a similar event to Devora in our city?

1. When to organize event? There is the town’s patron saint day, namely, the Three Archangels on 8th of November. During this celebration a two day local festival is organised, with significant participation from the local residents but also from a significant number of visitors of neighboring municipalities. Secondly, there is an event organised by the municipality during the whole September called the “Cultural September”. Throughout this event, the Municipality organizes a series of cultural activities such as theatres, musical festivals, etc, that attracts visitors from the all around the Attica region. This season could be an ideal time for organizing an equivalent event such as “Devora”. More specific, a most favorable time could be between 20 and 30th of September as the residents have returned from their summer holidays, the weather is very good and the visitors of cultural September could benefited and join this new event.

2. Who would be organizer of such event? Korydallos town has remarkable capacities on open air and indoor spaces which some of them can accommodate more than 1000 people. For instance, such places include the open space in the new City Hall, the indoor place with the capacity more than 300 people at the “cine Paradisos” (indoor and open air), a conference room at the municipal vocational school with a capacity of 800 people , the closed auditorium at the Cultural Center of the Municipality with a capacity of 250 people, the open municipal theatre for 2000 people, and other open air and indoor spaces, such as the two municipal gyms that they could be used, if that is necessary. The organization of this event will be undertaken by the Directorate of Research, Planning and ICT's of the municipality, staffed by employees who have already developed an expertise from their participation to this project. The Municipal Department of Communication and Public Relations, which is involved with the organization of the cultural September, has considerable experience in organizing and promoting major events associated with the Municipality At the same time, the Municipal Agency is another actor that could contribute to this event’s organization. The intention is to include in the organization board of this event a number of key members of the Urbact local support group, representing either HORECA members, academics, professionals, chefs, travel agents, ect. A key idea is to establish cooperation with Attica’s central travel agencies in order to promote the event or to include it to its tourist’s excursions, as a gastronomic tour visit. Another idea is to promote the event to travel agencies relating to cruise visitors to Piraeus port.

3. Main content of your event: The leading message of this proposed event is gastronomy as a part of culture. For this reason, it was chosen the organization of the event in September, the month that the municipality organizes the more cultural activities, during the year, that’s why its name is “Cultural September”. Therefore the main part of the message could have a form: gastronomy as part of culture.

4. Consider the target market of the event: Firstly the target market will be the local residents and citizens of Korydallos. Once citizen’s participation has been achieved, they will be the best ambassadors for promoting the event for future years. Respectively, the first three years, the Municipality will be focused primarily on establishing the event to the minds of local population. After the above period, the aim will be to develop a more systematic way to attract visitors from the surrounding areas beginning by people that already visited the city for gastronomy issues. Gradually and in a later stage, depending of the progress, the city of Korydallos and more specially this event could become a culinary destination just a few hours from the Athens city centre and Piraeus port, for gastronomic visitors promoting by the travel agencies.

5. What products and services would you include in a weekend event package? It could include a wide range of activities related to gastronomy. Such actions could be: • Gastronomy and cinema: with movies related to gastronomy such as “A touch of spice (or politiki kouzina)” with the ability for catering or similar gastronomic actions. This action is already partially organized during the cultural September at the cinema paradise and which it indeed is known beyond the city limits. • Invited producers every year from different parts of the country: Crete, Cycladic Islands,… • A Gastronomic tour to selected dining spots. • ‘The movement without intermediaries”, a market where farmers and other produces sell their products at lower prices without intermediaries. An action that is already implemented many Sundays during the year to our city. • Visitors of the gastronomic event will be able to attend a concert or theatrical performance of Cultural September. • Cooking Contests with renowned chefs organized at neighborhood level and Cooking classes. • Discussions and presentations from people involved with the site, NGO representatives Greek Gastronomic Society, Slow Food, etc.

6. Can you draft an outline? During the two day event several parallel actions could be organized: The first and the second day will be the producer's days. For example during the first day, producers and chefs from a guest region of Greece (throughout the day) will present their local foods and cuisine. The second day, the movement »without intermediaries » will be organized where different producers from around the Greece can sell products to the citizens of the city. During the first day, a tour of the city with stops at selected dining locations can be organized either by the municipality itself or in cooperation with some NGOS. The package may include participation to the cultural events organized for Cultural September for example movies or concerts e.c.t with providing a ticket for them. In the afternoons for both days cooking competitions, seminars and discussions will be organized.

7. Can you foresee the budget sources for event? It is difficult to foresee economic resources especially during these times. Public expenditures are really limited and it is evident that municipality could not rely upon the public municipal resources. Municipality is unable to allocate any significant amount. Complementary as this a new innovative action whose impact on the local community is not easy to estimate, local private resources could also be not so easy to pull together. Still, volunteers or free will of participation could be envisaged.

8. How would you attract inhabitants of your city to participate in events? We believe, that by ensuring a high quality of the event, low prices for the participants either from restaurants or from the producers, taste new flavors or learn new cooking recipes and in general by providing them a new experience that connect gastronomy with culture, we could enable their participation. Finally, a key proposal of increasing population is developing a strong political engagement and communication strategy.

9. What would you do for sustainability of such weekend event? The organization of such event once a year and gradually on greater scale will depend on securing funding sources from sponsors, donations, membership fees from businesses, tickets, since currently the availability of resources are scared. The political commitment at the highest level of the municipal authority (Mayor) is also necessary. In order for the event to be taken seriously there is a need to draft a decade strategy for either its content, its promotion, its gradual sustainable development. One other key prerequisite, for project's sustainability and for the development of its strategy is the operation of Urbact local support group after the end of the particular project.

HOSPITALET DE LLOBREGAT CITY HYPOTHESIS: How could we do a similar event to Devora in our city?

1. When to organize event? The most suitable for hosting a major gastronomic event period is during the Spring Festivity (April), hosting many cultural events (music concerts, theater performances, craft markets, etc.) where gastronomic activities are performed: The Food Trail "Spring tapes" i Fair craft beer. Also to be considered the Food Fair which is held every two years.

2. Who would be organizer of such event? The promoter may be the City Council, in collaboration with the Guild of HORECA and other industry organizations. The city has both the equipment and spaces suitable for large events of this type outdoor.

3. Main content of your event: Currently we do not propose the realization of a large tourist - gastronomic event ( although it is possible in the near future ) , but to develop a regular program of annual gastronomic routes , with the participation of a large number of establishments, and cover whole neighborhoods of the city . This program , under the theme of L' Hospitalet or gastronomic L' Hospitalet de tapes , includes a local path for the Spring Fiestas ("Spring tapes") , during April ; a series of gastronomic tours in different neighborhoods ("Sant Josep de tapes ","Can Serra de tapes ","The Florida Tapes" ,"Publilla of tapes" , etc., festivities and events conducted in each district, throughout May and June and , finally, the "platillos" gastronomic route with the foreseen participation in 2014 edition of more than 200 HORECA establishments. Together with these events a series of seminars and workshops under the title "Caps now" with thy aim of increasing training, creativity and quality of the participating establishments. And the publication of the gastronomical guide " L' Hospitalet Savoring " which discloses the selection of the best restaurants and bars in the city . The essence is the food, but the intention is to promote a framework for connecting cuisine, culture, healthy eating and employment development.

4. Consider the target market of the event: The objectives of the scheduling of gastronomic routes are: - Increase the quality of the catering services of the city, expanding culinary and promoting it. - Attracting consumers in the city itself and the surroundings (Barcelona and the metropolitan area) as well as visitors to the big trade shows that take place in the city.

L'Hospitalet is not a tourist destination (instead is a residential area of business tourism), but its good ubication in the metropolitan area, its proximity to the city of Barcelona (it is an urban continuum between both cities) and its network of public transport must enable increasingly attracting consumers to gastronomic events in the city, provided a quality service, economically affordable and adequate promotion.

5. What products and services would you include in a weekend event package? This type of offer is currently under study.

6. Can you draft an outline? Creating Business Welcome Pack L'Hospitalet: Gastronomic Pass, Shopping Pass ...

7. Can you foresee the budget sources for event? Currently the bulk of the funding comes from public bodies (City Hall) and a small part of private sponsorship. In the future the increase of private sources, both sponsorship and HORECA establishments involved will be considered.

Burgos invites to all cities to go and find and capitalize its gastronomic engine event!!!

Great event which I would definitely attend more than once!

I was very impressed with the livelihood of the city

URBACT is a European exchange and learning programme promoting sustainable urban development. It enables cities to work together to develop solutions to major urban challenges, reaffirming the key role they play in facing increasingly complex societal challenges. It helps them to develop pragmatic solutions that are new and sustainable, and that integrate economic, social and environmental dimensions. It enables cities to share good practices and lessons learned with all professionals involved in urban policy throughout Europe. URBACT is 181 cities, 29 countries, and 5,000 active participants