TG-WH 13/6-2 WH Outline Campaign 2014 page 2
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Agenda Item: 5
Subject: Preparation WH Campaign 2014
Document Nr. TG-STS 11/5/1
Date: 22 November 2013
Submitted by: Secretariat
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Objective
To agree on a joint approach in preparing the World Heritage Campaign 2014
1. Background
The first joint campaign was carried out in 2010/11 promoting the key visual and collecting over 200 stories (story hunter) at 34 events in period of May - June 2011. This was the first campaign which covered the entire World Heritage and was jointly organized with tourism organizations in the regions.
A second joint campaign was planned for 2012/13 but was postponed to 2014. It will be carried out in the framework of PROWAD. In accordance with the tourism strategy, joint campaigns are essential elements to implement the strategic objective 1 “Enhance understanding and appreciation of the Wadden Sea World Heritage” (ref. actions 1.4, 1.5, 1.6).
2. Status
Together with the Campaign Coordination Group, PROWAD has prepared an outline of the campaign 2014 which was discussed at the TG-STS 10 (September 2013). The meeting questioned whether the proposed budget is realistic due to limited resources by the partners. The current concept was also regarded as not convincing to create media attention or commitment from local stakeholders. Instead, it should be investigated if existing regional events can be extended or combined to a trilateral event (e.g. by combination of the annual World Heritage days in the countries). A revised campaign concept should be prepared for the discussion at the next TG-STS meeting.
At WSB 9 (October 2013), the state parties promised to look into the possibilities for a campaign 2014 celebrating the 5th annual of the inscription on the List and the extension with the Danish part and agreed to instruct the TG-WH with overseeing the campaign.
The TG-WH (8 November 2013) discussed the campaign outline and agreed on.
- The objectives of the campaign as developed by the TG-STS in Annex 1,
- Few events in a shorter time period to enhance media interest (also to cut down the costs), e.g.3 -4 trilateral events,
- A journey along the coast, preferably by boat but also in combination with e.g. a World Heritage bus,
- Invitation of journalist to join the journey as media partner,
- Involvement of organizations, NGOs and locals on the ground,
- Integration of regional events into the trilateral journey and campaign.
The TG-WH instructed the secretariat to further develop the campaign concept together with a budget with the aim to be settled very early 2014.
3. Assessment
The preparation of the campaign has been discussed by the TG-STS, TG-WH, WSB and the campaign subgroup in detail during the last months. Although there is a mutual agreement to organize a joint campaign in 2014 and a consensus of the overall objectives of the campaign, there are ongoing discussions concerning:
- Whether a trilateral event covering the entire World Heritage should be organized and to which extent,
- How to combine a trilateral event with regional events,
- How to engage with media partners and testimonials,
- How to develop tangible campaign results for the local partners,
- The limited resources at the secretariat (lacking personnel to oversee the campaign) and at the regional partners (national parks, TMOs) to organize a campaign on the ground.
Many of the ideas provided by the regions are valuable ingredients for a campaign. However, the most essential part, the recipe, which puts everything together and makes it attractive for buy-in of stakeholders is still lacking.
4. Next steps
Attached in Annex 1, is a revised draft of the campaign been prepared by the CWSS integrating the comments of TG-STS 10 (September 2013), the WSB 9 (October 2013), the comments from the campaign coordination group (attached as Annex 2) and conclusion of the TG-WH (November 2013).
In light of the limited resources trilaterally and regionally, the coordination of the campaign must be carried out by professional event planner responsible for the event and campaign coordination who is supported by local event agencies in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark which are familiar with the conditions on the ground.
Proposal
The meeting is proposed:
- to comment on the new outline for the campaign 2014 including the indicative budget and to provide guidance for the implementation.
TG-STS-11-5-1 WH Outline Campaign 2014 – ANNEX 1 – Outline page 3
ANNEX 1
OUTLINE World Heritage Campaign 2014
Three Countries – One World Heritage – Our Common Future
Celebrating five years of global excellence
22 November 2013
1. Background
With the expected extension of the Wadden Sea World Heritage with the Danish Wadden Sea (as requested by the World Heritage Committee in 2009), a five-year journey has been concluded: The entire Wadden Sea stretching along the North Sea coast of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark is now on the World Heritage List – a recognition of its global importance and its excellence in management.
Celebrating these five years of global excellence is an opportunity to be recognized by people in the region as a truly international joined and responsible entity, to promote the transnational Wadden Sea World Heritage, and creating pride amongst locals and visitors: Three countries – one World Heritage – our common future.
2. Objectives
1. Enhance visibility of World Heritage in the region amongst locals and stakeholders, and visitors [internal and external marketing, and awareness building],
2. Facilitate transboundary cooperation and networking, and create synergies and raise public awareness through a media strategy that highlights: Regional, national or local achievements in the context of World Heritage
3. Communicate Danish extension which strengthens the integrity of the World Heritage site.
The overall aim of the campaign is to provide benefits for World Heritage conservation, communication and marketing.
Benefit for nature conservation and World Heritage
- Higher awareness of nature values and conservation (by locals, visitors, media attention),
- Awareness of global importance of the Wadden Sea and responsibility for conservation.
- Enhanced external relationships, a better flow of information
Benefit for local partners (tourism, marketing, municipalities):
- Higher profile of the partner on regional/national and international level.
- Acknowledgment of partners’ contribution to World Heritage.
- Additional information support of their events
- Delivery of better visitor service/experience by aligning, coordinating, and motivating stakeholders
- greater sense of belonging to the “team” as well as responsibility and accountability
3. The concept
The central part of the campaign is a journey by boat along the coast starting in the Netherlands and ending in Denmark in the June 2014. It is a focal point for the campaign and the connecting link with local stakeholders.
The journey will be accompanied by invited journalists from the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark which will also be present during the local events.
The World Heritage website will provide the overall roof for all activities and virtual entrance to the campaign and to connect to other World Heritage events in the region.
4. A journey along the World Heritage
Objective: To set the framework of the joint campaign 2014 and to provide promotional and marketing services.
The central element of the campaign is a trilateral event which covers the entire coast, a suitable approach to create media exposure over a longer period, and building up this attention during the journey which will end in Denmark at or after the inscription by the WH-committee (probably 21 or 22 June)
A journey from Texel to Skallingen can best be done by ship. The ship will act as ambassador of the World Heritage Campaign (create interest in Wadden Sea values and its global dimension, involve locals and visitors in World Heritage, celebrate completeness of World Heritage). The ship arrival will be anticipated by locals and day-trip tourists. Other ships are invited to join the journey to show support and commitment for World Heritage.
During the stops (islands and mainland), the following activities can be carried out:
· Attractive information about World Heritage (info and awareness activities at the spot), including facts and figures (scientific themes e.g. bird migration, climate change, geology).
· Mud flat walks, bike rides or running competitions on the beach,
· Round table events in the region with participation of locals and testimonial with statements (pride, WH identity) (to be defined: target group, see also module 1),
· Involvement of the local communities and its representatives in the campaign by offering a presentation platform
· Collecting activity to connect the various regions (collecting signature along the coast, a WH puzzles from various regions to be completed in DK, collecting other items to be presented to DK as gift),
· Testimonial and celebrities could be approached to join (parts of) the journey,
· Events with media partner (newspaper, radio, TV),
· Social media support: facebook/twitter for the stop-over announcements, (e.g. by a young crew of 2 persons for comments, videos/photos from the events) and a stakeholder internet page)
Planning:
- Definition of type of journey and briefing (December 2013),
- Call for tender to find an experienced ship crew (organizational, WH communication, event management, media cooperation) (January 2014),
- Invitation of journalists for the ship tour (January 2014)
- Journey Texel – Skallingen, 4-5 stops with events (over a period of 10-14 days).
Campaign internet page
Objective: To create new outline of Internet page to cover all needs of the partners.
The internet page should provide a common “roof” for all activities by
- displaying all press releases of connected partners automatically on first page
- linking all events planned by connected partners and other multiplicators (automatism)
- linking to the facebook event accompanying the “relay race” (automatic function)
- ....to be defined by task group for internet (?), input by connected partners
Indicative Budget
(version 22.11.2013)
What / Indicative CostsBoat trip
1 / Preparation of journey concept and implementation / 15.000
2 / Ship costs (3000 €/day), 10 days / 30.000
3 / Journalist (4 person x 600 Euro x 10days) / 24.000
4 / Events in harbours (material, round table, other costs) / 10.000
5 / Other event costs (1000per event ->4- 5 events / 5.000
6 / Other costs / 5.000
Management and communication
7 / Event coordination (trilateral) / 25.000
8 / Local event coordination / 10.000
9 / Preparatory meetings / 2.000
10 / Other costs / 2.000
11 / Event communication (flyer, poster, website, social media) / 5.000
WH material production (to be used also after campaign)
12 / Development campaign materials (concept and design) / 20.000
13 / Production of campaign material / 25.000
15 / Other costs / 5.000
Total costs / 183.000
Contributions from other budgets
Sponsors, other funding (25% of total costs) / -47.750
PROWAD / -15.000
Contribution from local stakeholders (1000, 5 event sites) / -5.000
To be covered by state parties / 117.250
Costs per state party (NL, D, DK) / 39.083
TG-STS 11/5-1 WH Outline Campaign 2014 – ANNEX 2 - Comments page 15
ANNEX 2
Comments Lower Saxony, 21.10.2013
World Heritage Campaign 2014
„Three countries – one world heritage – our common future“
· General remarks on the concept
We still support the idea of having one joint trilateral event which is surrounded by regional events. However, it is important to focus on a smaller period of time for the entire campaign. Receiving media attention from April to October doesn’t sound realistic as an immense amount of work would need to be done to keep the media interested in that topic. Due to a lack of manpower within the CWSS and the national park administration we wouldn’t be able to achieve this objective.
Hence we recommend focusing on two weeks for the entire campaign: The two weeks (plus a certain preparation time) selected should be finished with the extension of the WHS in Lower Saxony and the designation of Denmark (at the end of June?) highlighting the trilateral aspect of the campaign by one common event taking place in the entire Wadden Sea region (this would be the sailing cruise from the Netherlands to Denmark within 10 to 14 days).
· Potential media partners
For receiving international media attention we recommend to get in touch with e.g. National Geographic, Geo and/or Mare (magazine and TV). Unfortunately we cannot help with any contacts. For Germany a cooperation with the NDR is desirable. The MU and the NLPV have contacts to Holger Alhäuser (Studio Oldenburg), Ludgar Abeln and others from the NDR who could probably be won as a media partner.
· Testimonials
For Germany a potential celebrity could be Andreas Hoppe who acts as Mario Kopper and plays on of the inspectors from the Ludwigshafener Tatort-Team. He has already been to the National Park Lower Saxony several times and has presented his book in the Welterbezentrum Wihlemshaven. The National park administration has already been in touch with him so a contact exists. Whether he could be won for the campaign is unknown at this stage.
· Ideas for a joint event (sailing tour through the heritage from Texel to Skallingen)
We still like the idea of a sailing trip from Texel to Skallingen but advice to reduce the journey from 40 to 10 to 14 days including a few stops in the Netherlands, in Lower Saxony, in Schleswig-Holstein and in Denmark. Every overnight stay shall be used to provide visitors and locals with information and talks (e.g. delivered by one of the fellow passengers, experts on board, to world heritage related topics in form of a world heritage evening). In Germany this would be organised and carried out together with the regional partners such as the National Park visitor canters, the travel consultants and others. At every harbour the crew changes, hence a variety of different experts, media partners, representatives or celebrities can join one part of the cruise.
Detlef Kunz could be a potential candidate carrying out the journey (http://pidotoerns-marine-research.de/index.html). He is a biologist and owner of a sailing boat offering sailing trips in the National Park Lower Saxony. His sailing boat can take up to four people on board.