The city of Córdoba, home of the Southern Europe and Mediterranean Regional Secretariat of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC), is set to host the INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE BIENNIAL on 15-17 December, an important high-level conference organized jointly with  city of Valparaíso (Chile), home of the OWHC’s South American Regional Secretariat. These cities will take it in turns to host the Biennial in the future; it promises to be an unprecedented event that aims to bring together both public leaders and economic and social participants with something to contribute to heritage and its economic impact.

            The conference will give political figures and technical specialists from heritage cities the chance to attend master classes revolving around the theme of The Heritage-based Economy, led by international experts in the field of cultural policy, economics and creation, as set out in the attached provisional programme.

            But the Biennial will also boast an attractive feature in the form of a Heritage Hall, where world heritage cities will not only have the chance to show off their heritage but also share their experiences, projects and lines of research with a select audience. Over the duration of the Biennial participants will be able to engage in intensive and valuable networking with other Biennial attendees, with visitors to the city and members of the local community. In addition to world heritage cities, public and private enterprises specialising in providing services in the management, dissemination, conservation and restoration of heritage have been invited to attend. A catalogue of participants will be published with worldwide distribution.

            Participation in the Heritage Hall is completely free, but spaces are limited, so reservations will be made on a first come, first served basis. To register, please send an email to [email protected] indicating the following: city, contact person, job title, email address and telephone number.

http://www.bipcordoba.org/index.php/es/bip-co

            All participants will be provided with basic equipment free of charge (TV screen, internet connection, furniture, signage, website) which they may make use of and add to in order to take advantage of the space and time available with individual initiatives. Cities wishing to reserve one of these spaces need only concern themselves with the travel and lodging of their employees. 

              Our aim is for this Biennial to be not only the Biennial of Córdoba but also of each and every one of the cities and enterprises that have heritage as the hallmark of their identity.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Rafael Pérez de la Concha Camacho

REGIONAL COORDINATOR, MEDITERRANEAN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE. OWHC