“Culture, Place and Identity at the Heart of Regional Development’ examined the relationship between the arts, cultural heritage and regional development in islands and in rural and remote regions.

Our renowned keynote speakers and presenters examined global trends in tourism, technology and demographics, and featured global best practices in cultural tourism and cultural industries.

The conference was designed to emphasize the following qualities, which the organizing committee considers crucial to the conference’s success:

• Excitement: Artists and tradition bearers bring excitement to any activity. Through theatre, pageants, music, visual arts, storytelling, etc., they animate activities and get audiences emotionally involved in activities. They also provide a focus for group activities.

• Innovation: Many artists and tradition bearers are entrepreneurs, constantly creating new ways to entice and to entertain their audiences. Community and regional development practitioners and policy makers in remote and rural regions also seek innovative ways to create more sustainable, resilient communities. This conference emphasized the importance of innovative thinking in addressing the challenges and opportunities faced by rural and remote regions.

• Modernity: This event aimed at the tourism industry and the cultural industries of islands and remote destinations. Such areas might be perceived as rustic, rural and backward in the minds of urban dwellers. The conference conveyed a sense that these rural, remote and island areas are dynamic and ever-changing.

• Identity: Islands and rural/remote areas have been able to retain/develop their unique identities in a world rapidly homogenizing due to globalization. The conference emphasized the power and potential of identity, while acknowledging that it is a constantly evolving feature of a region.