The contribution of trade fairs to city branding:

comparative study of the cities Barcelona and Milan

Abstract

Trade fairs can help cities to differentiate themselves because they offer important possibilities regarding the relationship, promotion and brand positioning of the territory (de San Eugenio Vela & Jiménez Morales, 2009). However, the current literature provides few articles on the influence of these events on city branding (Kowalik, 2012).

The general objective of this publication is to analyze the coordination between municipal authorities and trade fair organizers in the city branding strategy, comparing the cities of Barcelona and Milan. The specific objectives are: a) to know the city branding strategy of both cities; b) to confirm if the organizers are aware of it, as well as their objectives; c) to identify if there is collaboration between them to achieve the goals and, finally, d) to share recommendations thanks to the analysis of the management model of each city.

The methodology used was based on a qualitative approach and consisted, firstly, of in-depth interviews with the city council and the most relevant actors in these cities. Secondly, online surveys were carried out to find out the opinion of the trade fair organizers who carry out their activity in these cities.