Report from 2nd DANUrB + International Conference in Sombor and Baja, August 26-27, 2022

The 2^nd International conference of the DANUrB+ Project was organised in Sombor, Serbia, and Baja, Hungary, on August 26-27, 2022. The topic of the conference was regional branding and the network building of cultural economy and tourism. Therefore, the conference aimed to find common tracks, living and forgotten/or hidden remnants of cultural heritage in Danubian countries and beyond, which can be re-discovered and activated for regional identity and brand building. Regional branding is an umbrella term. This is a connection between the individual and collective reputation, where a special respect is given to quality, value adding and the strengthening of regional identity. Hence, the branding becomes an important tool for local/regional development and community building.

The purpose of the event is to engage important stakeholders, organizations and institutions as potential founders of the “DANUBE/DANUrB+ CULTURAL PROMENADE”, to jointly build a strong influence on EU policy makers. In this sense, the conference participants were from Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia.

The national organiser for the Serbian part of the conference in Sombor was the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade, while the regional organiser was the City of Sombor through “Prostor/Space” Public Enterprise and the Tourism Organisation of the city. The national organiser for the Hungarian part of the conference in Baja was the Faculty of Architecture from Budapest, while the regional organiser was the City of Baja. Team from the Faculty of Architecture of Belgrade consisted of Prof. Aleksandra Djukić, Assoc.Prof. Danijela Milovanović Rodić, asst. Jelena Marić and asst. Branislav Antonić.

The main participants of the conference on a tour of the Danube industrial heritage of Mohács, Hungary

The opening of the conference in the big chamber of the “Županija” Building in Sombor

The presentation of stakeholders from Sombor in the big chamber of the “Županija” Building in Sombor

The presentation of the DANUrB+ project in the new cultural centre of Mohács, Hungary