VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS EXTERNAL PROMOTION PLAN 2014 – 2017
SYNTHETIC DOCUMENT
INTRODUCTION The municipality of Vilafranca del Penedès has drafted its first External Promotion Plan for the period 2014-2017. This marks the political will of the government team to work for the external and international action of Vilafranca in a wider geographical and institutional environment and sets itself as a task where the whole town is involved in. The plan is seen as a medium-term strategic planning document that will make possible to strengthen the international activities the town has been developing over the last ten years. The plan is a tool that facilitates the definition of operational strategies, which prioritizes and gives a hierarchy of the actions to perform and mobilizes the energies of different actors around the mutually agreed objectives. The Town Council has set a deadline of four years to implement and carry out activities that are part of the plan. This period marks at the same time a clear milestone that when finished will evaluate the assessed progress and the results obtained. Vilafranca, with the approval of the External Promotion Plan, is a pioneer municipality and leader in Catalonia, for being one of the first Catalan municipalities in addressing their external projection in a comprehensive and planned way.
VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS Vilafranca is a municipality in the province of Barcelona with 39,000 inhabitants. Vilafranca is one of the most important medium towns in Catalonia due to its strategic location, good communications, and it is also the capital of the Alt Penedès region, with a strong vine and wine tradition. It is located in an agro-industrial region in which 80% of the land is devoted to vines; this has marked its character, its culture and its traditions. Vilafranca is just 60 km from Barcelona, city that has good communication with, and enables the creation of synergies and use of the international potential and attraction capacity of the Catalan Capital. Main assets of Vilafranca:
Capital of a Mediterranean territory and one of the most attractive and important vine and wine regions, which nowadays represents the first Wine Route in the Spanish State. A strongly articulated productive and business network around wine sector, in an area which encompasses until three designations of origin (DO Penedès, DO Cava, DO Catalunya) Geo-strategic situation and main area of sustainable development between a large metropolis such as Barcelona and a large city such as Tarragona. Strong roots in tradition and history in its tangible and intangible heritage.
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Reference in terms of festivals and traditional culture, as evidenced by the importance of its Festa Major, and at the same time a dynamic town in terms of current culture (Vijazz Festival Most, Videt). Strong territorial cohesion and a great capacity for social integration through the human towers and cooperation and solidarity activities. Articulation of the different actors in the region to move towards a better use of energy and greater eco-sustainability.
INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT
The External Promotion Plan of Vilafranca del Penedès arises from the international career developed by the municipality over the last years. The Town Council of Vilafranca del Penedès has had an International Relations Service for ten years and an International Relations Councillor in charge of promoting and coordinating the international activities of the municipality. Described below the main activities with international dimension carried out by the different services and department of the Town Council and which will be strengthened through the implementation of the International Projection Plan:
International Relations: active relationships with the European twinned towns (Bühl, Melzo i Novo Mesto), presence and important responsibilities in the network of cities related to wine, such as Spanish Association of Wine Cities (ACEVIN) and the European Network of Wine Cities (RECEVIN), in which Vilafranca assumes the General Secretariat; support strategic projects of the Town Council at European and international level; coordination of the international activities of the Town Council. Economic Promotion: participation in the programme CREAMED (Network of Business Incubator in the Euro-region Pyrenees-Mediterranean); support the vine and wine sector in the field of INNOVI (Vine and Wine cluster of Catalonia); different programmes for support of growth and business internationalization through the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya; creation of ESCAVI (High School of Cava and Wine) Tourism: promotion and dissemination of popular festivals, fairs and cultural activities; promotion of the programme Penedès Wine Tourism and activities linked to convention tourism. Environment: active participation in the Network of Towns and Villages for sustainability; adherence to the Covenant of Mayors for Climatic Change Prevention; project ‘Vines4heat” under Life Programme, in order to push through a sustainable strategy to provide heating and cooling to wineries with the biomass that the territory generates. Culture: to support festivals and cultural activities, both traditional, such as the Festa Major, and newly create, such as VIJAZZ and MOST Festival, that associates wine and cava pairing with jazz and international cinema; stimulation of the Museum of Wine Cultures of Catalonia (VINSEUM) and the preparation of the events regarding the Capital of Catalan Culture that Vilafranca is hosting in 2015.
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Cultura: suport als festivals i activitats culturals destacats, tant tradicionals, com la Festa Major, com de nova creació, com el VIJAZZ i el MOST Festival, que associen maridatge de vins i caves amb jazz i cinema internacional; la dinamització del Museu de les Cultures del Vi de Catalunya (VINSEUM) i la preparació dels actes vinculats a la Capitalitat de la Cultura Catalana que acollirà Vilafranca el 2015. Education: international school exchanges and awareness-raising activities regarding the project of European construction as well as the realities of other countries to the youngest population of the municipality. Cooperation: direct cooperation with Morocco (Chefchaouen), Uruguay (Canelones Department) and Nicaragua (Puerto Cabezas), active participation in the network LocalMed Morocco between municipalities in Barcelona and communes in Morocco; financing of NGO’s projects; awareness-raising of the population regarding international issues and the twinned town of Puerto Cabezas (Nicaragua) Communication: promotion of the image of the town; communication and dissemination in the social networks.
Together with the external and international actions of the municipality, the External Promotion Plan also integrates the actions of external promotion and the international links, as well as initiatives to attract opportunities developed by different actors in the territory. In this regard, it should be noted the actions of large wine companies which have been working for long at an international level, and export 60% of their production, produce in other continents and develop an intensive activity of attraction of wine tourism flows. Simultaneously, small and medium wineries, together with the Regulation Council of the DO Penedès, have made a permanent effort in order to become the first 100% organic DO, because of the impact that generates in terms of quality and positioning. At the same time, the network of associations and the DO Penedès are carrying out promotion actions of wines from Penedès and collaborating in the organization of cultural events related to wine, that are already consolidated and widely recognised both on a Catalan and state level (and to some extend, international), such as the Most Festival or Vijazz. Simultaneously, it is also remarkable the organization skills, communication and external projection of an entity like the Castellers de Vilafranca, which has developed over the last years an intensive international activity in Chile, India, United States, Germany, France and Belgium among others.
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THE EXTERNAL PROMOTION PLAN: A NEW INSTRUMENT AT THE SERVICE OF THE MUNICIPALITY
Recent observed changes in the global context have made territories and local institutions become much more sensitive to external phenomena and global dynamics. This has led local institutions to begin to take a leading role and emphasize what can be called as the external projection of the town and the local framework, meaning by “external” projection all actions aimed to other municipalities or institutions, beyond those located in a strictly local level. This external projection must be considered as a two-ways dynamic, which aims, on the one hand, to promote outward the most remarkable aspects of the town and the territory and, at the same time, allow the local at the same time allow the local network draw on the experiences, opportunities and resources coming from outside. According to these principles, the Town Council of Vilafranca has drafted the External Promotion Plan with the will of acquiring a transversal strategy which implies active collaboration of the different municipal services in terms of external actions. At the same time, the External Promotion Plan obliges to involve other local actors and to implement a consultation process to find out synergies and articulate the actions of the Town Council and the main actors and entities in the territory as well as the citizenship.
OBJECTIVES OF THE EXTERNAL PROMOTION PLAN International activities and demonstrations of openness toward the outside of the local institution and actors of Vilafranca del Penedès are rich and diverse, but there are some weaknesses and challenges that the municipality has to face and, to a large extend, have motivated the elaboration of the External Promotion Plan. Challenges:
Not enough outward value has been given to the integral culture of wine or the richness of natural environment, heritage or landscape. The town does not reap the benefits of its geo-strategic location and this raises the question of enhancement of attractiveness of the town and its surroundings at a productive, touristic and cultural level. The actions of the different actors are not articulated enough between them; although significant progress has been made in intra-institutional mainstreaming and articulation with local actors.
Priority objectives: 1. Significantly improve the external image of the town and its territory. 2. Outward promotion of the products of the territory and values of the society of Vilafranca. 3. Capture better the external opportunities of the area of Barcelona, Catalonia and worldwide.
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4. Open the citizenship to the economic situation and global society, to the international inequalities and to the richness of other cultures. 5. In this process, make the different local actors work together and in an articulated way, under the leadership of the local institution.
CITY MODEL AND AXES TO THE EXTERNAL PROJECTION Result of reflexions and exchanges, which took place around the strengths and specificities of the town and its territory during the process of drafting, it has been shown that Vilafranca is characterized by a number of specific features that define the town model that it wishes to be promoted through the implementation of the External Plan / Outreach Plan :
Vilafranca del Penedès is a strongly articulated and inclusive medium-sized town, rooted in its cultural, but at the same time, dynamic and innovative, capital of a vine and wine territory which demonstrate commitment to quality and sustainability.
According to the model of town, three axes have been identified, which represent the basic triangle on which the development of the town is based: WINE, CULTURE and TERRITORY. The three axis of external projection are cross-cutting and involve different sectors of activities and municipal services. In fact, the External Promotion Plan aims to support the existing sectoral plans – mainly in the cultural field and integral culture of wine -, by embracing those sectoral activities which can contribute to the objective of the external projection of the municipality. Axis 1. Vilafranca, wine capital of Catalonia This axis is based on the many existing activities of productive nature, cultural and artistic about the integral culture of wine and vine. This is, making a qualitative leap and creating the appropriate conditions so that Vilafranca becomes known as a wine capital in Catalonia and be able to promote itself as such towards the outside.
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Lines of work: 1. Highlight the existing and potential elements of Vilafranca as a capital. 2. Improve and disseminate the wine tourism model and increase its impact in the municipality of Vilafranca del Penedès 3. Consolidate the wine cluster in the territory and promote it outwards, from an integrating and quality point of view.
4. Turn Vilafranca del Penedès into a reference as regards a educational offer linked to business management in the world of wine and wine tourism. 5. Disseminate outwards the image of Vilafranca as wine Capital in Catalonia. . Axis 2. Greater impact of Vilafranca del Penedès in the field of culture and heritage
This second axis aims to strengthen the existing activities related to culture, festivals and traditions, from the Festa Mayor to Carnival. This richness has to be publicized and promoted outwards as a sign of identity and as cultural and tourist attraction factor. Furthermore, the cultural projection of Vilafranca del Penedès cannot be limited to this aspect and must also include the elements of contemporary culture which are strongly rooted in the town, mainly in the field of music. Protection of Historical Heritage and enhancement of intangible heritage are also a part of this axis. In this perspective, the performances of the Human Towers could become a symbol of the values of the society and local territory.
Lines of work: 1. Reinforce the external spread of the image of Vilafranca el Penedès as a referent of popular and traditional culture. 2. Promote outwards the vision of Vilafranca del Penedès as an attraction pole in the field of culture, among others. 3. Consolidate and enrich the cultural offer of the town and focus it from a Catalan and international point of view. 4. Encourage the outwards opening of the citizenship and toward the international issues.
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Axis 3. Turn Vilafranca del Penedès into a reference of eco-sustainable and innovative territory in terms of energy optimization
This axis is aimed at contributing towards highlighting and outwards promoting the efforts made by the productive network and the local institution itself to get a better profit of the energy and move forward to eco-sustainability, thanks in particular, to the recycling and treatment of vine waste. But the fact that this is not only a concern of some wineries which are more sensitive about sustainability, but must also be assumed by the local institution as a common and defining criterion of the territory represents, in this case, the innovative and differentiating element which can boost Vilafranca del Penedès’ leadership of vine and wines areas in this field. Lines of work: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Come full wine circle by using the biomass generated by waste. Developed and disseminate the eco-sustainable character of the town. Support the effort of the territory towards the eco-sustainability. Promote the external image of Vilafranca del Penedès in this field.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OUTREACH PLAN
Institutional strengthening The External Promotion Plan Plan encompasses a great many relevant activities, many of them strongly cross-cutting. Most of these activities need combined and articulate efforts of the municipal services and, at the same time, involve concerted action with the actors and local entities. It is for this, that the implementation of the plan requires, by the Town Council, substantial institutional capacity of coordination and multi-actor dynamics
This function was efficiently covered during the Plan drafting process by the Monitoring Committee, which was expressly created in the frame of this project. The Monitoring
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Committee, headed by the Councillor of International Relations of the Town Council, is composed of representatives of the municipal services pertaining to the outreach field: International Relations, Economic Promotion, Culture, Environment, Commerce and Tourism, Urban Planning, Communication and Cooperation. This Commission will, therefore, be pursued during the implementation of the External Promotion Plan and, through the International Relations Department of the Town Council, will be responsible for guiding the implementation of the Plan and channelling contacts, relations and agreements with the actors in the territory and with potential partners. Instruments The implementation of the Outreach Plan / External Projection Plan means reinforcing and promotion of the international contacts of Vilafranca del Penedès and creation of new incidence areas. Some of the instruments that will make easier the achievement are:
Bilateral and multilateral relations with other cities. Participation in networks of cities, knowledge sharing and identification of bestpractices. Monitoring of European policies and including in the local agenda the main European and international debates. Reception and accompaniment of delegations and events with international dimension. Services for local agents and citizens interested in carrying out activities outwards (training, job, investment) as well as link with the agents and population of Vilafranca living abroad and integration of immigrant population. Communication and marketing activities in local and outreach plan.
Monitoring and evaluation A technical assessment of the plan’s progress and its achievements will be carried out every year. This evaluation will enable to review and expand the activities, as well as review the identified deficiencies. The Town Council will promote a further mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation at the end of the implementation period of the External Projection Project / Outreach Project, without excluding an evaluation of the impact for a longer-term view. The evaluation of the impact could be useful to show the citizenship the effects of the plan, in medium and long term, and provide more elements of legitimisation to the activities carried out supporting the External Promotion Plan projection of the municipality. The Monitoring Committee, as authority of intersectorial consultation, will be technically responsible of carrying out the follow-up and evaluation of the plan.
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Contact Servei de Relacions Internacionals Tel. 938180137 e-mail: rel.internacionals@vilafranca.org
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