Greece Conference Report 1

Stonehaven Delegates with Project Leader Nick Brown in Messolongi Seven delegates from Stonehaven including a reporter from the Mearns Leader were chosen to attend the Susset Conference in Greece from 10th – 14th May 2006.   I was asked to deputise for Doug Paton, Chairman of Stonehaven Business Association who had to call off at the last minute. Having attended the first conference in Sweden I was interested to see how the Susset Project was developing.   My day began when I was picked up from my home at 4.20am (yes am) and taken to Aberdeen Airport to check in by 5.15am along with delegates from Inverurie and Ellon   We flew to London Heathrow and then on to Athens. From there we faced a three hour trip which turned into a four and half hour bus trip to Pyrgos. All the delegates were to be welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of Pyrgos at the Town Hall on arrival. We got 5 minutes to drop of our luggage and then a short walk to the Town Hall where we were warmly welcomed at around 11pm Greece time.   We arrived at our hotel to check in around midnight. A very long day.   W. Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns addressing Conference on behalf of Stonehaven  The conference started at 9am next morning, when we we met all the delegates from the other towns involved in the project. Presentations were given by the leaders of the three Greek Towns Pyrgos, Aeigon and Messolongi and  there were reports on progress on the various themes.   In the afternoon, the Stonehaven delegates met with delegates from the other coastal towns, Stromstad and Messolongi and it was interesting to discover similar concerns like, how to extend the Tourist Season, how to ensure the infrastructure is right, how to ensure visitors got the information they wanted when they were visiting a town etc   In the early evening we were given a short walking tour of Pyrgos and given an hour to freshen up before being taken to the new Olympic Village where our Greek friends really showed their hospitality as they entertained us over a meal with Greek Music and an excellent display of Greek Dancing.   Next day, we had a tour of the ancient Olympic village of Olympia and it was evident the Greeks were very proud of their culture and heritage and this was also very obvious when we visited the Coastal town of Messolongi. Professional Guides had been hired to ensure we were well informed.   The Inverurie delegates spent more time in Aeigon so they will be able to provide more information on that. As we arrived in the evening for the close of the conference we did not get a chance to see much of the town but were given the opportunity to share experiences with all the delegates.   From a business point of view, I would have liked the opportunity to visit the shops and had a look round some business developments and would hope that when the Conference is held in Scotland at the end of August all delegates will be given the time to visit the local shops and even spend some money and experience the service available.   I have learned the importance of research to find the real reasons why people visit your town and also ensuring that when they are here, information on what to do and see etc is easily accessible. Feedback from the visitors is also very important.   Councillor Mike Sullivan, Stonehaven receiving gift from Deputy Mayor of Messolongi with Mayor of Stromstad in Background. The Greeks really impressed with their hospitality and that confirmed to me again that often visitors judge a town by how they are treated and how they are helped when asked for information. I can understand how proud they are of their culture and heritage but do feel they miss out on business opportunities by focusing too much on that.   What was impressive was the knowledge of of the towns held by the people we met and I do not think it would be a bad idea to encourage more people in Stonehaven to visit some of the attractions in their own area to learn and appreciate what is on offer. I was guilty of not doing that but recently have taken the opportunity to take a guided tour of the Mearns and learned a lot. I know of many people living in Stonehaven who have never visited Dunnottar Castle probably our most popular visitor attraction, I am certain they would enjoy the experience.   I think it is important for everyone in Stonehaven and all the other towns to realise that they are all part of the tourist industry in some way and a friendly and helpful attitude towards visitors will go along way in encouraging visitors to return and that includes those visiting on business.   The difficulties of a project like this is that although all the towns have similar problems the solutions may vary quite considerably because of differences in culture etc but I did notice a real desire to co-operate and learn from each other on the handling of the various issues related to the themes of the project. The format of allowing delegates to share experiences in an informal atmosphere resulted in learning a lot. The value of networking cannot be emphasised enough.   Having a varied cross section of people representing the towns should ensure a range of different experiences which when pulled together should go a long way to creating a blueprint for all small expanding towns.   The importance of Partnership with the Various Councils or Municipalities and the Community seems to be the way forward and obviously important as long as the community volunteers are not taken advantage of.   Having now attended two conferences I appreciate the difficulties of trying to come up with one Master Plan for all small expanding towns but we have to accept that we are part of the European Union and despite the differences of the various nations, there are common aims but different views on how to achieve them and by greater understanding and co-operation this can be achieved.   As a volunteer and a businessman, time is important and I look for specifics that could benefit Stonehaven as a whole and the businesses including my own.   Seeing how things are done in other countries allows one to view things from a different perspective. I feel there are opportunities for business minded people to capitalise on the drive to increase tourism in this country and I do see opportunities in Stonehaven. I think it will be important for the Business Association to get this message across to members.   It was also interesting to observe the approach to the organisation of the event. Greece Regional Coordinator Nicolas Tzouanos with Project Leader, Nick Brown on a visit to a museum in Messolongi. Outside consultants had been used in Greece and young Nicolas from the European Business Centre did an excellent job in general communication and interpreting although some of the timings could be improved a little.   I have always felt that an awful lot of time is wasted in meetings and a good leader with an ability to summarise and then ensure that action is taken is vital to any project. Many difficulties can arise but I felt all the Scottish leaders passed with flying colours although lessons can still be learned.   Not only did I learn about the other countries, I learned a lot more about the people in our own area and it is clear there are many people with a great passion for their towns who get bogged down with bureaucracy and lack of funding.   I will be interested to see the reports from other delegates who will no doubt see things from a different perspective.   I think it is important that more practical experiences in connection with the various themes are shared possibly through the Susset Website and  a clear action plan should be created for everyone who is going to be  involved.   As far as Stonehaven is concerned the progress made over the last few years by the Business Association, Stonehaven its Special, Community Council, Horizon Project, The Open Air Pool  etc has set an example to the other towns in terms of the Council working in Partnership with the Community but we can learn more from others by sharing practical experiences in more detail and it looks as if this will happen after this conference.   All the businesses in the towns should be made aware of the forthcoming Conference in Aberdeenshire starting on 30th August and I am sure the lessons learned fom previous conferences will ensure that all delegates will go away from Scotland with a good impression of the Aberdeenshire towns, and a general feeling that tangible results have been achieved.   This is a personal report by Business Association Member George McGillivray   For reports by other delegates Go Here