November, 2022
Event Details
When: Thursday, November 10, 2022 | 10:30-16:30
Where: ACG Events Hall (Aghia Paraskevi Campus, 6 Gravias Str.)
Co-organized by
ACG Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisure
Manchester Metropolitan University
Hellenic Mediterranean University
About the event
A combination of lectures and workshops aiming to introduce the concept of place branding to students, faculty, and industry representatives. The importance and complexity of the concept will be addressed, considering its inherently interdisciplinary nature. Through the presentations of relevant case studies, and the application of theory in practice, the audience will be invited to discover the fascinating world of place branding starting from the city of Athens and travelling across Greece.
The morning session (10:30-13:30) is free and open to the public.
The afternoon session (14:30-16:30) is open only to students.
Event Agenda
PART 1 (morning sessions, open to the public)
10:30-10:35 Opening remarks
Dr. Panos Vlachopoulos | Executive Dean, Deree – The American College of Greece
10:35-10:40 Welcome remarks
Dr. Annie Triantafyllou | Dean of the School of Business and Economics, Deree – The American College of Greece
10:40-10:55 Presentation of the Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism & Leisure
Dr. Athanasios Krystallis | Executive Director of the ACG Center of Excellence on Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL), Associate Professor, School of Business and Economics, Deree – The American College of Greece
10:55-11:00 Agenda overview
Dr. Maria Psimouli | Fellow of the ACG Center of Excellence on Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL), Assistant Professor, School of Business and Economics, Deree – The American College of Greece
11:00-11:20 “Branding Places Through An Inclusive Process”
Dr. Mihalis Kavaratzis | Professor, Manchester Metropolitan University, Co-founder of the International Place Branding Association, Senior Fellow of the Institute of Place Management
11:20-11:40 “Common Challenges in Destination Branding”
Stavrianna Kaisari | Marketing Manager at Marketing Greece
11:40-12:00
“Branding Athens for the meetings industry”
12:00-12:10 Coffee Break
12:10-12:30 “Panathenaic Stadium: Beacon of Sport & Olympism – Athens Branding”
Nikolaos Iatrou | President of the Marketing Committee of the Hellenic Olympic Committee
12:30-12:50 “Branding Thermal and Cultural Tourism in Attica: a battle to be won?”
Aphrodite Kamara | Co-Founder of Time Heritage
12:50-13:10 “Place Branding Insights – The Way Forward”
Dr. Stella Kladou | Assistant Professor, Hellenic Mediterranean University
13:15-14:30 Break
PART 2 (afternoon sessions, open to students only)
14:30-14:45 Workshop Overview & Guidelines
Dr. Maria Vrasida | Assistant Professor, International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Deree – The American College of Greece
14:45-15:45 Team Projects
Coordinated by:
Dr. Mihalis Kavaratzis | Professor, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr. Stella Kladou | Assistant Professor, Hellenic Mediterranean University
Dr. Maria Psimouli | Fellow of the Center of Excellence on Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL) | Assistant Professor, Deree – The American College of Greece
Dr. Maria Vrasida | Assistant Professor, International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Deree – The American College of Greece
15:45-16:40 Team Presentations & Discussion
If you are interested in attending either or both sessions, please
by November 6, 2022.
For more information contact College Events-Office of Public Affairs, [email protected]
Bios of the Speakers
Nikolaos Iatrou
President of the Marketing Committee of the Hellenic Olympic Committee
Nikos Iatrou was born in Athens in 1963. He studied Management & Organizational Behavior at Deree – The American College of Greece from which he graduated in 1985. He then worked at the Stock Exchange Office of Alkis Kotzambasis as a Stock Representative until 1991. The same year he co-founded Hellenic Securities A.E. where he served Executive Vice President and Stock Exchange Representative until 2001. After the sale of the company in 2001, which held the 1st place in its sector, he went to Marfin A.E. and until 2005 he held the position of President & CEO of Marfin Hellenic Securities S.A., Executive Member of the Group’s Brand as well as other managerial positions. In 2005, he left the Marfin Group. In 2007 he founded SILK Capital Partners with principal activities in fund management as well as investment banking. He is a member of the Board of Directors of PANGAIA AEEAP as well as TORA WALLET of the OPAP Group where he was also a member of the Board of Directors. Since 2016, he has been an honorary member of the EOE Plenary as well as chairman of its Marketing Committee.
Stavrianna Kaisari
Marketing Manager at Marketing Greece
Stavrianna is a marketing professional with 14 years’ experience in marketing research and insights. Her interests span marketing, research, branding, and project/product management. She has been working in the tourism industry for the past 8 years, participating in challenging and innovative marketing projects.
Aphrodite Kamara
Co-Founder of Time Heritage
Dr. Afroditi Kamara is co-founder of Time Heritage. She has studied History at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and specialized in the social and religious history of the Middle East through her graduate and postgraduate studies in Manchester and Oxford. She worked for 6 years (1999-2005). In 2003 she co-founded Time Heritage of which she became sole representative and manager in 2005. Beyond planning and implementation of the company’s projects, she has been teaching and researching on history, heritage management and enhancement of heritage in digital environments. She was lecturer at the Institute of Continuing Education of the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government and at Arcadia Centre for Greek, Balkan and Mediterranean Studies. She has published books on Late Antiquity, translations of books on history and she has participated in several conferences both in Greece and abroad. She has also been a member of the Hellenic ICOMOS since 2005.
Mihalis Kavaratzis
Professor, Manchester Metropolitan University
Mihalis Kavaratzis is Professor of Place Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has co-founded the International Place Branding Association and is a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Place Management. Mihalis is a leading researcher on place branding and has published some of the most-cited publications in the field, including the books ‘Inclusive Place Branding’ (2017) and ‘Rethinking Place Branding’ (2015).
Stella Kladou
Assistant Professor, Hellenic Mediterranean University
Dr. Stella Kladou is an Assistant Professor at the Hellenic Mediterranean University in Crete, Greece. She has served as an Assistant Professor in the Tourism Administration Department at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey and a Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. Her PhD was realized in Athens, Istanbul and Rome, with the support of international universities and funding bodies. She has published in prominent academic journals and books of international publishers and presented at well-esteemed international conferences. She has participated in and/or led several international and national projects as a researcher or consultant. She is an International Place Brand Specialist for The Place Brand Observer, in the editorial board of the leading journals, and in the organizing and/or scientific board of international conferences. Her research mainly pertains to place branding, cultural and wine tourism, and digital marketing.
Effie Koudeli
International Relations Officer at This is Athens
Efi Koudeli is a consultant with an extensive 15 years’ experience in the fields of tourism, destination & cultural management both in the public and private sector. Currently, she holds the position of International Relations Officer at This is Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau. Efi also holds the position of Deputy Chair of the International Congress and Convention Association – ICCA Mediterranean Chapter.
Between 2018 and 2019 she worked as Knowledge Transfer & Outreach Lead at Foundation, a top-notch technology venture builder. In 2015, Efi took over the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau where she was the General Manager for 5 years. Prior to this, she worked in Spain at the Greek National Tourism Organization for the Ministry of Tourism and for the International Air Transport Association-IATA.
Athanasios Krystallis
Executive Director of the Center of Excellence on Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL), Associate Professor, School of Business and Economics, The American College of Greece
Prof. Athanasios Krystallis is Executive Director at the Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisure, The American College of Greece (ACG). His expertise lies in product differentiation incorporated into a wider customer-centric logic. His work comprises more than 100 international peer-reviewed research publications in ASB and ISI-ranked Journals. He has a strong fundraising record, participating in/coordinating more than 15 scientific research projects funded by the EU or national funds in countries such as Greece, Scandinavia, Brazil, China etc. Athanasios is a Marie-Curie fellow and member of many scientific associations, such as the European Marketing Academy (EMAC) and the Academy of Marketing Science (AMS), among others.
Maria Psimouli
Fellow of the Center of Excellence on Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL), Assistant Professor, The American College of Greece
Dr. Psimouli holds an MSc in Marketing and Communication with New Technologies and a PhD in Nation Branding, both from the Athens University of Economics and Business. Her area of expertise is place branding and the ways its aspects (e.g., heritage, landscape, culture) can be managed and employed for the economic development and competitiveness of nations. Her studies explore fields such as destination branding, wine tourism and dark tourism. From her current position as Assistant Professor, she coaches students that provide consulting services to Greek companies seeking export potentials, as one of her classes is based on a live assessment project. Her academic research portfolio includes presentations in conferences around the world as well as publications in international peer-reviewed journals.
Maria Vrasida
Assistant Professor, International Tourism and Hospitality Management, The American College of Greece
Dr. Vrasida holds a PhD in Planning Policies for the Development of Tourism from the University of Thessaly. She received an MA in Town and Regional Planning with Specialization in Destination Development from the University of Liverpool and a BA in Architecture and Building Engineering from the University of Liverpool. Her current research interests include the spatial aspect of sustainable tourism planning and development, integrated tourism destination management and relationship between culture, tourism and the environment. She has published more than 25 original research papers in accredited refereed international conferences and journals. She has cooperated as an independent consultant for tourism development and promotion with Municipalities in Greece (Poros, Amarousion and more), and as a consultant for European and National funding projects with European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation Amphictyony, and the Hellenic Agency for Local Development and Local Government (E.E.T.A.A.). She has participated in many tourism development projects for the development and management of tourism and cultural destinations (Venice, Magnesia, coast of Lebanon). She is appointed ad hoc expert in strategic tourism planning by the URBACT European initiative and has participated in many research and development European-funded proposals (LIFE, INTEREG, ESPOON, COSME etc.)
Annie Triantafillou
Dean of the School of Business and Economics, Deree – The American College of Greece
Annie Triantafillou served as Interim Executive Dean for Deree – The American College of Greece for the period July 2021 – September 2022 and is Dean of the School of Business and Economics since September 2014. Previously, she was Head of the Department of Economics and Social Studies during 2005-08 and MS in Finance Program Coordinator during 2006-09. She held the post of the Assistant Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences from December 2007 to December 2009 and the post of the Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences from January 2010 to August 2011. Anna’s research interests lie in applied economics, notably shipping, hospitality, and real estate, as well as agency theory and corporate governance. Her research has been published in Transportation Research, Maritime Economics and Logistics, European Research Studies, Applied Financial Economics, Journal of Applied Business Research, Journal of Economic Asymmetries, and Research in International Business and Finance. Anna has served as President of the European Financial Management Association for 2018. She has been teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of macroeconomics in general and financial economics in particular, including banking, monetary theory, portfolio theory, and risk management.
Panos Vlachopoulos
Executive Dean of Deree – The American College of Greece
Dr. Panos Vlachopoulos is the newly appointed Executive Dean of Deree – The American College of Greece. He has an extensive record of research, teaching and administration. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Aberdeen, a Master’s in Education from the University of Manchester, and a BA in Philosophy and Pedagogy from the Aristotle University of Greece. Dean Vlachopoulos has published numerous scholarly works in the area of Education—with a special focus on the relationship between technology and learning—and has held numerous grants in areas related to pedagogy. After holding positions in New Zealand, Hong Kong and the UK, Dr. Vlachopoulos joined Macquarie in 2013, where he held a number of key administrative positions in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Faculty of Arts. Dean Vlachopoulos worked closely with faculty and led numerous initiatives in curriculum development, quality assurance, accreditation, faculty workload, learning design and strategic planning.