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The first UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries which was attended by representatives from 50 nations with a great success.  Officials of the Italian and regional government of Lombardy, where Monza is located, created a magnificent event.  Denise Bax of UNESCO played a key role in the success of the Forum.  The Forum was held in the Ville Real, a beautifully restored 18th century palace which was the perfect setting for a gathering around culture and creativity.

The UNESCO Director-General, Mr. Matsuura, opened the World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries with insightful comments on how globalization can also work in the favor of cultural enterprises.  The Italian Minister of Culture, Mr. Bondi, gave a stirring speech about the importance of culture in Italy.  He pointed out that Italy has over 80,000 cultural enterprises.  Clearly the Europeans understand that culture plays a huge role in economic development.  Most countries have a Minister of Culture, and important budgets to support their activities.  We do not have such a cabinet position for the USA except in New Mexico where we have a Cabinet Secretary for Cultural Affairs.

My presentation on “New Strategies for Cultural Enterprises” prompted good questions and it is viewable on slideshare.net.  My co-panelists were Marcella Echevarria, CEO of Surevolution, and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.  Both are innovative designers and their presentations were excellent.

Many of the presentations from the Forum will be up on a UNESCO web site soon, and when they let me know, I’ll post about it here.

It is gratifying to see how we have progressed in five years to the point where we now have a global platform to discuss cultural enterprises, cultural industries and the important role of cultural entrepreneurs in the local and the global Cultural Economy.