TOPOSOPHY'S SUMMERY 2018

It’s August, the sun is high in the sky and it’s time to chill out and relax, at least for a little while. Happily, we also have much to celebrate, as it we have had a busy year so far providing our clients and their partners with insights and strategies that will support them long into the future.

Understanding the big business of mealsharing

To our knowledge, we’re the first organisation to publish a comprehensive report on mealsharing, a rapidly-evolving business that goes way beyond the ‘home restaurant’ to include cooking classes and food tours. In this groundbreaking report for HOTREC, we mapped the market, the biggest players and the legal issues surrounding the activity.

Scotland’s ShareLab set up

Scotland has a new ShareLab, and we played a part in its creation! Last year we produced a major report 'The Collaborative Economy and Scottish Tourism' for Scottish Enterprise. After considering our recommendations and those of other partners, the Scottish Government has set up ShareLab focussed on solving policy challenges with collaborative solutions.

Communicating clearly on the collaborative economy 

While the collaborative economy can create many benefits for destinations, it can pose many challenges too. Our Strategic Communications Plan on the “Sharing” Economy for HOTREC is helping to ensure that the European hospitality industry is kept up to date on the legal ‘grey areas’ and policy reform on short-term rentals around Europe.

Aberdeenshire’s destination master plan

Thanks to us, Aberdeenshire -covering 6,000 sq km of Scotland- has a comprehensive strategy for tourism growth. Based on a wide-ranging local consultation and global trends analysis, our strategy focussed on six sectors that will help grow the region’s visitor economy to £1 billion by 2023. Implementation has already started, with impressive results.

We’re guiding European cities on tourism growth

Growth, and how to manage it properly is one of the biggest challenges facing cities today. As part of our ongoing collaboration with European Cities Marketing, we produced 'The Toolbox for Managing Tourism Growth in Europe', giving useful guidance for cities of all sizes on areas such as Forming Partnerships, Marketing Done Differently, On-the-Ground Visitor Management, Managing the Collaborative Economy and Public Education. 

We bring TasteFestivals to Athens 

From the 27 to the 30 September, we're bringing Athens’ largest gastronomical event to the stunning SNFCC! Taste of Athens brings the city's best restaurants, food and drink brands together and will allow visitors to discover them through immersive experiences. From cooking lessons by world-class chefs, to wine tasting and cocktail preparation classes, Taste of Athens will offer a whole host of experiences that inspire, educate and entertain.

Working closely with the renowned Taste Festivals Ltd, TOPOSOPHY will be managing the whole project delivery, including sponsorship management, on-site logistics, and of course PR and marketing. We suggest this is a great time to plan your own visit to Athens, so why not enjoy some sumptuous food experiences that will mark the end of the summer on the calendars of foodies everywhere!