UK And Irish Local Authorities Come Together To Work On Place Branding

13th March 2024

Local authorities from Ireland and the UK gathered in Dublin on 12 March 2024 in an event organised by British Embassy Dublin to discuss the topic of ‘place branding'.

On 12 March 2024, sixteen local authorities from Ireland and the UK will gather in Dublin to discuss the important topic of ‘place branding' and how the associated techniques and strategies can be applied to the economic, political and cultural development of cities and regions.

The event, hosted by Dublin City Council in collaboration with the British Embassy and Connected Places Catapult, will identify the strengths and potential benefits of branding places. Participants will engage in workshops and discussions to share best practice on how to make their regions better places in which to live, work, and invest.

This will be the 12th time the ‘Joining the Dots' programme will meet and the second time in the city of Dublin. ‘Joining the Dots’ is a programme that promotes economic development in UK and Irish regions through the sharing of best practices by local policy experts. The aim being to identify common challenges, and then explore solutions and opportunities for growth. Beginning in 2018 the event has been hosted in over 10 different locations throughout the UK and Ireland, including Cork, Birmingham, Galway, Manchester, Liverpool and Belfast. This time around 16 Local authorities, 8 from the UK and 8 from Ireland will gather in Dublin.

Last night, proceedings were kicked off with an event at the world-famous Guinness Storehouse, which itself is a symbol of how branding and regeneration can bring a new lease of life to an area. Gathered guests soaked in the night view across Dublin while hearing from the British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston and Daithí de Róiste, Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Speaking about the latest joining the Dots event, the British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston said, "Joining the Dots’ is a fantastic vehicle that promotes economic links and opportunities between regions of the UK and Ireland, helping to identify opportunities to connect businesses, researchers and academia to promote UK-Irish economic growth. Previous ‘Joining the Dots’ events have delved into important issues ranging from advanced manufacturing to inclusive innovation and last October we celebrated its 5th birthday in Cork with an excellent event on the retrofit of housing. I am delighted that the programme has returned to Dublin this week to host a masterclass on ‘Place Branding’. Over the course of this visit, UK and Irish participants will engage in workshops and discussions to share best practice on how to make their destinations better places in which to live, work, and invest.

Daithí de Róiste, Lord Mayor of Dublin, added, "I am delighted to be supporting the Joining the Dots initiative. Bringing together local authorities from across Ireland and the UK to network and share ideas will not only promote economic development but will build closer UK-Irish relationships and understanding.

Alex Cousins, Business Director at Connected Places Catapult added, "I’m incredibly proud that through the ‘Joining the Dots’ programme we are able to bring together local authorities and the private sector to accelerate innovation and foster economic ties between UK and Ireland. Dublin is a fantastic city in which to hold our latest session where we’re focusing on the hot topic of place branding and examining the economic, cultural and political benefits that it can deliver.

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From left to right: His Majesty's Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste and CEO of Dublin City Council, Richard Shakespeare. Credit: Gareth Chaney