Primorska Technology Park recently used an innovative approach to partnership-building in the tourism sector: a Speed Dating Event that connected tourism providers with experts from the creative industry.
This event format is proving to be a powerful tool for sparking collaborations that drive sustainable and digital transformation, enabling participants to make valuable, targeted connections in a short amount of time.
How Speed Dating Works as a Tool for Transformation
The Speed Dating format is designed to maximize networking efficiency. Tourism providers meet with creative professionals—including digitalization experts, brand strategists, storytellers, and audiovisual specialists—in a series of brief, focused sessions. Each conversation is structured to explore immediate ways of working together, with clear takeaways for both parties. This structured format allows participants to:
- Identify Specific Collaboration Opportunities: Tourism providers can directly learn about digital, green and creative solutions from creative experts, pinpointing potential projects that align with their goals.
- Exchange Innovative Ideas: Quick interactions with multiple professionals encourage the sharing of fresh ideas, giving tourism providers insights into sustainable practices, digital tools, and creative methods they might not have considered.
- Forge Practical Partnerships: The event helps participants to find partners with complementary skills, which can quickly lead to practical, on-the-ground projects in areas such as sustainable design, visitor engagement, and digital branding.
Real-World Benefits for Tourism Providers and Creative Experts
This format not only fosters initial connections but also plants the seeds for longer-term projects. By meeting with experts in fields like digital storytelling and sustainable branding, tourism providers gain practical insights on how to enhance visitor experiences, strengthen their brand, and incorporate sustainable practices into their offerings. For creative professionals, it’s a chance to apply their skills in a rapidly evolving sector, supporting tourism’s shift toward green and digital transitions.
Beyond Networking: A Catalyst for Action
While traditional networking often leads to passive connections, this Speed Dating model is designed to generate actionable outcomes. Participants walk away with concrete ideas for collaborations, including next steps on how to integrate creative solutions to enhance sustainability or digital engagement.
Participant Testimonial
*”My first speed dating… with tourism providers! 😉 What an experience! As one of the creative creators, I had the opportunity to meet different tourism service providers who want to push boundaries and bring freshness to tourism through quick, intense conversations. 🌍✨
At each stop—or rather, a ‘mini-date’—we explored how to work together to create stories and content that would truly appeal to people and transform the tourism experience sustainably and digitally. 🎨💡
I look forward to future collaborations and all the new, inspiring stories we will create together!” 🚀*
— Jerneja Milost, Canva Expert, Social Media Marketer
