Building on the collective success of IPBA’s previous conferences, the 9th IPBA conference will be hosted by the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. held in the city of Manchester in the UK.
The conference aims to bring together scholars, practitioners and students of place branding and related fields (nation branding, public diplomacy, city branding, country branding, destination branding). It is the main vehicle to advance the aims of the International Place Branding Association, which include providing a forum for the exchange of ideas around the theory and practice of place branding, linking the members of the international place branding community in a beneficial manner, bringing scholars and practitioners closer together and advancing the professionalization of the field.
Konrad Jagodzinski, Place Branding Director at Brand Finance will be joining the programme to host a session on "The zero-sumgame of Soft Power" and Aglaë Perrin, Place Branding Analyst, will present on the topic: From destination to influence: "How tourism shapes national Reputation and global appeal".
The International Place Branding Association (IPBA) is a non-profit global independent association made up of experts – academics and professionals – as well as other individuals involved in, related to or with a specific interest in the fields and disciplines connected to the branding and marketing of places.
The Association was formed on September the 1st 2016, following the initiative of the participants of Poznań Best Place Summit in 2014 in Poland and the 5th International Conference on Destination Branding and Marketing, Macao SAR China, also in 2014.
Konrad leads Brand Finance’s place branding and soft power practice. He liaises with clients, directs consulting projects, and is responsible for the creation and promotion of the annual Global Soft Power Index, Nation Brands, and City Index studies.
Konrad has extensive experience in advising clients in the fields of place branding and public diplomacy. Before joining Brand Finance, he worked at the Polish Embassy in London where he developed and delivered successful marketing communications campaigns as well as media relations programmes of official engagements by the president, prime minister, government ministers, and the ambassador.
In his role at Brand Finance, Konrad has advised a variety of place branding organisations, including the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Campaign, New Zealand Story, and Cape Town Tourism.
Before moving on to grow the place branding practice, Konrad was the Communications Director of Brand Finance and Managing Director of Brand Finance’s PR agency – Brand Dialogue for 5 years. He has a proven track record in executing integrated communications strategies, having been responsible for publishing nearly 100 industry and country reports on the world’s most valuable brands on an annual basis.
Konrad has qualified with the Professional PR Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). He studied European Studies MA at King’s College London and the Humboldt University in Berlin, and International Relations with Political Science BA at the University of Birmingham.
Aglaë is a Place Branding Analyst based in London, where she supports the Place Branding team. She holds an MSc in International Relations of the Americas from UCL, graduating in September 2023 with first-class honours for her research on nation branding. Aglaë's interest in the place branding industry grew during her five-month traineeship at The Place Brand Observer, where she gained valuable insights and attended the City Nation Place Global Conference. Her role at Brand Finance involves client support, data analysis, report writing, and collaboration with colleagues to ensure smooth project execution. Fluent in both English and French, Aglaë is passionate about the evolving field of place branding.