Barcelona Hosts the European Forum on Cultural Industries

The Ministry of Culture of Spain, in collaboration with Barcelona¿s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Navigation, is organizing the European Forum on Cultural Industries for March 29 and 30. It is considered the most important meeting on culture organized by the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. It will serve as a prelude to the Informal Meeting of Ministers of Culture that will also take place in Barcelona on March 31. During the Forum, the European Commission will present its Green Paper on Cultural and Creative Industries. The event will include the participation of institutional representatives of the European Union and the various Member States, with the attendance of high-level experts in each of the fields discussed, in addition to technicians from European Union working groups, representatives from sectors of the Cultural Industry, etc. To be attended by an estimated 500 professionals and 70 European speakers, the meetings will be organized around an inaugural conference, four plenary sessions, and two parallel sessions, and will be articulated based on the following guidelines: ¿ The financing of cultural industries (financial intervention mechanisms, sustainability of small and medium sized enterprises [SMEs]). ¿ The professionals of the cultural industries (new skills derived from digital mutation, training challenges, mobility of talent). ¿ Internationalization of cultural products (local production in global markets, internationalization and cooperation strategies). ¿ Intellectual property and the management of rights. ¿ Territorial development (culture and territorial development, local and regional European development programs).