City marketing master classes

Castro Citymarketing annually organizes the Masterclass Citymarketing, a two-day program in which experts share their knowledge about successfully positioning cities and regions. Led by Frits Huffnagel, founder of Castro Citymarketing and experienced city marketing expert, participants gain insight into the latest trends and strategies within the field.

All master classes in a row

Upcoming: Masterclass in City Marketing 2025

The dates for the upcoming Masterclass are known: Thursday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 16. This year the Masterclass will take place in beautiful Amersfoort! Discover the latest trends, learn from experts and work together on creative solutions for city marketing in 2025.

Registrations are open, so be quick! Sign up using the form here.

 

Masterclass Mayor's Edition - try-out

On November 27, 2024, the try-out of the Masterclass Citymarketing took place in the town hall of Eemnes. Geerte Udo, former director of Amsterdam&Partners, gave an inspiring presentation on the cooperation between public and private sectors and how this contributed to Amsterdam's international success. Peter van der Velden, former mayor of several cities, prompted the participants to reflect on their role as figureheads with propositions. The mayors found the session very valuable. That tastes like more!

Masterclass 2024

On April 18 and 19, 2024, the Masterclass Citymarketing was organized at Grand Hotel Karel V in Utrecht. Alongside others, Arjan van der Born, director of ROM Utrecht, and Michiel Dijkman, director of Economic Board Utrecht, gave presentations on urban and regional cooperation aimed at economic progress. The program inspired participants to make connections between local strengths and broader ambitions.

 

Masterclass 2023

The April 2023 edition took place in The Hague, where The Hague's DNA took center stage. Here, speakers included Saskia Bruines, alderman for Finance, Culture and Economic Development of The Hague, and Sander Hanenberg, Head of Marketing & Customer Care at The Hague & Partners. In addition, Jos Vranken, director of NBTC, shared his views on the link between urban marketing and national tourism policy. The day emphasized how cooperation and a strong city character can profile cities nationally and internationally.

Masterclass 2022

The Masterclass Citymarketing took place in Leiden in September 2022, with the theme "City of Science." Speakers such as Martijn Bulthuis, director of Leiden&Partners, discussed strategies to strengthen urban identity and involve residents in science initiatives. Annemieke van Wegen-Delhaas, director of Blok Events, also shared her expertise in city branding and talked about the success of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 as a promotional tool for Rotterdam. The session showed how science and culture can contribute to a distinctive urban positioning.

Masterclass 2021

During the Masterclass Citymarketing in Eindhoven in 2021, Peter Kentie was one of the speakers. He is director of Eindhoven365, Eindhoven's city marketing organization. Kentie shared the city's successful branding and marketing strategy, which focuses on technology, design and knowledge. Also speaking was Gert-Jan Hospers, associate professor of city marketing and social geography, about the city marketing of inner cities. A successful first edition!