„The Economist: The World in 2017“ conference was held today at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in Belgrade. Organizer of the conference, Color Press Group, gathered leading people of the Government of Serbia, Government of AP Vojvodina, ambassadors, economists and businessmen from Serbia and the region.

Part of the conference was the Case Study 3 entitled „European Capital of Culture 2021“ at which this title of national significance was presented by Nemanja Milenković, President of the Organizing Committee of „Novi Sad 2021“.

Milenković said that the European Capital of Culture is one of the oldest and most successful projects of the European Union, which has not only a dimension of culture, but also social, political and economic development.

– The European Capital of Culture is a kind of brand. There is hidden an answer why „Novi Sad 2021“ project is of national importance – said Milenković, adding that according to researches the title of ECoC on each euro invested in the project, the city and the country in worse scenario returns 3 euro, in a good 7, and in an excellent up to 10 euro.

In the context of national brand Milenković mentioned the events that will mark years ahead. Novi Sad will be European Youth Capital in 2019, in 2020 twenty years of one of the best European and world music festivals, EXIT, will be marked, and in 2021 Novi Sad will be the European Capital of Culture.

– With this kind of „ID“, there is no tourist or investor who will not come to Novi Sad. Only to Novi Sad? Hardly. Only half an hour or 40 minutes away there is Balkan New York and Berlin, the Serbian capital, Belgrade. This is fantastic opportunity for both cities, because who comes to Novi Sad will also come to Belgrade, and when you come to Belgrade, you will love Serbia – said Milenković.

In the end Nemanja Milenković, President of the Organizing Committee of „Novi Sad 2021“, pointed out that precisely this is the essence of long-term national rebranding and that is why Novi Sad is an important Serbian brand.

Expectations are that Novi Sad will transform the ideal of „Serbian Athens“ from the end of the 19th century into new vision of the 21st century, and the second largest city in Serbia will become Serbian Rotterdam, Milan, Frankfurt or Manchester, which we beat by the way in the competition for the European Youth Capital, but that is another story…

The conference „The Economist: The World in 2017“ as also attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and many ministers in the government of Serbia, as well as the Mayor of Novi Sad Miloš Vučević.