Think Social? Vote Côte d’Azur! The Côte d’Azur will represent France in the race to host one of the most significant symposiums dedicated to social media marketing strategies for the tourism sector in 2014. #SoMeT14EU, a one-of-a-kind international conference, annually gathers around 200 marketers, managers, and social influencers from around the world.
The SoMeT (pronounced So-mi-ti), created four years ago by the tourism marketing agency Think-Social! Media, is coming to Europe for the first time, following events in the United States and Australia. This community of international digital marketers will exchange, share, and work on new web 2.0 opportunities for the tourism sector.
The Côte d’Azur Represents France
Following a pre-selection phase, the French candidature will be supported by the Côte d’Azur, alongside Mougins, competing against eight other European destinations, including: Belfast (Ireland), Oostende, Leuven, Kortrijk (Belgium), Otztal (Austria), Istria (Croatia), Rovaniemi (Finland), and Zurich (Switzerland).
An Original Election Method: Internet Users’ Vote
The destination that obtains the most votes will host the Symposium and become its co-organizer #SoMeT14EU. This innovative and participatory voting method relies on a territory’s ability to influence and rally an active community of supporters in a very short period.
The choice of the “host” destination #SoMeT14EU will be revealed after three rounds of votes via the following Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SoMeTourism.
1st round: From Friday, November 15 at 1:00 PM to Friday, November 22, 2013, at 1:00 PM. Each user can cast one vote daily with a 24-hour interval between each vote.
At the end of this 1st round, only the four destinations with the most votes will proceed to the 2nd Round.
2nd round: Starting on November 26, 2013.
3rd round: December 3, 2013.
This candidature of the Côte d’Azur is firmly embedded in the web social strategy led by the CRT Côte d’Azur for several years for the benefit of the Côte d’Azur’s tourist image. Hosting this international event will allow for increased visibility for the Côte d’Azur and recognition by its peers for its influence on social networks.
This symposium will also be a tremendous opportunity to promote French expertise and experience in social media marketing to the world.
The host cities of previous editions have benefited from both direct and indirect impacts of an event of this kind as well as significant notoriety. Approximately 70,000 tweets were posted, 1 million people reached, and an estimated value of tens of thousands of euros in advertising equivalents.
The strength of Mougins’ candidature lies particularly in its experience in organizing professional events, its international accessibility with the proximity of Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport, its offering of upscale 4 and 5-star accommodations, its proposal to promote French gastronomy with the presence of star chefs (with a gala evening by Le Nôtre), as well as its immediate proximity to the Sophia-Antipolis technology park (Amadeus, Telecom Valley…).
