Opening Talk

Beyond the Tourist Clichés

New venue, new intro format: Instead of a keynote, the DSTNCMP²⁴ in Bregenz is focusing on fresh ideas through an “Opening Talk.”

It could be a visionary discussion with lasting consequences: After all, what the three panelists discussed in the opening round of the DSTNCMP²⁴ in Bregenz is expected to provide deep insights into networking strategies and the conditions for innovation.

One of them, Harald Katzmair, is the founder and CEO of the Vienna-based analysis and consulting firm FAS Research. The social scientist and “management philosopher” is regarded as a leading expert in the analysis of social networks, with a focus on power dynamics, innovation, and situational analysis.

The other one, Philipp Lehner, is CEO of ALPLA. The family-owned company based in Hard near Bregenz is a leader in the manufacture and recycling of all types of plastic packaging. Approximately 23,300 employees at 196 ALPLA locations in 47 countries produce customized packaging systems, bottles, closures, and injection-molded parts for all areas of application. ALPLA operates recycling facilities for PET and HDPE in Europe, Mexico, and Thailand. The mindset of this third-generation family entrepreneur is shaped by international business processes on the one hand and a commitment to innovation and the circular economy on the other.

The third member of the trio is Urs Treuthardt, who will serve as managing director of Bodensee-Vorarlberg Tourism and Convention Partner Vorarlberg until 2023. As the founder and managing director of the “encounter agency” Occursus, he brings 20 years of experience in tourism—including 13 years in leadership roles—to the team. A passionate networker, he aims to “create space for meaningful encounters and exchange” with Occursus. He is a co-initiator of the research platform micelab:bodensee and the data:room. This flexibly configurable space is designed to facilitate better decision-making based on facts and interdisciplinary exchange.

Building on insights from network science and resilience theory, the three participants in the discussion on DSTNCMP²⁴-Tuesday discuss whether and how tourism and internationally active companies can learn from one another and how new approaches to strategy and decision-making processes might be developed collaboratively.