The City of Brno will be presented in the Bohemian National Hall in Manhattan on October 1 – 2, 2012. Day one – Monday October 1 – will introduce the exceptional cultural and architectural genius loci of Brno and therefore it will be dedicated to Villa Tugendhat which was re-open to the public in spring this year after a demanding renovation. In addition to an expert seminar on the villa, there will be an exhibition dedicated to this unique functionalist monument inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as well as to functionalism in Brno in a broader context. The inauguration will be followed by a social function. The aim of the next day – Tuesday October 2 – is to introduce primarily the business and research and development potential of the South Moravian metropolis. The city intends to strengthen the existing ties with American business partners in New York and to establish new contacts with potential new investors. The highlight of the day will be a conference “Brno – a City of Knowledge Economy and Emerging High Added Value Industries”.
The presentation of the City of Brno will be sponsored by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic and organized in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York, American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic and the Czech Center New York. The city will enable businesses already operating there to introduce themselves as good examples for potential American business partners. The event will be held thanks to financial contributions from these partners.
"If we want to succeed in today's highly competitive market of European cities, we must be active in marketing the city and offering business opportunities. And that is why we are going to New York," says Roman Onderka, Mayor of Brno. "It is necessary for the city to use its full potential which is mainly in the knowledge economy and industries, such as biomedicine and information technology. These can be very attractive for potential American investors. On the one hand, we are presenting progressive scientific disciplines supported by excellent infrastructure in a strategically attractive location in the middle of Central Europe. On the other hand, there is the continuity of cultural and architectural tradition, which we will illustrate in the U.S. with Tugendhat Villa, a jewel of functionalism. Only very few European cities can boast such a combination. We are therefore confident that with this offer we will be able to attract American business partners and that the costs of an event designed in this way will return to Brno in an increased number of U.S. companies operating in Brno”, adds Roman Onderka.
During its business mission Brno will present some of the projects carried out jointly with U.S. partners. Among these we can mention the International Clinical Research Center (FNUSA - ICRC) where the St. Anne's University ospital cooperates with the U.S. Mayo Clinic and partners from the Czech Republic and other countries.
The fact that Brno in its further development can benefit from historical and cultural traditions will be highlighted by the presentation of Villa Tugendhat. Visitors to the exhibition will find out at a specialized seminar all about the turbulent history of the villa or its recent renovation and will be able to see the photos of the current state after the two-year renovation. A similar exhibition was held with great success for example in Chicago (Crown Hall, Institute of Technology) or London (Royal Institute of British Architects) and some American cities have already shown interest in the exhibition as well. Brno has enrolled the villa by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the prestigious international competition World Monuments Fund / Knoll Modernism Prize.
A detailed program of the event and a website will be available in the second half of August.
Mgr. Pavel Žára
Tel.: 542 172 162
E-mail: zara.pavel@brno.cz
