The European University of the Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO) has participated in the II Ibero-American Forum on Urban Commerce Strategies, held at the Magdalena Palace in Santander. Dr. Silvia Aparicio, Vice-Rector for Academic Organisation and Teaching Staff, and Dr. Ana Visiers, Academic Director of the degrees in Journalism (PER), Audiovisual Communication (CA) and Advertising and Public Relations (PRP), participated in the meeting accompanied by a group of students from the University.
This conference, organised by the City Council of Santander, has had the collaboration of the Government of Cantabria, the Federation of Commerce of Cantabria (COERCAN) and the Argentinean Confederation of Medium Enterprises, seeking to promote reflection on the development of urban trade and the adaptation of this sector to the new trends of digitisation.
This meeting makes Santander the epicentre of urban commerce, bringing together experts, professionals and representatives from different localities and countries to discuss and share best practices and strategies that are transforming cities.
The forum has brought together renowned speakers such as Eduardo Martín Cardona, a specialist in retail and business development, with more than 15 years of experience in the Inditex Group, where he was instrumental in the growth of brands such as Pull & Bear, Lefties and Zara Home. Throughout his career, he has held prominent positions, including the General Management of Inditex and Zara Spain, and has worked in renowned companies such as Victorio & Lucchino, Grupo Banco Pastor, Noritex in Central America and MediaMarkt. His experience and vision have established him as a benchmark in the retail and commercial sector. Other experts also participated, such as Antonio Muñiz, Vicente Trueba, Álvaro Galán Alonso and María José Sauco, who shared their knowledge on digitalisation in the commercial sector.
In addition, during the conference, the impact of urban digitalisation on commerce was debated and topics such as strategies to stimulate urban commercial spaces from the local and regional administrations, the present and future of the commercial associative sector, and the strategic plans for commerce promoted by the administrations were addressed. The event was also attended by local traders, who shared their experiences, and international representatives such as Ricardo Diab, Secretary General of CAME, together with an Argentinean delegation with representatives from Buenos Aires, Salta and Santa Fe. The forum was also attended by José Gomes de Castro, representative of the Lisbon associative sector.
The day also included the participation of various Spanish cities such as Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Valencia, Bilbao, Barcelona, Oviedo, Villena, Torremolinos, as well as institutions such as the Spanish Association for the Management of Urban Centres (AGECU), which took advantage of the occasion to hold its Board of Directors’ meeting in the Palacio de la Magdalena. The Santander Department of Commerce also signed an agreement with CAME, with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of the urban commercial sector through joint initiatives.
The students of the Communication degrees of the European University of the Atlantic had the opportunity to interview some of these experts and representatives.
Aparicio highlighted the importance of this type of event for the practical learning of the students, who were able to learn first-hand about the challenges and opportunities facing urban commerce in an increasingly digitalised environment. He also expressed his thanks to the organisers of the event, which represents a significant boost for the innovation and resilience of local commerce in Santander.