Omar Al-Rawi is an Austrian politician (Social Democratic Party) and was until 2011 the integration officer of the Islamic Faith Community in Austria. He has been a member of the Vienna State Parliament and Municipal Council since 2002. In his fifth term, he is a member of the City Council Committees on Innovation, Urban Planning and Mobility, and European and International Affairs and substitute member of the Committee for Education, Youth, Integration and Transparency and the Committee for Housing, Urban Renewal and Women. He has a degree in civil engineering from the Vienna University of Technology.
Pedro Soares has a degree in Applied Biology and a postgraduate qualification in Management Studies.
Professionally, he has worked as an advisor to the Board of Directors/Secretary General of the National Youth Council, where he has also been involved in several national and international projects.
He was also a Parliamentary Adviser to the European Parliament, Director of the Erasmus+ Youth in Action National Agency and Director of the Braga Youth Centre.
He is currently working as an advisor to the Mayor of Braga. His sphere of activity is centred on the support, monitoring and development of Braga’s Parish Councils and Unions, as a player and promoter of institutional cooperation between the various local representatives of the municipality of Braga.
At the same time, and on behalf of the Mayor, he fulfils functions in the area of tourism planning and strategy, where he represents the city on various national and international stages.
Triin Ojari is an architectural historian and heritage expert. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 1996 as an art historian and was editor-in-chief of the Estonian architecture magazine MAJA from 2000 to 2013. 2014-2024, she served as Director of the Museum of Estonian Architecture, and has produced several exhibitions and publications on architectural history. She is currently working in the Department of Heritage Protection of the Tallinn Urban Planning Department as Head of the Advisory Service. She has published numerous articles on 20th century and contemporary architecture and urban planning. Co-editor of the compendium “History of Estonian Urban Planning 2018-2020” (Tallinn, 2024).
Anton Nikitin is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the city of Vilnius, the European Green Capital 2025. He has been at the forefront of driving sustainable initiatives for quite some time and is now coordinating the change towards ESG goals for the city.
With a career spanning more than 9 years within the city, he initially contributed as a cycling officer, achieving significant milestones such as establishing new cycling standards and doubling the length of cycling infrastructure within the first three years. Later, as the Head of the Sustainable Urban Mobility division, he played a pivotal role in addressing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) challenges. For more than 3 years in the position of Chief City Engineer, Anton led the city’s infrastructural transformations and policy advancements toward a more sustainable future.
Karolina Wawrzyniak – an experienced legal counsel with extensive expertise in corporate law, strategic business development, and the public sector. She began her career as a lawyer and Strategy Officer at a bank, where she honed her skills in financial regulations. She then served as Director of the Foreign Expansion Department at the Polish Development Fund Group, playing a key role in advising over 6,000 Polish companies on the creation and execution of their international strategies.
In recent years, she joined Oracle as a Business Development Manager for the CEE region, leveraging her legal and strategic skills to drive business growth and innovation. Currently, she holds the position of Head of Public Sector at Mastercard, where she is responsible for business development in the public sector.
Trends Observatory for Culture at KBF, AGH Doctoral School
A designer and researcher of future-oriented solutions. In her work, she combines trends, research, and academic knowledge to create action strategies for businesses, organizations, and institutions.
Currently, she is developing the Trends Observatory for Culture (OTK) at KBF (Krakow Festival Office) and Apteka Designu (AD) – living laboratories for urban solutions. Located in the heart of Wesoła, OTK and AD research and design responses to challenges faced by cities. Their goal is to study social, technological, environmental, and cultural changes that influence leisure activities, integrate the design industry, and promote design education. Additionally, they focus on prototyping urban solutions and fostering future literacy.
Agata is a lecturer in the Trendwatching & Futures Studies postgraduate program at the Faculty of Humanities at AGH University of Science and Technology and an employee at the AGH Doctoral School. As part of her implementation doctorate, she researches trends and the future as tools for building social innovations and supporting civic engagement. Her research involves designing a participatory process in Wesoła using FST methodology and Research By Design.
Creator of urban culture, socio-urbanist, internet creator, employee at the Faculty of Architecture of the Silesian University of Technology, lecturer at the University of Silesia; board member of the antiRAMA collective, director of the AFESTIVAL for urban space creators and the slow-paced film festival FILM+MIASTO, host of the videocasts Street Cloud and MIASTOCZYTANIE, conversationalist at the ZAGADAJ collective; gained experience, among others, at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, TIFF Collective, the Napraw Sobie Miasto Foundation, as an artist-in-residence at Drzwi Zwanym Koniem in Katowice, and at the architectural office OVO Grąbczewscy; organizer of over 600 interdisciplinary projects in the fields of architecture and sociology, socio-urbanism, cultural education; moderator in social consultations and planning processes; creator of spatial and artistic installations.
Desmond Wee was Professor of Culture, Consumption & Mobilities and Professor of Tourism for 12 years in Germany before embarking on his passion to create projects that merge and engage teaching, research and learning through cultural reflexivities and self-performance. He founded Picture Agency to employ experiential design in global education by ‘walking’ outside the classroom to explore the world-in-motion through the interrogation of everyday life. Desmond merges research-based teaching, problem-based learning and design thinking processes to create projects by analysing symbolic orders and cultural practices focusing on global mobilities. He also organises various projects such as conferences, summer schools and management simulations to pursue research interests in socio-cultural mobilities, cultural studies and the social sciences by focusing on visual, reflexive and embodied methodologies in the making of identities across spaces. His areas of specialization include tourism, hospitality, leisure, heritage, globalization, consumption and culture with regional emphasis on the intersectionalities across the ‘East’ and the ‘West’ and reimagining ‘European’ identity through the eyes of the other.
Dr. habil. Luis Inostroza is a professor at Mendel University in Brno. He completed his habilitation in urban ecology at the Ruhr University in Bochum (Germany). He is the author of about a hundred scientific papers on urban ecosystem services, urban development and urban sprawl, land use and urban climate, among others. Prof. Inostroza has gained professional experience in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. He advocates the use of ecosystem services concept in urban planning.
Director of the Krakow Municipal Greenspace Authority.
An experienced local government administration professional. A graduate of the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Agriculture in Kraków and postgraduate studies in Public Administration Management at the Małopolska School of Public Administration at the Kraków University of Economics, Real Estate Valuation at the AGH University of Science and Technology, as well as Garden and Green Space Design at both the University of Agriculture and the Cracow University of Technology.
His entire professional career has been dedicated to Kraków’s green spaces. He began as an inspector and later served as a manager in the Environmental Shaping Department of the Municipality of Krakow, focusing on green space protection. For nine years at the Board of Urban Greenery, he was responsible for green space maintenance as the Deputy Director for Maintenance and later for development as the Municipal Landscape Architect.
He is the initiator and co-implementer of key projects related to green space management, including the development and implementation of “Standards for Urban Green Space Maintenance,” the computerized green space management system within the MONITAIR project, and the LIFE URBANGREEN project. He actively integrates modern IT solutions to enhance and optimize urban greenery management processes.
Jacek Jordan is a cultural scholar, educator, and tour guide with 18 years of professional experience. He was appointed the first Night Mayor of Krakow, responsible for coordinating activities related to the Kraków night-time economy and the protection of its cultural heritage. As Chair of the Sustainable Night-Time Economy Commission, he strives to foster positive relationships between residents, entrepreneurs, and visitors.
Director of KBF, strategist, and service designer. A specialist in change management, innovation design, organizational culture building, user experience design, and the application of digital marketing tools.
She has collaborated with and supported the development of numerous institutions and companies, including Credit Agricole, Danone, Michelin, Capgemini, the Tatra National Park, the National Bank of Poland, the Municipality of Krakow, and Małopolska Provincial Office in Krakow.
She is passionate about human-centered design methodologies, particularly in the areas of ethnographic research, co-creation, and prototyping.
A member of the program board of the Open Eyes Art Festival and the board of the Krakow Tourism Alliance, she is also a lecturer at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków and hosts the podcast KBF Closer on culture from a Kraków perspective.
Dr. Eng. Arch. Kraj. Mariusz Antolak is a landscape architect with international experience, a researcher at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, and the founder of the “W Krajobrazie” Foundation. He earned his PhD with distinction from the Cracow University of Technology in 2013. He is the author of several hundred design and expert studies in the fields of landscape architecture, spatial planning, and environmental protection. In 2024, he received a distinction in the Climate Person of the Year competition, organized by the Ministry of Climate and Environment.
Dr. hab. Marta Derek, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies at the University of Warsaw, is a graduate of tourism geography and hospitality (University of Łódź) and spatial management (EUROREG, University of Warsaw). She specializes in research on urban tourism, urban gastronomy, and tourism infrastructure.
For over 10 years, she has been studying the relationship between humans and the environment using the concept of ecosystem services. Her latest research projects focus on the use of green spaces in Warsaw, as well as local food and culinary heritage. She is also a co-author of the document “Tourism Policy of the City of Warsaw and the Natural Environment: An Analysis of Functional and Spatial Relations”, prepared for the City of Warsaw.
Dr. Andreina Seijas is a Venezuelan researcher and international consultant with more than 15 years of experience in urban development and policy in Latin America, Europe and the United States. Through her doctoral studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design she specialized in night-time governance and planning and launched Night Tank, an international consultancy that focuses on this novel field of research and practice. Previously, Andreina worked for organizations such as Gehl and the Inter-American Development Bank, and has taught urban planning and night-time governance courses at Harvard College and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Urban School at Sciences Po (Paris), and the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC). She is currently based in Barcelona, Spain.
Musician, composer, initiator of numerous socially engaged artistic projects, entrepreneur, academic teacher, and urban animator. For over 15 years, he has focused his attention and creative activities primarily on the areas along the Warta River. He is the creator of KontenerART and the Szeląg Garden. In recent years, he has been developing a riverside Harbor/Marina on the Warta River in Poznań, near Szeląg.
Emiko Gejic is a Berlin-born artist, creative, activist, and founder of Berlinsidestories, dedicated to promoting Berlin’s cultural scene. As executive board member and official spokesperson of Berlin Clubcommission, she supports the city’s nightlife, subculture, and club culture through political advocacy, organizing protests, communication and legal support. Emiko has a background in cultural studies, sociology and urban studies, is active in urban research and works as a cultural producer and consultant for nightlife and creative industries. She regularly hosts events that illuminate Berlin’s artistic life, urban communities, activism, and urban development. Her roles extend to public speaking, moderating, and curating, showcasing her commitment to promoting Berlin’s creative and cultural industries.
Simone d’Antonio is a journalist and expert of sustainable and integrated urban development.
As URBACT expert on governance and physical urban development, he supported more than 100 European cities in creating action plans and transferring urban solutions and good practices. Currently, he is supporting the network Tourism Friendly Cities, which is focused on the sustainable impact of tourism in cities.
He is active also in the Urban Innovative Actions programme, as expert of the project Cluj Future of Work of Cluj Napoca, and in the Partnership on Cultural Heritage of the Urban Agenda for the EU.
He worked in Brussels and then in Rome for the Italian Association of Cities and Municipalities, supporting the participation of Italian cities in European urban programs, such as Covenant of Mayors, Urban Innovative Actions and URBACT.
In the framework of the activities of the National URBACT Point for Italy, he promoted the creation of networks between Italian and European cities in order to support the implementation of the integrated action plans developed by the cities.
From 2015 to 2018 he collaborated with UN-Habitat supporting the development of the Urban Journalism Academy, that trained journalists on urban issues in different areas of the world, supporting the Habitat III process and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
His articles were published, among the others, by The Guardian, Citylab-The Atlantic, Reuters, Citiscope, Citymetric, The Good Life and Lonely Planet Magazine.
Senior Lecture at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Research Interests: tourism economy at local and regional level, tourism marketing, tourism city development policy. Currently, is working on city tourism and night-time economy.
Associate Professor at The Poznań University of Economics and Business in Poland. An expert in the area of place marketing, destination branding and brand management. Co-founder and Member of the Board of Best Place – The European Place Marketing Institute. Vice-president of International Place Branding Association. Senior Fellow at The Institute of Place Management in Manchester, UK. In 2006/2007 senior lecturer at Marketing Department, University of Otago in New Zealand. A scholarship participant of Fulbright Foundation at Northwestern University and Kellogg School of Management in USA. Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, Journal of Urban Regeneration & Renewal, American Journal of Modern Hospitality Management. A consultant in terms of brand strategy, city and region promotion. Co-author of over a dozen brand strategies for cities and regions in Poland.
Specialist in the field of tourism policy and tourism marketing. Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Tourism and Ecology in Sucha Beskidzka. In 1996-2008, the Director of the Polish Tourism Organization’s office in Paris, and in 2008-2017, the vice-president of the Polish Tourism Organization. Coordinator of strategic projects at the Tourism Department of the Krakow City Hall in 2018-2021. Author of the concept of, among others, “Poland’s Marketing Strategy in the Tourism Sector for 2012-2020” and “Krakow’s Sustainable Tourism Policy for 2021-2028”. The initiator of the concept of the Historical Cities 3.0 conference.
Piotr Zmyślony, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Poznań University of Economics and Business, where he lectures, conducts research, and provides analysis in the fields of urban tourism, the night-time economy, and the meetings industry. His expertise lies in tourism management at the city level, with a particular focus on destination management organisations (DMOs), night mayors, and convention bureaus.
He serves as Vice-President of the Euro-Asia Tourism Studies Association (EATSA) and is actively involved in the Wielkopolska Tourist Organisation and the Poznań Local Tourist Organisation.
Piotr has contributed to the development of tourism policies for Warsaw and Kraków, and is the author of numerous academic articles and books. He also runs the professional portal turystykawmiescie.org dedicated to urban tourism.
