Who is or what is a location manager?

What exactly does a location sponsor do? Not even the Swiss Association of Locations can answer this question simply. The fields of activity are too complex and the skills required are too diverse. The umbrella association of location and business development agencies, founded in 1998, is committed to promoting the interdisciplinary exchange of information and experience and promoting professionalism in the area of location management.

It often happens that members of the Governing Council of the Swiss Association of Locations are asked what exactly a location promoter is and what its business is. The answer, which is not entirely satisfactory, is always: it depends. Since there is no recognized professional qualification for the approximately 300 people working as real estate developers in Switzerland, much less uniform training or a qualification profile. There are a variety of professional names and roles: location promoter, business promoter, location manager, marketing by location, regional marketing, regional development, to name a few, but the list is not exhaustive. In fact, it does not include the myriad of colleagues in the areas with which the site manager works closely: tourism, real estate, architecture, construction, research, administration and the public sector, culture, gastronomy, etc. At the theoretical level, there seems to be a clear distinction which actually disappears in practice.

Realize the potential and then implement it
And it is precisely in this interface between the most diverse sectors that the promoter or promoter of locations is located and in most cases – yes, women are gaining ground – often with diverse skills in other sectors such as sociology, economics, architecture, marketing or real estate sales. The modern event organizer combines these and other skills and fulfills the task that is often assigned to him by politics – at the local or international level. You, who read this magazine, are most likely active in one of the areas mentioned, so that you can best assess the many qualities and knowledge that a site promoter should possess. Everyone agrees on one point: There is a common denominator for all project sponsors, everyone wants to know the potential of their field of action in order to then develop and realize it. And this is a somewhat straightforward answer to the question originally asked.

Promote professionalism
The ASLM, the umbrella organization that brings together location and business promoters in Switzerland, is not satisfied. The association, founded in 1998, now has around 90 members. It tries to find answers to the questions mentioned above and for this purpose promotes the interdisciplinary exchange of information and experience as well as the connection between teaching, research and practice. The ASLM is fully committed to promoting professionalism in the area of location management. In cooperation with various higher education institutions, the association organizes courses and training modules on this topic, and several members are also speakers in the various training and refresher courses. The ASLM is also at the political level in the service of professionalism in order to achieve a recognized professional personality, the figure of the "location manager". The tasks of the ASLM include answering questions about location management.

The network of contacts is essential
However, the main role of the ASLM is the liaison between its members. Location development, location marketing, business development, real estate projects, spatial planning: As already mentioned, these and other topics are part of the daily activities of location promoters. Complex sectors that overlap and for which it is not always easy to keep an overview and to have the connections and contexts
feels right. This is precisely why the exchange of experience, the professional network and close cooperation between the various industries are becoming increasingly important. The ASLM offers its members the opportunity to expand their network, to take care of the interdisciplinary exchange and to use the synergies between location promotion, economic development, spatial planning and real estate development. In addition, ASLM members can take advantage of short free consultations on aspects of site management and site development offered by members of the ASLM Board of Directors.

Awards for innovative projects
Every year in spring, the ASLM organizes the location management day, on which location managers, business promoters, experts from the real estate sector and representatives of municipalities, cities and cantons meet to listen to interventions on reference cases and to discuss industry-specific topics, exchange experiences and expand them Your network of contacts. ASLM has been giving the coveted ASLM Awards to innovative projects in the field of location development, location marketing and business promotion since 2007. The awards are intended to reward the diversity and quality as well as the innovative strength of projects in the field of location development, location marketing and business promotion. Since 2017, ASLM has also been organizing a visit to the Expo Real in Monaco, which will take place at the beginning of October. With around 42,000 visitors and 2,000 exhibitors, Expo Real is the largest European exhibition for the real estate and location sector. The initiative includes a return trip by bus, a visit to the exhibition with selected meetings, an aperitif and an exclusive network at the Swiss stand “Swiss Circle”. ■

• André Gassmann is a member of
  Managing Director of ASLM and Head of Communication and Marketing for the municipality of Emmen; Alexandra Vogel heads the office of the Swiss branch association ASLM.

contacts

Swiss Association
for location management SVSM
Office
Ricketwilerstrasse 135
8352 Ricketwil (Winterthur)
T: 058 255 08 88
info@svsm-standortmanagement.ch
www.svsm-standortmanagement.ch

A cura di André Gassmann e Alexandra Vogel*