Creativity as Infrastructure? These UNESCO Cities Are Rethinking Events

Edinburgh, Scotland: The first-ever UNESCO City of Literature, designated in 2004.

For some cities, creativity is an actual framework.

Around the world, local governments are rethinking how the arts, design, and innovation shape everyday life, and the result is a network of destinations where culture drives progress.

UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network is one of the most inspiring initiatives in global urban planning. These cities aren’t chosen for their skyline or GDP. They’re recognized for how they center creativity; whether through design, gastronomy, literature, music, film, crafts, or digital arts.

For planners, this matters. Here, culture isn’t an afterthought. It’s the foundation.

Booking an event in a UNESCO Creative City means giving your attendees a front-row seat to local excellence. Every element is rooted in place, not brought in from somewhere else. What’s celebrated is already part of the fabric.

Host a literary roundtable in Edinburgh.

Build a culinary trail through San Antonio.

Bring your next creative offsite to a design lab in Graz or Bandung.

The options are endless, and the experiences are authentic.

For planners, that opens the door to programs with built-in depth. When you align your event with a city’s creative strengths, everything from speaker sourcing to group excursions gains meaning. You’re doing SO much more than just booking a venue. You’re tapping into a story that’s already unfolding.

When a city leads with culture, your event has a better story to tell and a deeper reason to be remembered.

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AUTHENTIC x UNESCO

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