In order to strengthen the role of the cravat in the branding process and positioning of Croatia in the world, the “Cravat Diplomacy” expert round table was organized by the Academia Cravatica and the Club for Public Diplomacy of the Croatian Society for UN in Zagreb. In the framework of the expert round table, the writer Miro Gavran was appointed the first Croatian Cravat Ambassador during a solemn inauguration in which the Military and Historical Unit of the Croatian Cravat Regiment participated.
The “Cravat Diplomacy”expert round table took place at the House of Europe, under the auspices of the President of the Croatian Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs as well as the City of Zagreb. Partners to the expert round table were the Croatian Tourist Board, the Zagreb Tourist Board and the CROATA cravat brand. Diplomacy&Commerce was the main media partner.
Famous Croatian designer Boris Ljubičić presented his the logo of the World Cravat Day, and his presentation was followed by the panel discussion. It included Goran Bandov, lawyer and politologist, associate professor and dean of the High School of International Relations and Diplomacy Dag Hammarskjöld, Zvonimir Frka Petešić, Ambassador and Head of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, also known as an expert in the area of public diplomacy, Gordan Markotić, Ambassador and Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, and Coordinator of the Presidency of the Republic of Croatia to the Council of Europe, Ms. Milada Privora, former Head of the State Protocol to the Republic of Croatia and Head of the Protocol of the President of the Republic of Croatia, prof. dr. sc. Mr. Božo Skoko, associate professor at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Zagreb, expert in corporate communications and identity and image management, Mr. Darell Šarić, the leading brand marketing manager of the full service marketing agency Hipmedia, and Mr. Ivica Vidović, a well-known Croatian marketing expert; the discussion was moderated by Nikola Albaneže, Head of Museum projects at Academia Cravatica, a renowned art historian and curator. It was also joined by Mirella-Marie Katarina Radman, a specialist in international relations, a journalist and entrepreneur born in Croatia, who joined in via Skype. Introductory speeches were held by Zvonimir Frka Petešić and Gordan Markotić, but also by academician Željko Reiner, Deputy speaker of the Croatian Parliament and Mate Granić, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Croatia, Marijan Bušić, head of Academia Cravatica and Petar Popović, president to the Croatian Society for UN.
“The cravat should be seen as a global, ubiquitous symbol of Croatia. What the iPhone is for the USA and Samsung for Korea, the cravat should be for Croatia. We finally need to spread the story of the cravat through the world, and this professional gathering is stressing the importance of the cords for branding Croatia”, Zvonimir Frka Petešić reported in his presentation.
It is important to emphasize that the expert round table marks for Academia Cravatica, an institution devoted to research about the history and the modernity of the cravat began, the beginning of its new camapign toward a major worldwide celebration of the World Cravat Day that is celebrated on October 18th. The result of the expert round table “Cravat Diplomacy” is the decision of all the panelists and partner institutions to joint this year’s campaign to mark the World Cravat Day all over the world, especially in Croatian embassies and consular offices.