7:00 – 8:30 AM - Registration at the Atrium in the Renaissance Resort

8:30 - 9:15 AM | Welcome Remarks & Official Opening

9:15 - 11:00 AM | Gustavo Araoz - Keynote - ICOMOS in the Caribbean

Araoz will emphasise on the importance of collaboration of Caribbean heritage professionals through ICOMOS  

Michael A. Newton - Willemstad World Heritage City

Old Willemstad consists of several distinct historic districts, reflecting different eras of colonial town planning and development. The urban and architectural development since the 17^th century will be briefly explained      

Dimitri Cloose - History of Willemstad’s Harbor

Willemstad developed as a port town, so the harbour itself is part of the World Heritage site. The history of the port will be reviewed, also in relation to other Caribbean port towns.

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Willemstad Harbor Tour by boat (incl. lunch)

Gather in the lobby. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, light clothing and sun protection. A bottle of water will be provided upon departure.

2:00 - 5:00 PM | Session: Underwater Heritage & Archeology

Peggy Leshikar-Denton - Keynote - Caribbean Underwater Cultural Heritage: Past, Present & Future

Amy Victorina - Archaeology of Historic Willemstad

Curaçao has a vast range of heritage that spreads over a period span of more than 5000 years. This heritage is constantly under threat by developments. For managing the old city an update of the Cultural Heritage Map of Curaçao is necessary.    

Coffee Break

François van der Hoeven - The use of the Curaçao research submarine for Caribbean maritime archaeology

In 2016, Substation Curaçao, went on a special mission to explore the underwater world around Dominica with the Curaçao owned, based and operated Research Submarine (CURASUB) and submarine tender RV Chapman. The Foundation for Maritime Archeology Curaçao (STIMACUR) was invited to join the expedition.

Q & A session with speakers

5:45 - 8:00 PM | Welcome Reception at the Governor's Palace in Fort Amsterdam

Please be ready in the lobby at 5:45pm. There will be a short guided walk to the location. This activity is for registered participants only! Dress code is business attire - this means for the men jacket & tie or guayabera with dress pants and for the ladies a suitable dress or ensemble.     

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Session: Branding & Marketing of Heritage

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace - Keynote - Caribbean Heritage and the Tourism Industry

There are many examples of successful heritage branding and marketing programs that will be used to illustrate the tools and techniques that deliver the value that the destination is seeking.

Tara Inniss - Networking the Brand: The OAS, Heritage Brand Development and The Caribbean Heritage Network

3The Caribbean Heritage Network (CHN) is one part of a OAS-funded multi-phase project entitled, Enhancing the Socio-Economic Potential of Cultural Heritage in the Caribbean to provide institutional support and strengthening for heritage development in the Caribbean region. This presentation focuses on some aspects of the programmes that relate to marketing and branding Caribbean heritage while also providing participants with an overview of the networking opportunities available through the CHN.

Annefleur Siebinga - Making heritage matter

How can you get stakeholders in the tourism industry, and also the local community, involved and interested in heritage. And what makes a heritage site successful.    

Coffee Break

Peter Chandler - Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition

Vincent Jacot - Remember the Alamo! Building Heritage from a Neglected Space

In 2011, Texas’s state government gained control of the Battle of Alamo site. A large redevelopment project was set up. This presentation will use the example of the touristic utilization of the Alamo to explore various best practices.  

Questions & Answers with speakers

12:00 - 1:30 PM | Lunch & Poster Presentations

Lunch at the Renaissance accompanied by different poster presentations.    

1:30 - 5:00 PM | Session: Financing Heritage Preservation Sessions

Keynote - Michael de Sola - Financing Heritage

The local Maduro & Curiel’s bank financed various heritage conservation projects on Curaçao. The Managing Director of the bank will give his personal point of view.

Rob van den Bergh - The Rise of Pietermaai and the Establishment of Pietermaai District in Curaçao

In a time-span of about 15 years an old rundown district changed into a lively neighborhood. Now it is a cozy, nice place with bars, restaurants and students hanging around. What was behind the revival of this district? What was the economic impact of this development?

Bharat Bhojwani - Preserving Heritage through a Real Estate Fund

When talking about built heritage funding is often a problem. When investors see possibilities, funding will become easier. A new heritage real estate fund will be launched on Curaçao.

Coffee Break

Terence Suthers - Money follows Ideas! - Contemporary Approaches to Success in Funding and Sustaining Heritage Preservation

The speaker will illustrate by reference to three successful but very different small to medium scale heritage projects in Yorkshire, UK, how various funds were attracted because the ‘value added’ ideas behind the projects were sufficiently compelling, whilst at the same time being highly likely (and have since proven) to command sufficient visitor footfall and/or other means of generating earned income to be economically self-sustaining thereafter.

Anne Witsenburg - Financing Heritage Conservation in Aruba: How to survive without subsidy?

Government funding for heritage preservation is very limited. An insight will be given into how the Monumentsfund Aruba handled the following key questions: Where is the money? And how to get a hold of it? How to use your monuments as an asset? How to get investors interested?

Questions & Answers with speakers

5:00 - 8:30 PM | Sunset Cocktail & Plantation House Dinner Reception

The buses will depart from the lobby at 5:10pm for a sunset cocktail at Fort Nassau. At 6:30pm we will arrive at Landhuis Bloemhof for a dinner reception and art exhibition at this historical plantation house. The buses will depart there at 8:30pm to return to the hotel - dress code casual.  

8:00 - 10:00 AM | City Trip Part 2 - Walking Tour Otrobanda

Gather in the lobby. Please wear comfortable shoes, light clothing and sun protection. A bottle of water will be provided upon departure.

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Session: Adaptive Reuse of Built Heritage

Arno Boon - Keynote - Adaptive Reuse

About the practice of reuse and value increasement in the Netherlands:  the application on the former hospital in Willemstad (Curacao). BOEi is a Dutch national institute for restoration and re-allocation of cultural heritage.

Coffee Break

Sir Henry Fraser - Historic Preservation and Adaptive Re-use in Barbados - Successes and Failures, Secrets and Gremlins

Examples of very old adaptive re-use in Barbados will be presented. Followed by examples of tragically lost historic treasures, of success stories, and of a number of failures, where the Barbados National Trust and public opinion have failed to achieve the goal of preservation. Finally, examples are given to illustrate both successful methodology and failed efforts, including some of the “gremlins” that operate to frustrate the goals of preservation and appreciation for our patrimony.  

Marcel Dennert - Adaptive Re-use; A matter of Agility

The Foundation of Heritage Preservation on Curacao has restored many buildings during the past decades. Often a solid business case formed the basis for the architectural approach in restoring the respective buildings. However, (partly) due to economic malaise we have seen businesses change locations. The final result has been an increase in empty buildings in the city center. A fresh approach to the functional and design aspects of restoration is pleaded for.

Questions & Answers with speakers

12:30 - 2:00 PM | Lunch

Lunch at the Renaissance    

2:00 - 4:15 PM | Session: Adaptive re-use of built heritage - continued

Victor Marín-Crespo - Keynote - Preservation & Creativity: Adaptive Reuse for Old Buildings

Cuba has initiated large conservation projects in Havana during the last decades.Buildings got different functions. Often a positive adaptive re-use, sometimes less successful.  

Nirvana Persaud - Adaptive Re-use for Sustainable Heritage Preservation: A focus on Built Heritage in Guyana

The presentation will focus on the notion of adaptive reuse, which is not a new concept as there are a few successful examples in Guyana including hotels, cafes, offices, cultural spaces, as a continued viable method of sustainably preserving Guyana’s heritage.  

Coffee Break

Richenel Ansano & Ergo D. Cijntje - Savonet: a Case Study in Planning Sustainability: Negotiating Experience and Frameworks in Community Based Heritage Preservation

A case study in planning sustainability: negotiating experience and frameworks in community based heritage preservation. Although Curaçao never became a traditional Caribbean plantation colony, it does have a rich legacy of countryside estates tied to a slavery past. The Savonet plantation is an important example. This presentation looks at how the slave houses pertaining to the plantation's history is envisioned as a community-based heritage site, aimed at economic, environmental and architectural sustainability, as well as youth participation. Regional examples and international frameworks are examined.

Questions & Answers with speakers

4:15 - 5:00 PM | Announcements & Closing Remarks

5:45 - 8:00 PM | Harbor View dinner at Restaurant 'De Gouverneur'

We will depart from the lobby at 5:45pm for a short walk down the waterfront to a beautiful 18th century building for dinner, with an amazing view on the harbor and floating bridge - dress code is casual. For those who want to keep going, after dinner drinks in town on own are strongly recommended at the Pietermaai district.

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Plantation Tour west side of the island

The nomination process has started to place a series of plantations in western Curaçao on the UNESCO World Heritage list. On Sunday there is an optional tour to three of these plantations, under the guidance of local heritage scholars. Plantation house Savonet is one of the very interesting stops on this tour, building on the presentation on Saturday about it. Another highlight of the tour is a visit to Plantation Knip, currently in use as a museum dedicated to local historical hero Tula. The tour includes bottled water and a simple boxed lunch. There is limited capacity, so make sure to sign up at the registration desk. Participation is US$ 30.- per person.