About PLACExNordic

About PLACExNordic?

PLACExNordic is Northern Europe’s meeting place for everyone working with place attractiveness – whether it’s about attracting talent, investment, visitors, or creating thriving communities for the people already living there.

We stand for collaboration, innovation, and sharing of knowledge across sectors and borders.

Each year, we bring together city leaders, regional developers, policymakers, researchers, and business innovators to explore and test new ideas to find out what makes places resilient, competitive, and livable.

PLACExNordic is more than a conference – it’s a community of practitioners shaping the future of places.

PlacexNordic is a product of Future Place Leadership AB a data-led agency that empowers places – cities, regions and countries – to attract and develop people and business.

Headquartered in Stockholm, our company is based on Nordic values of co-creation, trust and collaboration. We serve clients in the public and private sector across most European markets with a remote team based in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The THEME 2026

“Resilient Future Places – From Adapting to Advancing, Shaping the Places of Tomorrow.”

We set a yearly theme that reflects the times we live in. For 2026, our focus is clear, we live in turbulent times. Global crises, geopolitical uncertainty, economic pressure, information warfare and rapid technological shifts challenge communities across Europe and beyond.

Resilience is about withstanding shocks, but it also about finding direction, renewing ourselves, and moving from adapting to advancing.

This year’s theme asks:

How can places use resilience not as a defensive shield, but as a springboard toward renewal and opportunity?
What strategies, partnerships, and innovations will help us shape tomorrow’s attractive, sustainable, and human-centered places?
Are places already transforming into becoming a sustainable resilient city or destination

It is no coincidence that PLACExNordic 2026 will take place in Skellefteå.

Something extraordinary is happening there. Northern Sweden has become the epicenter of a rapid and ambitious societal transformation. After decades of population stagnation, Skellefteå has experienced growth on a scale rarely seen in Europe. With bold initiatives in education, employment, culture, and sustainability, the city is redefining what it means to build for the future.

That is also why PLACExNordic is proud to be part of Society Expo 2026 (SE26) – a global event showcasing Skellefteå’s transformation and exploring sustainable solutions to the challenges of tomorrow.

The Expo highlights exactly what our theme is about:
resilience, renewal, and the power of collaboration. By aligning with SE26, we can place the discussion of place attractiveness in a broader context of societal change, bringing together residents, policymakers, researchers, and businesses under one shared agenda.

Who we are for

All interested in attracting:

TALENTS

VISITORS

INVESTMENT

Both Private & Public Sector

Leaders & Practitioners

Key stakeholders:

Umbrella organisations
Start up Hubs
Science Parks
Chambers of Commerce
Universities
Governments
Municipalities
Regions
Destination companies
Place branders
Marketing and communication firms
Tourism developers
Architect firms
City Planning and development organisations

... and many more!

economic development

Place branding & Marketing

and

Urban planning

- talent attraction

- foreign and domestic direct investments
- place marketing and branding
- urban planning
- placemaking
- economic development
- tourism

All with interest in:

The theme in a context

Place Branding
& Marketing

Focus: shaping narratives to attract and retain people, differentiating places in a crowded market, be competitive.

Why resilience matters: A resilient brand is authentic, credible, and future-oriented. It reassures audiences that the place can handle challenges while still delivering value.
Example: Helsinki branding itself as the “most functional city in the world” emphasizes reliability and adaptability — a resilient promise that appeals to talent, investors, and citizens alike.

Talent Attraction

Focus: attracting and retaining skilled workers, ensuring a strong labor market.

Why resilience matters: Talent increasingly chooses places based on stability, opportunities, and quality of life. A resilient place can withstand shocks (like layoffs or geopolitical crises) while still offering growth paths.
Example: After the Northvolt turbulence, Skellefteå needs strategies to retain talent even if one major employer falters. Building resilient ecosystems (education, housing, culture) ensures people stay for the long term.

Investment promotion

Focus: attracting investors and business, building trust, showcasing growth opportunities.

Why resilience matters: Investors look for predictability and long-term viability. A place that demonstrates resilience signals lower risk and higher return.
Example: Regions with strong renewable energy infrastructures or diversified economies attract investors even in uncertain times — because they show they can adapt and thrive.

Urban Planning & Development

Focus: Long-term planning, infrastructure, zoning, sustainability.
Why resilience matters: Urban planners must design cities that can adapt to climate change, demographic shifts, and new technologies.
Example: Planning for drone ports or 15-minute cities is resilience in action — anticipating what will be needed tomorrow rather than only reacting today.