When the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, US was referred to as “a shrinking city” in the media, its citizens decided to take action. In this short film they impressively prove what their city is capable of.
Speakers
|
Wolfgang FÖRSTER
|
Head, Municipal Department 50, Housing Promotion and Arbitration Board for Legal Housing Matters, Vienna City Administration |
|
Introduction |
|
|
|
Rob BLISS
|
Chief Executive Officer, Rob Bliss Creative, Chicago |
Abstract
|
|
|
| The Grand Rapids LipDub Video was a viral video created by Rob Bliss and the city of Grand Rapids. It was created in response to the magazine Newsweek calling Grand Rapids a "dying city". The video was covered by countless international news organizations, from Good Morning America to Der Spiegel, and amassed over five million YouTube views. Its creation was estimated to be worth 6.3 million dollars to the city of Grand Rapids in tourism dollars spent. The video is an epic 9.5 minute long non-stop whirlwind tour of the entire city, from 200 foot flames, to helicopters, and over five thousand people participating in the video. It was called by Roger Ebert, "The Greatest Music Video Ever Made. |
|
Head, Municipal Department 50, Housing Promotion and Arbitration Board for Legal Housing Matters, Vienna City Administration
| | Studium der Architektur in Wien und Graz, Post Graduate Ausbildung in Politologie, Mag. arch., Dr. tech.
|
| 1988-2001 | Mitarbeiter, Prokurist, Leiter des Koordinationsbereiches, Wohn-fonds_Wien
|
| | Leitung mehrerer EU-Projekte
|
| | Leiter, Arbeitsgruppe Housing, EUROCITIES
|
| | Vorsitzender, Committee for Housing and Land Management, Europäischen Wirtschaftskommission der Vereinten Nationen (UNECE) |
| seit 2001 | Bereichsleiter, Wohnbauforschung und Gebietsbetreuung sowie zuständig für internationale Kontakte im Bereich Stadterneuerung und Wohnbau, Wiener Stadtverwaltung
|
Chief Executive Officer, Rob Bliss Creative, Chicago
| 2008-2012 | President, Rob Bliss Events, Grand Rapids, MI
|
| since 2012 | CEO, Rob Bliss Creative, Grand Rapids, MI |
