From 3-6 April 2022 the LRE Foundation, together with Normandy Tourism and Région Normandie, will host the LRE Forum 2022 in Caen. The LRE Forum is the annual event of the LRE Foundation which brings together an array of international members, partners, and tourism stakeholders from across the World War II remembrance sector, to hear updates from experts, network, and attend specialised travel trade events.
The LRE Foundation is looking forward to this year’s in-person multi-day event, which features an engaging programme of activities. Beginning the first day is the Member Seminar, where members of the Foundation can meet each other, exchange ideas and best practices, and hear the organisation’s latest updates and plans.
Following this, the LRE Conference aims to inform and inspire the remembrance sector on its role as a tool for citizenship and impact on today’s world. Opening with the keynote speech Alain Lamassoure, former Minister and Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (Council of Europe), will discuss ‘Teaching and learning history in Europe: an instrument of Peace?’, which will then be followed by two panel discussions. The topics ‘The echoes of the past and WWII in our present’ and ‘History and remembrance as a tool for civic engagement’ will be considered by a selection of academic speakers and experts in their field, as they contemplate the role of the remembrance sector within modern society and its potential as a tool for education. A Q&A following each of these panels will offer participants the chance to ask any questions and share their ideas on the subjects. In the evening the Gala, a special dining event for members, key partners, and sponsors of both the Foundation and Normandy, will round off the first day of the Forum.
On April 5, the LREXPO, a thematic trade show, will bring together representatives from remembrance sites, museums, and tourism destinations to network with travel trade stakeholders to offer unique products and form partnerships to reach a broader international audience.
Finally, to close the LRE Forum 2022 edition, participants will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful landmarks of Normandy through guided site visits of the landing beaches and many of the museums and memorials telling the stories of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Additionally, FAM trips for international tour operators organised in cooperation with the European Travel Commission (co-funded by the European Union), will continue from Normandy to Belgium and the Netherlands to further explore historical sites in the two countries which were key in the liberation of Europe at the end of WWII.
To read the full programme: www.lre-foundation.org/forum
