Now that the forced halt, that was put upon the meetings and events industry during the pandemic, is vanishing bit by bit, professionals go out once more in search of locations that fit their events. And as the world has changed since the first COVID-outbreak, so have destinations around the globe. Now, the promotion authority of Visit Porto and North of Portugal – Convention & Visitors Bureau have put out a short film, produced by the Portuguese KOBU Agency, to remind clients of the benefits of hosting their events in these regions.

Entitled “Why choose Porto & North of Portugal for your event? – The Majestic Adventures of Ofelia de Souza”, the clip tells the story of Ofelia de Souza, a 72-year-old experienced event planner and “epicurean” from the city of Lamego, a city in the region of Viseu just south of the shores of Douro river. Along with her personal assistants “Ofelier” and “Ofeliette”, she shares tips and secrets for choosing and enjoying “one of the best business tourism destinations in the world”.

Fitting the extravaganza of the protagonist, Ofelia states at the setout of the film that, “on several destinations, on business trips, you never know if you’re going to ‘die of boredom’ or ‘back pain’”, which surely resonates with lots of the event professionals for whom the clip is intended. She then presents the cities of Porto, Matosinhos, Vila Nova de Gaia and Braga and the landscapes of Douro Valley as counterexamples aiming to “show that the destination has the necessary conditions to organise large events, or exclusive events”.

The president of Visit Porto and North of Portugal – Convention & Visitors Bureau, Luís Pedro Martins, commented: “The dynamism of the destination, the diversity and quality of the offer, and the attention to detail, in a charismatic and less conventional approach, also allows for a journey through iconic landscapes and experiences.”

For Martins, the campaign is one of the marks, pointing the way out of the crisis. “Investing again in the Meetings Industry is key for Visit Porto and North of Portugal – Convention & Visitors Bureau due to the multiplier effect of this product at the destination, both in terms of consumption of tourist services and in terms of combating seasonality”, Martins said.

Since it was presented to the world last October, “Ofelia de Souza” won several international awards. In 2021, the film was awarded Best Travel Film in Mannheim Arts and Film Festival; Best Commercial of the Month and Best First-Time Director of the Month in Gothamine Monthly Film Awards and Best First Time Screenwriter, Best First Time Producer, Best Advertising Film, Best Costume Design and Best First Time Director / Short in Vegas Movie Awards.

This year, Ofelia has already won Best First Time Director in Kiez Berlin Film Festival, a Grand Prix and the First Place in Tourism Products – MICE in Japan World’s Tourism Film Festival; a Gold Trophy (Corporate Image – Tourism Category) in New York Festivals TV & Film Awards and, finally, the Tourism International – Grand Prix and the Gold Award – Tourism Products in International Tourism Film Festival Africa.

For more information, check the official website.