Following the success of the ‘Cities for Talent’ event in Barcelona October 2023, The Utrecht International Center, will hosted the second edition of The Cities for Talent meeting from 2 – 4 October 2024 in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
This three-day congress brought together representatives from various cities and regions across European (and beyond) that work with the attraction and retention of international talent. In the constantly evolving European landscape, we as representatives of local governments, face the critical challenge of attracting international talent. Bringing international professionals to our regions is only half of our work however; ensuring their integration and making them willing to stay is equally important and will be the central theme of our upcoming congress. How can we optimize the experience of internationals? How can we make them feel home and integrate into our local communities? And how can we potentially assist them in finding new employment opportunities if they lose their job (talent transfer)?
The International Talent Network (then: European Talent Alliance) was officially launched at Cities for Talent 2024!
Every European International Center has developed unique strategies to tackles these questions within their local environment context with unique challenges and limited resources. During the Cities for Talent Meetings, we aim to create a space for exchange and cooperation, where to share best practices and learning for the creation of a network of talent cities. Our objective is to foster an environment of exchange and facilitating mutual learning, and advancing further cooperation. Participants will talk about topics concerning the attraction and retention of international talent, and issues that these internationals face. Furthermore, by coming together, we can continue growing our network in which we collaborate towards a stronger, more interconnected Europe in which we support the international community.
Cities for Talent is an unique opportunity for European cities to come together, share insights, and develop strategies to attract and retain talent. Additionally, we have been further developing a partner network for cities with a vision on talent and international labor market – now the International Talent Network!
The congress took place in the city of Utrecht, which has plenty of opportunities for informal networking and exploration. In addition, the Mayor of the City of Utrecht, Sharon Dijksma, was present to open the program for the second day. We look back at a succesful edition!
Between 28 and 30 October 2025, Bologna hosted the Cities for Talent Meeting – an international gathering organised by the Metropolitan City and the Municipality of Bologna, in collaboration with ART-ER and the Bologna for Talent initiative.
Barcelona hosted the first edition of the Cities for Talent Meeting in 2023. This two-day event brought together leading experts and professionals from cities and regions with innovative programs for attracting and retaining international talent.
