On 18-19 July, the 36-hour ideathon “Create the Kolkheti Brand” was held at the Senaki Tech Park. The event brought together around 50 selected participants, local stakeholders, industry experts and creative professionals. Working in teams, the participants developed brand concepts for Kolkheti as a unified tourism destination.
Kolkheti National Park, which connects communities across the municipalities of Poti, Senaki, Abasha, Khobi, Zugdidi and Lanchkhuti, is known for its unique natural, cultural and biodiversity assets. The park lies at the heart of the region’s tourism potential which extends far beyond the park and includes local culture, gastronomy and a wide variety of adventure experiences.
The ideathon aimed to transform Kolkheti’s unique natural, cultural and historical characteristics into an impactful and competitive brand identity and contribute to sustainable tourism development, income generation and job creation across the six municipalities it connects. Thirteen teams developed practical brand concepts that presented Kolkheti as a unified and recognisable tourism destination while preserving the identity and authenticity of each individual place.
“A unified brand for Kolkheti will help present the region’s diverse tourism potential more effectively, increase its visibility, attract new visitors and create new opportunities for local businesses,” said Lasha Jikia, Executive Director of the Samegrelo Destination Management Organisation.
The working sessions covered brand positioning, the identification of Kolkheti’s unique value proposition and target audiences, brand messaging, storytelling, visual direction and the visitor experience. Participants also explored international examples and discussed opportunities for using artificial intelligence during the ideathon process.
The intensive working format enabled participants to combine diverse professional experience and perspectives, develop their ideas step by step and incorporate practical feedback on brand concepts from mentors.
As one of the ideathon participants, Iva Japaridze, noted: “During the ideathon, we realised that Kolkheti’s greatest strength lies in its diversity. We wanted to present the region not as a collection of separate places, but as one unified and memorable experience. Sharing different professional perspectives and working as a team helped us turn our idea into a coherent brand direction.”
At the end of the event, the teams presented their concepts to the jury. The submissions were evaluated according to their relevance to Kolkheti’s identity, the logic and completeness of the concept, visual direction, feasibility and the quality of the presentation. The winning team was awarded a prize.
The ideathon achieved more than the creation of individual brand concepts. The process demonstrated that a shared vision for Kolkheti can be shaped through active participation and collaboration. The concepts developed by the participants presented the region in a contemporary way while considering the interests of both local and international audiences. Their further development could provide an important foundation for creating a unified, recognisable and competitive tourism brand for Kolkheti.
The ideathon was organised by the Local Economic Development Project (LEDP), in cooperation with the Tbilisi School of Communication, Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA) and the Samegrelo Destination Management Organisation (DMO). The event partners were Kolkheti National Park and the municipalities of Zugdidi, Poti, Khobi, Senaki, Abasha and Lanchkhuti. The Local Economic Development Project is implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation with funding from theSwiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
