Delphi Forum: Hermoupolis Heritage at the Piraeus Bank panel on the problems of insularity in Greek business

Hermoupolis Heritage participated in the 9^The Annual Delphi Conference “Delphi Economic Forum IX” held 10-14 April 2024 in Delphi. With the “Great Transition” as the centerpiece of the discussions, participants exchanged views and proposed solutions regarding the multifaceted transitions taking place in almost every area of modern life towards a sustainable future. The conference was attended by over 1,000 personalities and civil society people from Greece and abroad, from the field of politics, entrepreneurship, diplomacy, academia, decision-makers and visionaries, leading thinkers and analysts of political and economic developments , while it was held under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic

(more on 9^The Delphi Economic Forum, here).

The founder of HermoupolisHeritage Mr. Dimitris Stavrakopoulos participated with his speech in the side event “Forging a Society of EqualOpportunities” invited by Piraeus Bank. In thematic panel 3 on “Strengthening Resilience in Remote Areas of Greece: Listening to the Youth”, he introduced HermoupolisHeritage and the Hermoupolis Textile Museum to the Conference participants and then participated in the discussion on the cornerstones of entrepreneurship in the island province.

Since the topic of the forum was the vicissitudes in the economy of provincial Greece, Mr. Stavrakopoulos, at the beginning of his presentation, quoted the words of an interlocutor shortly before joining the panel that “the future is the province and Athens is the past” which gave him optimism to speak at the Forum with more force. A similar thought, after all, was the springboard for HermoupolisHeritage’s ventures. His speech was received by the audience with particular interest, as there were not a few who congratulated him on the quality of his words, which exuded simplicity and authenticity without lacking robustness.

A personal vision becomes an affair of the Syrian society

Initially, Ms. Margarita Pournara, respected journalist and coordinator of the panel, prefaced the founder and president of Hermoupolis Heritage, Mr. Dimitris Stavrakopoulos, extolled the value of Hermoupolis in the 19^u century, characteristically mentioning that “it all started there”. He reminded the public of important firsts of Syros such as the first hospital, the first charitable institutions, the cemetery with the burial monuments as an excellent example of culture: “All the first things happened in Hermoupoli, they did not happen by chance because Greeks gathered from every corner. It was the New York of the time.” He also mentioned the business of the time, the crafts, industries and shipping, as well as the position that Ermoupoli gave to Piraeus, after the decommissioning of sailing ships.

Mr. Stavrakopoulos presented the story of Hermoupolis Heritage stating that it all started as a personal nostalgia for the past of his place, the glorious history of Syros, which transformed into a social vision. He talked about how he was fascinated by the first findings of his personal collection, but also how he discovered aspects of the cultural heritage of Syros over the years. Marking the launch of the venture, he emphasized: “It was a personal vision, which I wanted to spread to the rest of the world. The world should listen to our history, to feel the idea that we must save it”. Thus, he created Hermoupolis Heritage with the aim of not only having people who set a good example but also people who will follow.

He then explained how he discovered the site of the Zisimatus factory when he was very young, out of curiosity and admittedly surreptitiously, “through a hole in the wall”, as he had earlier mentioned. This accidental discovery won him admiration and automatically created a sense of responsibility for saving this precious find, although there was neither money nor expertise: “I just said let’s go in and find the way. And when we re-entered, we just started to…wipe the place”. And he concluded: “Even if you don’t know, you will.” After doing it myself who knew nothing, I think everyone can show strength and passion and do what they envision.”

Regarding the power of Culture, Mr. Stavrakopoulos expressed the opinion that “Culture should in principle be entertaining, so that someone wants to learn things.” In this light, he made reference to the former Zisimato Factory and now the Textile Museum of Hermoupoli, saying that through guided tours, one of the many projects of the Museum, the visitor is given the opportunity to have an experiential experience and not just see a space “You have to experience him: he dresses like the worker back then, writes the work card, eats the worker’s snack”. supported by Piraeus Bank, but also abroad.

The bars of insularity

Mr. Stavrakopoulos, before formulating his views, thanked Ms. Pournara for highlighting not only the work of Hermoupolis Heritage and all those who try to implement similar difficult projects, but also Piraeus Bank for the step it gives to such efforts: “We need people who can support us psychologically in principle so that we can do business”.

At the beginning of his placement, he gave the stamp of insularity, considering the factor with positive and negative signs: “The land in the islands has an end. But as long as there isn’t this immensity that exists in solid Greece, so much more is there depth.” Thus, summarizing the problems of the island province and referring to the Museum, he recalled a series of barriers that hinder business on the islands: The cost of materials which are higher due to the increased transport costs, the experienced staff who are not in the same availability as in mainland Greece, the lack of know-how in the absence of lifelong training in specialized roles such as the museologist or the conservator of cultural finds. He also noted that the trip to Athens is a one-way trip and indeed an expensive one-way trip due to the ferry issues. Also, on the subject of promotion, there is no networking on the islands, like what was done at the Delphi Forum. At this point, he emphasized that a local museum like that of Hermoupolis Heritage, no matter how magnificent it is, cannot be experienced unless one comes to Syros himself. Although the attachment of digital structures is necessary, it deprives the visitor of the tactile experiential experience. In addition, the Museum’s own mobility is limited, due to its insularity, since it depends on the coastal ferry programs. Therefore, he considers that the claims ventures need specialized support in order to be balanced with counterparts in mainland Greece and ultimately to prove viable.

On the positive side, Mr. Stavrakopoulos emphasized that Syros is an island that attracts well-educated visitors, people who seek entertainment and not entertainment, as what it has to offer is cultural history and not spectacular beaches. Therefore, what Hermoupolis Heritage seeks is first of all to “educate” the inhabitants to learn the history of Syros and to love it and then communicate this to tourism. In this way, he said in closing “we want to strengthen the sustainable model of tourism development”.

(the entire speech of Mr. Stavrakopoulos, on the Piraeus Bank website, here)

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