Canon #mynextfirst Instameets

This summer Canon challenged people across Europe to do something for the first time and to revel in the moment. Do you have #mynextfirst kind of experience list prepared already? It could be a small, almost ordinary thing. If you #liveforthestory you can find it everywhere – in your neighbourhood, in your own city, with changing your point of view or just chating with your friends.

An opportunity to do all that is just around the corner! Join us, Canon and your favorite bloggers and Instagramers at photowalk in Ljubljana or/and Zagreb, listen to their stories and take a bird eye view of the city!

We can all learn a lot from the stories of our hosts who have been chasing their #mynextfirst for #canon this summer: @ajdasitar, @ljetoincroatia, @krooncheck, @ursha.si and also from the experiences of organisers @igslovenia and @domagojsever.

Both events will start with a short photowalk which will end with a birdeye view of the city –  in Ljubljana from the Ljubljana Castle and from Zagreb Eye in Zagreb. A chat with your favourite Instagramers will take place in the bar with some refreshments. You can also join the photowalk or the chatting part only! Prepare your questions and – cameras!

Participation is free but an upfront registration is necessary – just send an email to info@igslovenia.si with the following information: your name, the city you want to attend the event in and the host you want to listen to most. No limits, you can attend both Instameets and you are especially encouraged to visit it in the city you are not so familiar with! Number of participants is limited.

 

Instameet Ljubljana

Date: September 6th
Start: 16:30
Location: Novi trg, at the fountain
Heading to: Ljubljana Castle, Grajska kavarna
Refreshments and chat: from 18:00 on
Sunset session: 19:00

Instameet Zagreb

Date: September 13th
Start: 17:00
Location: Europski trg
Heading to: Zagreb Eye
Refreshments, chat and sunset session: from 19:00

 

Soča Valley Instameet

Soča Valley is one of the most beautiful and most visited parts of Slovenia, but a bit remote too – it takes two hours to get there from Ljubljana by car! It was the sixth Instameet by Igslovenia but first one at such a remote location so it took us a while to finally decide to do it. We have partnered with Dolina Soče tourist organisation and it’s representative and @socavalley administrator, Tatjana, has greeted us on Saturday morning in the charming small city of Kobarid. It was the first time that Sanja and me didn’t meet any of the participants before and they didn’t know each other so we were breaking the ice with coffee while waiting to enter the small bus, courtesy of Dolina Soče.

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It didn’t take long since the light is important for photographers and we were all there just for that – to take some photos together.

Soča Valley is very beautiful, long and popular. Success of the photos with Soča River can be compared to those with Bled Island, at least on our Instagram account. These photos are usually taken from 4 – 5 different locations  between Kobarid and the end of Trenta Valley (where is the source of Soča River). But the valley has so much more to offer and we are never satisfied with the obvious so we decided to start with some parts of the valley which are not so well known.

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Nadiža River is technically not a part of the valley – it’s turqoise waters, torrential during the frequent storms, originate under the massive Stol range. At the foot of mount Matajur it turns south, crosses the border into Italy and concludes it’s 60 kilometer journey when it joins the river Ter (Torre). Who would care about details like this since it is only a few minutes drive from Kobarid and it is in summer populated not only by locals but by people even from Nova Gorica, almost 50 km away – still  by the Soča River. And with a reason – it is very warm and has carved out pools and gorges, as well as depositing numerous shingle beaches. It is one of the cleanest and warmest Alpine rivers, some even say it has healing properties.

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Tatjana was also part time our tour guide and she proposed to start exploring with Nadiža throughs, one of the most beautiful parts of the river and even less crowded since the access by cars is forbidden. We parked the bus in a small village Kredo to reach the river after 10 minutes walk which was not without surprises.

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We had to cross the river with a hanging bridge and find a narrow steep path to the throughs – not without some effort but for a good reason though!

 

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The untouched wild beauty just put everybody in his own movie and the day finally really begun.

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More surprises on the way back to the bus – how to persuade one of the two horses to step over the wires back into its designated places. Just one hint – success is not proportional to the number of photographers who want to help:).

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Next stop on the Nadiža River was the famous Napoleon Bridge. The famous stone bridge crossing the Nadiža gorge dates to around 1812 and stands mute testament to the routes crossing the area since at least the time of Ancient Rome. The bridge used to form part of the ancient route from Pradol and Robidišče along the Nadiža riverand further to the east. Current bridge was built at the time of the French emperor’s conquests, hence its name. Its uniqueness and technical accomplishment make it a precious architectural monument and a memorial to times past.

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The bridge is just a few steps from the road so we were all immediately in full action – searching for different views, angles and approaches.

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We were never short of voluntary models.

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Of all sexes…

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and species…:)

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Photo by Ingmar Wein

There is a great photo of our dog, Tara, also in @sebo262‘s feed!

 

Our next destination was Robidišče: The village of Robidišče lies on the western edge of Slovenia. From the north, west and south it is enclosed by the state border. Across the border lies the Venetian Slovenia to which the village always gravitated. The old village is itself a living monument of times past.

After WW2 in 1947 Robidišče was cut off from Venetian Slovenia by the Iron curtain. Because of this more than 150 locals packed their belongings onto wagons, crossed the border into Italy and never returned. The village was drastically changed in 1976 when an earthquake with magnitude 8 on Richter scale shook the village. The reconstruction of the village was never completed and the village decreased. In 1869 the village had 178 inhabitants and in 1910 the number rose to 228. In 1991 there were only 17 people living in Robidišče and the number fell to 8 in 2000.

 Robidišče is a nice starting point for hiking in the neighbourhood and admiring the old architecture. The highlight is the Vanče’s house which is over 300 years old and in which the original smoke kitchen is preserved. /breginjskikoten.wordpress.com/

IMG_5600The village is charming but we have to admit that itself does not offer many photo opportunities – the village is small and houses renewed . We didn’t say it offers none though:)

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There is a magnificent view on Mt. Stol just beside the village but the sun was already pretty high and the skies clear – sunrise or sunset are definitely worth trying.

It was a hot day and after two working stops a short break with courtesy refreshments at Turistična kmetija Robidišče made no harm to anybody. The all local food was great too but we had to leave. Hop-on, Hop-off bus was waiting on us. It was his first day on duty in the season or better to say, a pre-day of duty since it served only our group – otherwise it is a seasonal service which a few times a day drives to some more remote tourist destinations like Robidišče. Visitors thus don’t need to drive their cars or rent them and are also start their cycling or hiking tours at the optimal starting points etc..

FullSizeRender-19Narrow and steep road took us again over the Nadiža upper stream, a pretty popular bathing spot and quite crowded already, so we just checked out @ingmarwein‘s levitation skills. We have already found out before that Tina of @followsunsets is a great model:)

Our next destination was Breginj, a village nested bellow Mt. Stol. The clustered old Breginj was an architectural pearl of Venetian Slovenian architecture. The ground plan of the village was round with concentric alleys called landrone. Most of the houses were built from stone with wooden exterior corridors (gank), stairways, balconies (linde) positioned on wooden or stone pillars with big overhangs and agricultural frescoes on the facade. The farmhouses were joined by intriguing sets of underpasses and overpasses. After the earthquake of 1976 the whole village was completely rebuilt. The remaining traditional houses are now a local museum/breginjskikoten.wordpress.com/

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Unfortunately rebuilding the village was focused only to give the people shelter and no historical elements were taken into account. Bot location itself is a very charming one and there are some views on the village, the mountains and the church above the village we wanted to explore.

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A short examination from the best photo spot above the village cut down our expectations  – it was middle of the day and clear skies, the light not appropriate for taking photos there so we decided to leave it for some other time. Photos above are from our previous visit.

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One of the most popular destinations around Kobarid and in the valley itself is a Kozjak Waterfall. The picturesque Kozjak waterfall is caught in a stony amphitheatre not far away from Kobarid. It can be reached by an easy walking path by the riverbed of the emerald Soča River. /www.dolina-soce.com/

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The Kozjak brook, feeding the Soča river from the east (on the left), springs high beneath Mt. Krnčica (2142 m), and runs through many pools making six waterfalls. One of Slovenia’s most picturesque waterfalls, the Veliki Kozjak, was created in the outlet of the lower Korita of the Kozjak Brook.

Approximately 250 meters lower, the water falls again. Here, the waterfall carved an underground hall. Its bottom is covered by a vast blue and green pool, and its walls are reminiscent of those in the Karst caves. A 15 meter high white water column offers its visitors an unforgettable scenery./www.dolina-soce.com/

Unfortunately popularity equals crowd. It is tough already to get a decent picture of the waterfall given the closed natural amphitheater with scattered source of light. When crowded it is even more difficult to get a shot without people standing in the way. But for dedicated photographer nothing is too difficult:)

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Photo Ingmar Wein

Activity on the photo is illegal though:) You can check out a bit more classical take at the waterfall on @lukakotnikphoto‘s, @alanjereb‘s and @dejskovski‘s feed.

It was time for beer, some great pancakes (salty editions) in the camp near the river and slowly saying “goodbye, nice meeting you”. Phones were also ready for first posts:) Also girls from @igposocje took break in their studying for exams to greet us on their home territory.

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On the way back to Kobarid some of us stopped at another classic spot to photographing Soča River, another bridge called Napoleon’s:).  @dani.kla got his classic shot with kayaks there (check out in his feed) and I got @ingmarwein  and @feinerkerl in action.

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Some of us stayed for the rest of the day or even weekend, some headed for other great photo spots in the area. A week would probably be enough to cover only the best spots of the valley, not even trying to hike the less accessible waterfalls, villages, pastures and peaks.

We had a great day, made great photos and most important – some new friends! We thank everybody for joining us and especially Dolina Soče for hospitality!

More photos from the event: #instameetsoca and feeds of the participants. More detailed descriptions of some destinations are available in Where to in Slovenia section and we will be adding more of them.

Photos @zokus_gf ,  @sanya_lt  and @ingmarwein.

Narration:@zokus_gf .

Instameet in Soča Valley

Yes indeed, finally we are meeting in the beautiful Soča Valley! On Saturday, 17th June at 8.00 we meet in Kobarid in front of TIC Kobarid (Trg svobode 16) and leave to explore some more distant parts of the valley at 8.30 with a mini bus Hop ON, Hop OFF (special route for us courtesy of @socavalley).

We will be heading  to Nadiža River first – Podbela and Napoleon Bridge, followed by a visit of Robidišče, an old village on the border with Italy. Next stop will be in Logje on our way to Breginj.

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We will be back in Kobarid sometime in early afternoon, proceeding on our own with exploration of Soča river and probably some waterfalls, depends on the weather and inspiration.

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Number of participants is limited. Apply by email: info@igslovenia.si. Please state your full name and your Instagram user name in application.

See you there!

Ambassadors of #CentralSlovenia

Winner of  the Share Your Postcards from #CentralSlovenia  Challenge will take over a selection to posting features @igslovenia for a week. There is almost 2.000 photos tagged #centralslovenia, a plentiful collection of postcards to share with your friends.

Purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness of the many beautiful spots just around the corner from Ljubljana. We can be successful in fulfilling this task only with the help of you hence we decided to award the most active supporters as Ambassadors who will also receive an exclusive, limited edition T-shirt!

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What qualifies you for an Ambassador of #CentralSlovenia? It is simple:

  • follow @igslovenia and @visitljubljana on Instagram
  • post your photos from Central Slovenia – the more you post, bigger are your chances to win a T-shirt
  • share featured photos or tagged photos with your friends – tag them in comments, invite them somewhere.

First Ambassador we announced a while ago is @mihapongrac (Miha Pongrac) followed by  Uroš Abram @uabram . They have both shared many photos from the area, Uroš has also been featured.

Following their steps are @peterpancur Peter Pančur and @sasacrocy.loves with a great collections of Central Slovenia posts, @lukaesenko (Luka Esenko) and Jan Čermelj @jancermelj both already with a double feature, Ana Pogačar @anapogacar and Iztok Medja   .

We know that some people don’t have photos from Central Slovenia, but they support the campaign by sharing  photos and, above all, sharing the vibe! Manuel Wolf @manuelo_bo and @hairhoppers_010  are just two of them.

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Update

The second set of ambassadors, awarded by exclusive T-shirts as follows:

@dejkovski and @jakaskrlep have shared many different locations and have both been featured already; this is valid also for @dreamypixels whose time lapse of clouds over Velika planina was the very first video we have ever posted on Instagram. Great collections of photos from Central Slovenia which bring them an Ambassador title have also @valentina_plahuta, @denissimcic, @bojanaklemenc.bofit, @ines_loveslife and @silva.abram , Valentina and Bojana also with a feature. Congratulations!

Update 2

In the last part of the challenge the Ambassador title and a T-shirt go to:

@gregorkacin has shown us many different parts of Central Slovenia and he was also featured. Very active contributors who shared their photos were also @mybluedragoness, @lukakotnikphoto, @lukezifoto, @pjsmooth77 and @mancakorelc.

Thank you all for your support!

Mommy, mommy, we are on TV!

Jokes aside … it does not happen very often that we end up on television explaining who we are and what we do. Up until now Igslovenia mostly appeared online or in magazines that are specialized in digital marketing.

Since it is always nice to know who is ‘at the other side’ of the computer screen we decided to share a few articles and presentations about us. They are, sorry, all in Slovene. Hopefully, one day … we can do an interview in English:))

The first interview: SKETA.SI > ‘Kokoška’ na Instagramu (Chicken on Instagram:)

About Instagram in Slovenia; Radio Val 202 (10.6. 2015) > Instagrama v Sloveniji še ne jemljemo resno.

Fotkast na mreži podkastov Marsovci (5.1. 2016)> Slovenija na Instagramu

Podcast 091 Metina lista (18.6. 2016) > Metina lista

About Instameet in Koper (24.6. 2016) > Instagramerji bodo obiskali Koper

A short video clip that was shown on TV, so my mum finally knows what we do;) – Svet na Kanalu A (12.7. 2016) >> Igslovenia. Who are we & what do we do?

Holiday entertainment on the online portal of national TV station Praznični koledar MMC RTV (8.12. 2016)

Local news coverage of photographers who made into top 10 2016  (12.1. 2017) Koprski fotograf med top 10,

18.1. 2017 Ajdovski in koprski fotograf med naj instagramerji

Interview in a national daily Dnevnik (3.2. 2017) Ljudje se zaljubijo v fotografijo na Instagramu 

 

Since we are on Instagram almost from it’s beginnings we also have some exoeriences to share – we did a few seminars and workshops and were invited to lecture or participate at roundtables on the topic:

Seminar : Instagram in tourism marketing, 6.10. 2016  with Marketing magazin 

Workshop: Instagram od A do … 22.12. 2016

Workshop: Instagram in Marketing, SEMPL 18, November 2016

Workshop: ABC Instagrama, Njami Food bloggers conference, November 2016

Seminar: Instagram in Marketing, 30.3. 2017 with Marketing Magazin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instagram v trženju

Kako razviti in upravljati uspešen profil? Kako izkoristiti visoko vpletenost uporabnikov Instagrama? Kako zagotoviti dobro vsebino? Kako umestiti Instagram v strategijo komuniciranja? Odgovore na vsa ta in mnoga druga vprašanja o uporabi Instagrama v marketingu boste dobili na seminarju 30.3. 2017, ki ga bova vodila mag. Zoran Leban Trojar in Sanja Leban Trojar, ustanovitelja @igslovenia.

Uporabnikov Instagrama je kar 600 milijonov, vključenost povprečnega uporabnika pa je  sedemkrat večja kot na drugih platformah. Z uvedbo poslovnih profilov in novih funkcij, kot sta Stories in prenos v živo, je postala uporaba Instagrama za blagovne znamke še bolj učinkovita.  Praktično vse vodilne svetovne znamke uporabljajo Instagram, vendar lahko z njim tudi manjša podjetja in znamke dosežejo odlične rezultate.

@Igslovenia deluje na Instagramu že pet let in ima skoraj petdeset tisoč sledilcev iz vsega sveta. Spremljanje dobrih praks in sodelovanje z uspešnimi »instagramerji« je sestavni del vodenja profila na vseh platformah družbenih medijev. Ustanovitelja @igslovenia sva svoje znanje in izkušnje delila že na jesenskem seminarju o uporabi Instagrama v trženju destinacij, na srečanju modnih (www.beautybloggers.si/) in kulinaričnih blogerjev (www.njamzgodbe.si), na konferenci SEMPL 2016, organizirata pa tudi delavnice za posameznike. Slovenska uporaba Instagrama je malce zaostajala za svetovno, zadnji dve leti pa pospešeno raste in k temu je prispevala tudi @igslovenia.

Vse, kar morate vedeti o učinkovitosti Instagrama in kako razviti in voditi uspešen profil, bo le uvod v srečanje.  Pojasnil bova,, kako hkratna uporaba video sporočanja s funkcijo Instagram Stories povečuje obseg in doseg interakcije. Predstavljeni bodo načini za zagotavljanje prave vsebine in pravila dobre fotografije. Spoznali boste različne strategije uporabe Instagrama za doseganje različnih ciljev in ugotovili, kdaj zares potrebujemo vplivneže. Del predavanja bo namenjen tudi oglaševanju na Instagramu. Z vsem navedenim boste seznanjeni prek konkretnih primerov dobrih praks in uporabe različnih strategij v avtomobilski industriji, turizmu, modi, hrani in storitvah.

Prijave: mmoderniseminarji@marketingmagazin.si, tel: 01 43 45 640

Cena seminarja: 125,00 EUR + DDV. Za prijave do 20. marca 25 % popust.

Lokacija: Ljubljana

Datum izobraževanja: 30. marec 2017

Trajanje: 9:00–13:00

Program:
09.00 – 10.30

  • Instagram – uporaba, vpletenost in trženje
  • Instagram kot platforma in kot skupnost
  • Razvoj in vodenje profila
  • (orodja, podatki, značke, hubi, influencerji, dos and don’ts, aplikacije)
  • Vloga video sporočanja (Instagram Stories, video)
  • Zagotavljanje vsebine

11.00 – 13.00

  • Strategije za uspešno delo na Instagramu
  • Oglaševanje v aplikaciji
  • Uporaba in srategije v posameznih industrijah – študije primerov
  • Vprašanja in razprava
  • Predavata mag. Zoran Leban Trojar in Sanja Leban Trojar

Instagram od A do … (delavnica za vse, ki ste že aktivni na Instagramu)

Ste navdušeni uporabniki Instagrama, a nikoli niste povsem zadovoljni z objavljenimi fotografijami? Si želite več komentarjev in več sledilcev? Vas zanima, kako se fotografije znajdejo med TOP 9 ali kako veliki profili izbirajo svoje objave? Si želite svojo fotografijo videti na Igslovenia? Vas zanima uporaba Instagrama v poslovne namene?

Če ste vsaj enkrat prikimali, potem ste toplo vabljeni na naslednjo Instagram delavnico, ki jo tokrat pripravlja ustanoviteljica profila @igslovenia, Sanja Leban Trojar, dolgoletna instagramerka (@sanya_lt), poznavalka družbenih omrežij in mobilne fotografije.

Preverili bomo, kaj je to ‘dobra’ Instagram fotografija, katere ključne besede in kako uporabljati, kdaj in koliko objavljati ter najpomembnejše, kako povedati svojo (foto) zgodbo. Našteli bomo napake, ki jih uporabniki Instagrama najpogosteje delamo, iskali primere dobrih praks in se spoznali z (mobilnimi) aplikacijami, ki nam uporabo Instagrama močno olajšajo.

Delavnica je namenjena vsem, ki Instagram že poznate in uporabljate za osebne ali poslovne namene. Govorili bomo namreč tudi o uporabi t.i. business’ profilov in njihovi povezavi z drugimi družbenimi omrežji.

Delavnica traja 2 uri, število mest pa je omejeno! Cena delavnice je 60 evrov. V kolikor z delavnico ne boste zadovoljni, vam denar vrnemo.

Več informacij in prijava: info@igslovenia.si. Ne pozabite navesti povezave do vašega Instagram profila in morebitnih vprašanj za predavateljico, da boste na delavnici dobili vse povratne informacije, ki jih potrebujete.

Termin: 22. 12. 2016 ob 18:00.
Lokacija: Tivolska 50 (2. nadstropje), Ljubljana

Instameet No5 – Brdo pri Kranju (Brdo Estate)

Park of Brdo Estate is beautiful in all seasons but autumn has a special charm. It was a beautiful sunny day which exposed all the vibrant colours for us. But let’s begin from the beginning – we organised this Instameet with the help of Brdo Estate marketing team which made sure that  more than 20 participants didn’t need to pay the entrance fee and we got more than rich welcome snacks and picnic baskets before the sunset.

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.21.33Hotel receptions/estate guide explained some of the rich history of the estate which you can read on their site or shorter version in our announcement.

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We passed the modern congress centre just after the entrance and the exploration went under way. Everybody tried to get a nice shot of the red tree.

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.20.22Colours, swans and reflections were the key words of the day.

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.31.27We indeed had a lot of fun with the swans…Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.21.01...especially the black model….

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.20.36…but also with each other! A threesome here…

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.19.35There is a small herd of Lipizzaners at the estate, available for riding but also working.

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This time we didn’t try to keep the group together, everybody explored the park by themselves but there was an important meeting point.

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.18.03Picnic baskets provided by the host were full of local specialities and nobody stayed hungry. Just imagine a beautiful summer day under the trees with the picnic basket and some more romantic company…

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.24.29Photo by @simm_photography

Picnic took place at the beginning of a very special tree-lined lane, an ideal photo setting.

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.17.33Eating we had been waiting for the sunset – it was not spectacular since the weather was so bright and dry but still – worth the wait.

Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 18.23.47Photo by @zupssss.

More photos of the Instameet are to be found in the album Instameetbrdo on Facebook page and on Instagram under tags #instameetbrdo and #brdoestate. Much more about the Brdo Estate  in Where to in Slovenia in coming days. Stay tuned, also for the next Instameet coming soon.

Zoran Leban Trojar @zokus_gf

 

Instameet Brdo Estate – Brdo pri Kranju

Autumn colors are in full blow but won’t remain for long. So it is a right moment for the next #instameet in the right surroundings of The Brdo Estate Park. Park is now open for public and represents a unique study of history, culture, architecture and nature thanks to 500 years of uninterrupted development. Many of the park’s trails lead visitors past buildings from various historical times. We’ll have free entry and a guidance.

Instameet will take place on Saturday, 29th October at 14.30 until sunset. Meeting point is at the reception of Hotel Brdo where we will start with a coffee and some introduction. 

Hastags: #instameetbrdo #brdoestate

Due to the limited number of participants an email application is obligatory: info@igslovenia.si.

More about this unique location from their web page:

A mansion was built there already in 1446. Most ob the 20th century it was closed for public – between 1935 and 1941 Brdo was under the ownership of the Karađorđević family (Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and his wife Olga). They thoroughly restyled the castle and the land and Brdo soon became one of the most beautiful estates in Yugoslavia; a luxurious government summer residence. Besides the royal family, only a few chosen ones were allowed to access the estate. After the war it became a residence of Josip Broz Tito and even today it is in a protocolar use.

Between 1785 and 1790 Karl Zois designed the first Alpine botanical garden in Slovenia. He planted it with a variety of Alpine plants, which he  collected on his mountain hikes. In addition to the botanical garden, the Brdo park also had two promenades, a viewing platform, a baroque park, a tree nursery, and the flower, winter and party gardens. At the end of the 18th century 10.686 plants already thrived in Brdo park (7.446 tropical plants and more than 3.000 fruit trees).

It was renovated many times since than but always around nature and beauty. Beautiful old trees and ponds with a castle and cottages on the estate are worth visiting for themselves. Autumn is a particularly interesting due to different colors of the nature and beautiful view at the surrounding mountains in clear weather can make your day and photo.

Zoran Leban Trojar @zokus_gf

Instagram in Tourism Marketing

Photography and travel are old partners in crime. Photography plays main role in tourism promotion on one hand while on the other camera is the key weapon of modern tourist, even if only at the time of travel (and probably birthdays).

Social media channels, especially Instagram, are enhancing this natural alliance but also changing its very nature. People are turning to social media influencers of all kinds and to their real and social media friends for inspiration, recommendations and real experiences regarding travel destinations. Official communication and expensive catalogue photos which mainly portrait dreamlike destinations and hotel rooms can be a source of disappointment while a real life experience of a friend is much more realistic inspiration.

The very same situation at the same time offers huge opportunities for tourism industry, especially for destination marketing. Putting a destination on the map and on the wish list of a potential visitor was never easier, using social media channels and user generated content.

Instagram has 500.000.000 users and more than 60% of them log-in daily. It is equally spread among all income groups and has 7 times higher interaction rate than any other social media channel. People are using hashtag search to find new destinations and are actively tagging friends on posts which inspire them or represent a part of their memories. Even more, a lot of users are choosing their next travel destinations according to what would they be able to post from there.

Selfies in the front of tourist attractions are probably still leading the way but there is also a huge portion of people who are looking for new vistas, different perspectives, abandoned urban parts and are willing to travel all day round just to collect a good amount of potential posts. Good photo opportunity lies everywhere.

Everybody who wants to seize these new opportunities for promotion must take into account the wholeness of the changing environment. Instagram is not just another channel to post the same stuff. Photos of good quality are the necessity even if they are user generated. A lot of specific work should be undertaken and specific rules of the platform and of the functioning of the community taken into account to build a successful campaign.

@igslovenia is operating for four years now in this environment and the team has learned a lot. Our vast experiences from marketing, media, advertising and other social media channels are excellent ground to build on. We have been watching the development of the Instagram influencers and building a very strong community of Slovenia lovers, organising instameets and participating in them, observing behaviour of the users and the best practices of the profiles. With 41K+ followers and close to 250.000 tagged photos to #igslovenia hashtag which we established we can help others to understand the environment and develop a sound strategies for their needs and resources available.

In cooperation with Marketing magazin we organise a very special educational event dedicated to the usage of Instagram in tourism and destination marketing. Everything what is needed to know about Instagram, best cases from around the globe, assessment of the situation in Slovenia and developing a strategies for success are going to be the main topics of the seminar given by @igslovenia founders Sanja and Zoran Leban Trojar. There will be also a special guest, an acclaimed landscape photographer Luka Esenko, who is going to talk about photo tourism segment and about his SNAPP Guides, an app for photographers.

Use this opportunity and join us on October 6th at 10 a.m.. More details about the event!