In 2004 the Società di Area completed the transformation and extension work launched in 2002, and then the administrative and operative work began on the following planned interventions:

• the broadening of the territorial tasks, originally limited to the territories involving the Municipalities of Brisighella, Casola Valsenio and Riolo Terme, spread to the territories of the Municipalities of Faenza, Castel Bolognese and Solarolo;
• the approval a new company statute;
  an increase of the authorized capital equal to 88% of the initial capital;
• the introduction of new public and private partners, mainly from the plains;
• the transformation of the company name into Società di Area “Terre di Faenza”;
• the nomination of a new Board of Directors and President;
• a considerable increase in the company budget and of the overall plan of operations, with a resulting different scale of actions and interventions.

The idea of transforming the Società d’Area derives from the political desire to give life to a territorial, articulated and integrated tourist system, that promises to overcome the area’s weak points (low dynamism, uncoordinated initiatives, the presence of different subjects, but the absence of systems, non-existent sales promotion, short-term programming of events), on the contrary taking advantage of the strong points (the presence of product based clubs, the opportunity to integrate with other territories, a good level of “natural” offers).

The composition of the Società di Area “Terre di Faenza” Associated Tourist Offices, has been appropriately restructured and their mission has been reformulated, in that the originally referred to existing and operating reality in the territorial context, may be collocated at an intermediate level in the new system of the subjects, for the coordination of the qualifying functions involving the promotion and promo-marketing in favour of and for all the Municipalities of the territory around Faenza, allowing in fact:

a) the constitution of a concrete tourist based territorial identity;
b) the creation of economies of scale in the promotional contexts;
c) access to funds destined to private operators, in the context of the regional tourist system;
d) reference to one single and institutional subject with whom to organise meetings on a regular basis with all the public and private tourist subjects of the territory, with the aim of elaborating integrated and co-ordinated promotional and promo-marketing strategies and measures.

As mentioned the Società di Area “Terra di Faenza” shall represent the operative tool for many activities (programming activities, functions, resources, product development, promotion management, sales backup and innovative sales development, planning), thus guaranteeing the continuity of what has been created since 1992.

“Terra di Faenza’s” current operations mainly involve the following strategic proposals:
the launch of a destination based tourist policy, revolving around the name “Terre di Faenza” (Lands of Faenza) and around the related logo, thus presenting in a unitary form, and thus in a more highly visible manner, the initiatives developed on the territory;
the launch of a segmentation policy aimed at making the most of the tourist results in the tourist related demand and offer segments present on the territory.

a. First of all food and wine: quality tourism tends to privilege the production areas of qualified typical products and this definition can be applied to the entire Terre di Faenza territory: wine, olive oil, shallots, herbs, cured meats, cheeses, forgotten fruits and other fruits, all typical “Romagnolo” delicacies. Then, over the past few years, a calendar of events and manifestations has been consolidated thanks to the initiatives of the Pro Loco, Tourist Information Offices. This calendar of events and manifestations promotes the products and the territory; to this regard a profitable collaboration with the Pro Loco offices has been developed as far as the planning of the events is concerned, avoiding overlapping that is useless and damaging for the actual image of the territory. Quality restaurants and the farm “agriturismo” tourism represent a further source of development for tourism, and a continued collaboration and development of events, manifestations and initiatives aimed at the discovery of the excellent foods and a “slow” approach to food and wine based tourism.

b. Thermal spas have always been excellent resources for the territory, thanks to the two spas located in Riolo Terme and Brisighella and to the concentration in those towns of hotel facilities. Ongoing development is underway for the launch of new products (from the traditional market of the “thermal spa treatments” to the more innovative “wellness” and “natural treatments”) and a new market approach, with a complete collaboration between the suppliers and the Società di Area.

c. The entrance of the Società di Area into the Faenza area in 2004 has allowed for the launch of a programme aimed also at artistic based tourism and in particular ceramics, thus promoting the events organised in Faenza, at the same time integrating them into a more extensive offer system.

d. As always the company shall also make the most of environmental tourism (nature and sport), which is developing to an ever greater extent and that features excellent services in our territory: ecotourism (Parco del Carnè Park, the Gypsum Belt, the Natural Science Museum of Faenza) active tourism (hiking, cycle tourism, horseback tourism), environmental education (didactic programmes, farms). The co-ordinated and ongoing implementation of the tourism process phases involving product-promotion-marketing, otherwise defined as the “value chain”, in particular through the following activities:

1. OPERATIONS SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCAL TOURISM PRODUCT: this function is the responsibility of the Società di Area, only to the extent of supporting the development of subjects holding the product and of the addresses supplied by the local municipalities, shall be carried out by means of two guidelines:
   I Topic based working parties (WP)
   II Product Clubs.
   As far as the first type is concerned (topic based working parties), each operation must be approved by each of the following working parties:
   Food and Wine WP;
   Thermal Spas WP;
   Ceramic Art WP;
   Environment WP;
   Tourist Information Office WP;
   in addition, a plan involving the creation, organisation and planning of the main events, trade fairs and workshops, advertising campaigns etc.
   
   With relation to the second type (product clubs) adequate operative and programming support is required for the development of the product clubs:
   Hotels (Valle dei Gessi gypsum valley);
   Farm tourism (Casolari delle Erbe – Herb Farms);
   Restaurants (Sapori delle Valli Faentine – Delicacies of the Faenza Valleys);
   Bed & Breakfasts (to be developed).
   
2. MARKETING PLAN: the approval on the basis of the available budget, of a detailed marketing programme that will allow for the development of all or of some of the following areas:
   I. Press Office
   II. Website
   III. Advertising
   IV. Brochures
   V. Informative Newsletters
   VI. Photo Archive and Computerised Presentation
   VII. Signs and Posters
   VIII. Didactic Activities
   IX. Trade Fairs and Workshops
   
3. MARKETING PROGRAMME: the development of this area plays a strategic role as it will aim at increasing the arrivals and the presence of tourists and it is the measure, which necessarily requires determined and innovative action.
   It will be possible to achieve a concrete development of the tourist flow only when a concrete marketing policy is launched in coordination with the previous phases (product and promotion).
   A concrete implementation of this marketing policy shall be applied through different phases:
   
• ORGANISATION: a forecast “function” on the territory dedicated to marketing. This new, autonomous body that is complementary to the product and promotions, shall have the main aim of dedicated and professional marketing spread over the entire territory.
• PACKAGES: this subject will have to completely develop packages on behalf of the product holders, maintain them, correctly define the price, offer them to clients and sign contracts, etc.
• CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT: this subject shall create a relationship with potential clients (TO, agencies, associations, etc): present products, send material, check enquiries, sales offers, visits or ongoing communications, etc.
• PROMO-MARKETING EVENTS: finally this subject shall take part in or organise all of those fundamental events related to meetings with potential clients and the presentation of the packages: workshops, didactic activities, tours, visits abroad, database management, etc.
  
4. PROGETTI SPECIALI: SPECIAL PROJECTS: what is more, some projects shall be launched either of an internal organisational character, or aimed at “special” tourist activities:
   DATABASE: the creation and maintenance of an internal tourist database, Italian and foreign T.Os., newspapers, operators of various types, to which send newsletters or e-mails.
   PIATTO VERDE PROJECT: the development of the event with the broadening of tourist attraction features.
   CYCLE-TOURISM PROJECT: launch a specific and targeted product-brochure-services system.
   COURSE PROJECT: optimise the existing courses (in particular ceramics) and launch a broader system of various courses (“romagnolo” cooking or the use of herbs, sculpting in gypsum, green urban areas, etc).
   MARE-COLLINA – SEA-HILLS PROJECT: launch summer, twice-a-week visits inside the territory and tasting of the relative delicacies.
   THE COROLLA PETALS: launch a project together with the Union of the hill municipalities.
   RURAL DESIGN PROJECT: the launch, in collaboration with the Union project involving the municipalities of the hills and of the Strada del vino – Wine Route, of a general “system” of design that makes use of all the products of the territory (herbs, ceramics, gypsum, oil, traditional printed cloth products, etc.).
   What is more, the creation of projects, presented by the partners but managed by SdA with the aim of making the most of the promo-marketing of the territory in collaboration with the partners (Category Associations, Strade del Vino – Wine Routes, the Paniere Bakery, COPAF, Torre di Oriolo, Product Clubs, etc.) and bodies (GAL, UdP, the Province, Comunità Montana – Mountain Community, etc.).