Thursday, April 12, 2012
This year marks the centenary anniversary since the Thessaloniki’s accession to the Greek state, and the city is preparing a big celebration to welcome it. The aim of Thessaloniki 2012 is twofold: firstly, it wishes to acquaint its visitors with the city’s history and its modern-day attractions, putting in focus the city’s entrepreneurship, culture, tourism, environment, education, history and everyday life. It further seeks to actively involve its residents in the celebration. 
For this reason, the city has called for public and private entities, citizens and even guests to actively join the celebration, by submitting their own proposals for events, ideas and festivities. Anniversary events will take place throughout the year, peaking during in the months of May, June, September and October, and will revolve around four main axes. A series of events will focus on the History and the Centenary Anniversary. 
These include an international conference on the history of the city, titled Thessaloniki, A City In Transition, to take place in late October, and an international Symposium on World Affairs on September 28-30, with Giuliano Amato, D. Spence and John Esposito, as keynote speakers.
Furthermore, two history exhibitions, titled Thessaloniki Of Our Fathers 1912-1962 and Thessaloniki Of Our Memory 1962-2012, that focus on the historic and living generations of Thessaloniki, will be held.
The main project of the Arts & Culture theme, will be a public art project, titled Interventions In Thessaloniki/The City Defines Itself and curated by sculptor and Aristotle University professor Costas Varotsos, that will feature the city’s prolific young artists community.
The Environment & Urban Landscape axis seeks to produce a "working model" for Thessaloniki, recruiting the city’s volunteer, environmental, social, urban lifestyle and creative landscape groups to adopt and transform public spaces. Finally, a fourth axis focusing on Young Entrepreneurship will seek to inspire and assist the young business community of the city that is struggling through an ongoing crisis. Initiatives include workshops, international forums and a competition for young Thesssaloniki entrepreneurs, with proposals for sustainable and socially responsible business plans that promote the city’s international identity. 