What’s the fuss about storytelling?
When Visit Portugal / Turismo de Portugal needed a flagship marketing and branding keynote speaker to anchor their 2026 conference, they chose Lars Silberbauer, who has worked as Global Senior Director at LEGO, Global Head of Brand Marketing and Digital at the International OIympics (IOC) to Senior VP at Paramount (previously Viacom) plus much more relevant marketing and branding experience. He was the best choice to headline a strategic session on storytelling, brand emotion, and change. His keynote was positioned not as a tactical workshop, but as a mindset‑shifting talk designed to change how tourism leaders think about brand, narrative, and transformation.
What he was brought in to do – branding anchor.
Lars Silberbauer was invited to deliver the keynote “O Poder das Histórias” (The Power of Stories) at the VisitPortugal Conference 2026. The event took place in Lisbon under the theme “Global Tourism Insights,” bringing together more than 30 national and international speakers covering tourism, innovation, AI, and emerging travel segments. In this context, Lars’ session was designed as a strategic marketing and branding anchor, not a “how‑to” talk. His role was to help destination leaders rethink how stories, emotions, and meaning shape travellers’ perceptions and choices, setting the tone for the rest of the programme.
Lars’ background at LEGO and other global brands makes him a powerful choice for conferences focused on marketing, branding, and digital transformation. He is widely recognised as one of Europe’s most innovative marketers and as a leader who helped transform LEGO into a global digital content and storytelling powerhouse.
Strengths of the choice and likely impact.
By bringing LEGO’s storytelling and community‑building perspective into the tourism sector, Visit Portugal sent a clear message to destination leaders and operators. In today’s landscape, brands are built through meaning, emotional connection, and shared narratives, not just promotion and media spend. Placing Lars’ keynote immediately after the Secretary of State’s opening remarks created a natural bridge from policy and internationalisation into brand identity and human connection, framing the rest of the agenda through a marketing and branding lens.
Portugal’s current tourism strategy focuses on immersive experiences, cultural authenticity, and new ways of engaging travellers, all of which rely on strong destination branding and credible storytelling. Lars’ emphasis on authentic stories, emotional resonance, and community‑driven brands aligned directly with that direction, reinforcing that storytelling is not just a communication function but a key mechanism for transformation.
As Patrícia Ferreira Ramos reflected after the session, she agreed when Lars asserted “We are moving from being change ready to becoming change drivers.” Her takeaway captures the shift from reactive marketing to proactive brand leadership that ran through the keynote. For tourism boards and destination marketers, this reframes storytelling as a core leadership responsibility, not a campaign add‑on.
Transformation through storytelling.
Lars’ keynote distilled storytelling into a set of strategic marketing and branding choices for destinations and tourism brands:
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Define the true essence of the brand: understand why the destination exists and what it stands for beyond campaigns and promotional slogans.
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Become part of a community, not just a broadcaster: treat travellers, residents, and partners as a living community that co‑creates the brand story.
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Choose what feels right over what feels safe: be willing to challenge clichés and comfortable narratives in favour of more human, honest stories that differentiate the destination.
These messages encourage tourism leaders to move from channel‑driven marketing to narrative‑driven branding, where every touchpoint reinforces a clear sense of identity and purpose.
Lars’s session delivered what organisers expect from a top‑tier marketing and branding keynote speaker: it shifted the conversation from short‑term tactics to long‑term mindset and brand leadership. Instead of asking only “How do we promote more effectively?”, destination leaders left asking “What story are we really telling, and what change are we trying to create for travellers and communities?”
That reframing made his keynote a defining moment of the VisitPortugal Conference 2026 and a strong example of the value he brings to tourism, marketing, and branding events worldwide.
For organisers seeking a speaker who can connect global brand experience with practical destination strategy, Lars offers a compelling blend of storytelling, marketing insight, and transformation leadership.
