2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the European Capitals of Culture (ECoC). The conference which took place on 23 and 24 March 2010 sought to celebrate this occasion, and host a strategic reflection on its impact with a view to helping future Capitals make a long–term success of the event.The conference brought together a large number of past, present and future Capitals, as well as many bidding cities. It was also keenly attended by a large number of policy makers and representatives of local and regional government. In total more than 50 Capitals or bidding cities and 500 participants were present. The present report summarizes the main points raised in discussion during the conference. It does not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Commission.