Fortunately, while volcanic ashes from Iceland covered Northern Europe and came in the way of the IFEA Europe 2010 conference in Copenhagen, the festival market at large seems to be doing well these days. World Expo 2010 in Shanghai was opened, and in Europe, from Samish village celebrations in Norway to the Carnival of Venice, festivals and events are given attention not only as festive, community building events, but also authentic products and socio-economic powerhouses in what has become known as ”the experience economy”.
Drawing thousands of spectators every hour, the expo is an extravagant showcase for the worlds' nations, right up there next to the Olympics as the ultimate world event. Yet, while previous world expos seemed to be aimed at foreign tourists, the Shanghai event is mainly targeting the Chinese market, illustrating the importance of the Chinese market and economy. Also in Korea, Singapore, India, Japan, and other Asian countries, hundreds of festivals have by far surpassed most European and North American festivals in terms of size, organisational infrastructure, and, not least, tourist value.
Meanwhile, Europe seems to get more and more small-scale, local, intimate events with distinct geographical or artistic focus, increasingly recognized as unique, brand building events. Still, at the other end of the scale, large-scale city-wide carnivals and open-air rock festivals – are thriving as well. In between are a substantial number of middle-size festivals with no distinct features, maybe serving a purpose to some, but generally lost in the blur of other festivals both nationally and regionally – and often times also locally.
IFEA Europe joins a world-wide quest to identify cities that understand the value of festivals, are able to develop and market unique festival themes and features, and exemplify best-practice in the sector. This newsletter describes some of this quest. More will be explored during the IFEA Europe 2010 conference ”Festive Roads to Recovery”, now rescheduled for September 8-10, 2010.
The rescheduled conference coincides with Copenhagen's spectacular My World IMAGES festival, featuring unique artists from 170 countries. Come join us!
Sincerely,
Allan Xenius Grige
Chairman, IFEA Europe
