AAA White Paper The political economy of informal events, 2030 | Page 126

By contrast, the founding of Festival No. 6 at the Welsh village of
Portmeirion was far smoother. Co-founder Gareth Cooper, of Broadwick
Live, says that the event was all but given the go-ahead following a
jovial lunch meeting with Robin Llewellyn, grandson of Portmeirion’s
eccentric founder, Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis.
Williams-Ellis, an Italophile and visionary, designed and built
Portmeirion between 1925 and 1975. Famous worldwide after it
figured as the quirky backdrop to the cult 1960s television series The
Prisoner, it was actually intended as a tribute to the atmosphere of
the Mediterranean. ‘The village is designed as a great place to have a
party’, Cooper says. ‘Robin was on board with the vision for our festival
from the start, because it was in keeping with the original spirit of his
grandfather, who meant Portmeirion to be enjoyed’.
Festival No. 6’s economic and cultural benefits were immediately
appreciated. On the other hand, going back to Tallinn’s experience,
events can also take a little time to be valued. It took a while for events
to be recognised as a vital part of Estonian tourism. Now, however,
Tallinn Music Week brings upwards of 37,000 visitors to more than 30
venues all around the centre of the town.
The Tallinn festival improves Estonian tourism in more ways than
one. In 2015, the festival surveyed 2000 visitors and found that 40 per
cent had never been to Tallinn. ‘But we discovered that the festival
provided a reason for young people to come to Tallinn’, says Helen
Sildna. ‘We also determined that the overall spend from 2000 people
over three days is about two million Euros’, she adds.
Other, less predictable benefits have come to Tallinn from its
embrace of festival culture. They include recognition from Skype, a
local employer that has praised the city’s festival and cultural scene.
Sildna: ‘Skype told us that they couldn’t attract the talent to Tallinn by
salary alone; there needed to be more motivations. Having a festival
in the town provides a crucial draw for the right kind of employees.’.
Like Sildna and Williams, Camilla Nyman, former CEO of the
destination agency Göteborg & Co, says that holding events has been
central to Gothenburg’s success. ‘As the city has always been aware,
Gothenburg’s events scene attracts business and employs young
people. In a global context, city planners know that you need to create
a great environment for the people that live there. What’s easily
forgotten is that maintaining residents’ continued approval takes
work’, she says.
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