Festivals mean publicity for cities and companies

On Friday the biggest Slovak open air music and multi-media festival Bazant Pohoda 2005 starts in Trencin. The ninth year of the Bazant Pohoda Festival features more than 100 performers from 20 countries worldwide, introducing themselves on eight stages. The festival is financially supported by the town of Trencin. The Mayor of Trencin expects a visit rate of over 20,000 people, which is why he views it as a sound investment. Music fans will have an opportunity to enjoy concerts by British bands The Prodigy, Asian Dub Foundation, America's Garbage and Omara Portuondo from Cuba.

Around 800 people will be on hand to take care of artists, guests and visitors. There will be two campsites and more than 50 food and beverage stands. The festival was set up nine years ago as a one-day festival called Kralovska Pohoda. Last year more than 23,000 people flocked to the concert.

Slovak music festivals do not bring direct economic gains to the cities where they take place, but they are beneficial when it comes to publicity and marketing strategies, city council officials have told Hospodarske Noviny. The city of Trencin expects publicity surrounding the festival to go right across Europe. This will boost interest in Trencin, and attract foreign direct investments, said a spokesperson of the municipal authority. These benefits, however, have more to do with publicity and marketing than direct economic gains. Firms attach importance to their participation in festivals due to the advantages this offers in terms of publicity and brand building.