The project supports the local festivals’ return to international markets through marketing and internationalization measures implemented in 2023–2024. These actions include improving the digital accessibility of Tampere Region Festivals’ (TRF) marketing and communication, developing the association’s brand, strengthening international networks, promoting cultural tourism sales and marketing in selected target countries, and restoring post-pandemic cooperation with the European festivals. A new multi-year festival brochure will be created for international markets, and by the project’s conclusion, the network will have a shared, recognizable, and internationally appealing identity, along with user-friendly English-language website.
In 2023, the project has improved the linguistic accessibility of the network’s digital channels and unified the visual identity, carried out international marketing in two different international travel publications (Baltic Outlook and Scan Magazine), conducted an international social media campaign in collaboration with Visit Tampere, supported networking trips for member festivals to international festivals in the field, and invited international media to explore Tampere’s Theatre Festival, Finlayson Art Area, and Tampere as a cultural tourism destination. An August media visit attracted 8 representatives from six different European countries, generating significant visibility for Tampere as an attractive cultural tourism destination.
In 2024, the festivals’ networking trips will continued, and TRF invited a new international media group to Tampere during the Tampere Film Festival. The association also organized two international marketing and networking trips focusing on the representation of the network and regional festivals in selected locations, including the Jazzkaar Festival in Estonia and a networking event organized by the European Festivals Association at the Arts Festival Summit in Germany.
During the project, Pirkanmaa Festivals aims to advance the EFFE Seal process directed at cities and regions by working with the City of Tampere. The EFFE Seal application for Tampere would strengthen collaboration between the city and the festivals and enhance the region’s international recognition as a significant festival hub.
The goal is that by the end of the project, Tampere region Festivals will have established new international networks and partnerships, and their recognition among international stakeholders in their artistic fields, especially within European audiences, will have increased. The aim is also to attract new international culturally oriented tourists to the Tampere region and to find new international audiences for the festivals, including group travelers.
The entire region (including hotels, restaurants, shops, and transportation) will benefit indirectly from the increase in international tourists. However, the number of international visitors at the festivals may not be immediately evident after the project’s conclusion but rather will show a delayed effect. Collaboration with regional and national tourism operators will continue after the project’s completion. Other collaborative opportunities are also hoped to have emerged, for example, between festivals and airlines, international travel organizers, and major event operators, making future marketing cooperation less reliant on significant financial investments and more on communication and connections.
The project has been supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture during 1 January 2023 – 31 May 2024.
