ABSTRACT
Smaller events are more manageable and less costly, suggesting they are better able to serve local and regional residents while offering some visibility and community identity. Events that are less expensive, without huge facility and infrastructure investments, can be better integrated with local spaces while still being able to provide international visibility for hosting cities and regions, even when they are placed outside the main urban cores. In the European context, all the Nordic capital cities (Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo, and Stockholm) have actively promoted environmentally sound, innovative, and creative dimensions in their marketing and image creation. The ‘festivalization’ of urban policy is not limited to large cities, as smaller towns increasingly organize urban spectacles in order to foster their development paths. Further, in recent years, small and medium-sized events have become tools not only for cities but also for regions to gain international recognition.
