ABSTRACT
Salzburg Festival is one of those rare cases in which, besides creating a considerable economic and social impact, a cultural event has identified within the collective imagery with the city itself, thus becoming the main reason for the choice of the location as a touristic destination, for over 100 years. The case study analyses the reasons of the Festival’s success, considering direct, indirect, derived, tangible and intangible impact. The chapter focuses on the business strategy the Festival adopts, a maintenance strategy, which guarantees a coherent program to meet the needs of a consolidated, affectionate and habitual audience, while trying to expand the younger audience through numerous training, musical education and artistic projects aimed at increasing awareness. Linked to this type of basic strategy is a solid agreement policy. To support a complex organization such as that of the Festival, a strong base of both economic and organizational support is needed, which is represented by local authorities, sponsor companies and associations of friends and donors. The elements that make up the undeniable success of the Salzburg Festival, both as a cultural event and as a driving force for the local development are multiple. Unfortunately, some of these are not easily replicable, especially because of the mix of politics and art that involves most of the festivals of the old continent, and that does not always manage to achieve solid synergies.
