ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the 'Gladmatfestivalen' in Stavanger, attempting to understand its success primarily as a function of its relationship to its context, origin, and organisation. Success is defined here as the ability of the festival to attract a stable or increasing number of participants, balance its economy, and being appreciated by its environment. The analytic frameworks employed are theories of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial networks, and institutionalising organisations like festivals. Entrepreneurship is required to initiate and develop a festival. Entrepreneurs rely on stakeholders and use their network to gain access to recourses, competencies, and support, and thus become more successful than those lacking access to such resources. This approach to understanding entrepreneurship is called the network approach to entrepreneurship. When a festival succeeds over time and becomes an important part of a community, it is characterised as a hallmark event. The value of networking is communicated strongly by the first festival manager who personally took pride in its maintenance and development.
