Sundance fest worth its weight in gold
Event raises tourism interest, puts millions into Utah economy
A record number of festival filmgoers this year infused those dollars into Park City and the state. The audience of 46,000 was up about 28 percent from last year.
The largest chunk of income from this year's festival went toward the hotel industry, which raked in about $20 million. The state also saw big bucks coming in from dining expenses totaling $11.5 million and transportation revenues hitting $3.6 million.
Perhaps even more valuable, Park City spokesman Myles Rademan said, was the high number of first-time visitors who flocked to Park City for the yearly independent film showing. The economic activity study, conducted by the University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research, showed 22,451 visitors came to Park City for the first time and 31,430 attendees were from out of state.
"The nature of tourism is to get people to come test your product," Rademan said. "Through Sundance, a lot of people experience us and say, 'I had no idea.' Getting new people in here is gold."
More than 62 percent of festivalgoers said they would return to Park City for reasons other than Sundance, and 96 percent said they would return for future festivals.
While $36 million of the economic benefits of the festival went directly to Summit County, the Wasatch Front also reaped about $7 million from tourists.
Along with a banner year for economic activity, the Sundance festival also had its biggest year in the number of shows and venues . Since 1995, the festival has more than doubled the number of seats available and the number of screenings.
That growth has city leaders like Rademan crossing his fingers that the festival won't get too big for the Park City venue. Already this year, Park City had to transform a library and a racquetball facility into makeshift theaters for screenings.
"We love Sundance and we hope they're here forever. As long as they're comfortable in a community this size, we want them here," he said.
Sundance is the biggest moneymaking event in Park City, bringing in an additional $425,000 in sales tax revenues each year, said City Manager Tom Bakaly.
"The amount of spending has increased and the amount of attendees," Bakaly said. "Sundance brings with it a lot of notoriety as well as economic benefit."
But Bakaly is quick to point out that the city also gives a lot back to make sure Sundance runs smoothly and stays in the mountain town. This year, Park City officials donated $50,000 to Sundance, as well as about $86,000 in waived fees for building rentals, parking and trash collection.
Much of the expense for the city also comes from the additional police force the city has out on the streets during Sundance and the additional parking it has to provide so full-time residents can still get around town.
"It's very difficult to stage a big event," Rademan said. "We're a living town; it's not like a fairgrounds you can just close off."
E-mail: estewart@desnews.com
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