Hi Steve of Sidmouth,

I have read your website through and it seems that you are generally supportive but sceptical.

However it does seem to me that the arguments you present on your site make the case for exclusion of festivals anywhere which are organised in the way that Sidmouth is. By that I mean organised so that the potential audience can buy a "season" ticket of some sort or other, and/or opt into events that attract them. They purchase accommodation locally as to their own finances and income. This exclusion would include for example the Edinburgh International Festival and the Haye-on-Wye Book Festival.

It also makes an argument for the end of event-led tourism of that type which would include film festivals, many sporting events including the Olympics and so on.......

It does make an argument for festivals to be held in a secure site as Glastonbury and other large rock concerts are - for EDDC would then show a clear and measurable profit, they would be able to charge a promoter for the use of an arena which belongs to them, and charge a brewery or take a percentage of the profits etc. etc. handing over the organisation to a promoter. Costs could be estimated and measured against this charge. It may be that Sidmouth would not be a suitable venue for such a festival and thus the whole thing closes - as it may yet do of course. It may be that such a festival is not attractive to the current audience.

The festival would clearly then become a wholly commercial event - and EDDC may or may not show a profit depending on the skill of the promoter etc.

As far as the AFO reports are concerned, the research into audience profiles presented in the reports do confirm my own albeit anecdotal evidence of the audience that go to folk festivals - as anyone who goes to festivals will confirm that ABC1's (as they are wrongly called) are by far the largest social group. Indeed the cost of attendance at Sidmouth means you must have a decent family income to simply pay for the tickets, never mind incidental expenditure.

Finally the figures that are quoted as to economic benefits sometimes (I would guess) include an economic "multiplier" which accounts for the wildly differing figures.

Best regards,

Dave Eyre
www.collectorsfolk.co.uk

PS. Any relation to the guy who invented the Apple computer?