Friday, June 28, 2013

Sundance’s impact on Utah slips first time in 3 years

The Sundance Film Festival’s economic impact on Utah this year fell sharply as those who attended the 11-day event apparently cut back on their spending.

The impact, a number representing how much the world-famous festival added to Utah’s gross state product, was $69.5 million, down 13 percent from $80.3 million, according to a study released Wednesday by the Sundance Institute in Park City. In 2011, the estimated impact of Sundance was $70.9 million.

The study, prepared by the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, shows that 45,947 people went to the festival this year. The attendance count was 1.7 percent lower than in 2012, when 46,731 showed up. Attendance in 2013 was little changed from 2011. Salt Lake Tribune