The Economic Impact of Fira Mediterrània in Catalonia Tops 3 Million Euros

The Fundació Universitari de Bagès (FUB) conducted a study on the economic impact generated by visitors to last year's Fira Mediterrània in the area.

The study reveals that the number of visitors and their spending has increased in comparison with the last study conducted in 2011, which analysed the results of Fira Mediterrània 2010.

Different factors have led to a rise in the event's economic impact, generating a multiplier effect and return of €12 for every euro spent.

Five years since the previous study, the Fundació Universitària del Bages (FUB) has conducted a new study on the economic impact of Fira Mediterrània in the area, revealing an increase in people's levels of identification with the event. Of the people interviewed, 96% would recommend Fira to a friend, while the event obtains an overall rating of 7.76 out of 10. Greater affinity with the event has generated increased spending of 30.58% by people at the event; the average spending per person is currently €22.67. At the same time, public turnout has grown -possibly due to the event's change of date- by more than 11%, with attendance figures ranging from 98,457 to 119,606. The combination of all these factors sees the economic impact of visitors to the event rise by 16%, going from €2,695,485 to €3,345,448. Despite Fira having a tighter budget in 2015 than in 2010, when the previous study was conducted, the improvement of these figures shows that the return on every euro invested has gone up from €8 to €12. The new report thus presents results that are notably higher than those of a similar study conducted in 2010, which had already exceeded initial expectations.

Economic impact

In 2010, Fira Mediterrània commissioned a statistical analysis by the FUB on the event’s impact on the city of Manresa and its nearby surroundings, based on visitor ratings and the economic impact generated by visitors. Last year, Fira Mediterrània commissioned a similar study to update statistics recorded five years ago. The same methodology was used as in 2010, enabling a direct statistical comparison. This time, however, the FUB has been able to make an in-depth analysis of the results.

The FUB’s study reveals that the economic impact of Fira Mediterrània in 2015 sits between €2,695,485 and €3,345,448, an increase of 15.66% to 16.82% in comparison with 2010. Every euro invested at Fira generated a return and re-investment in the city of Manresa of between €10.81 and €13.42, compared with €8 in 2010.

The study was conducted by interviewing attendees at the event and also measuring waste collected in the areas where Fira takes place. Measuring waste enables the calculation of statistics for those people who attended Fira that reside outside the city. In 2015 there is an increase in waste of 12.7%, compared with 7% in 2010. Public turnout at Fira throughout the four days of the event is estimated to be between 98,457 and 119,697, a rise of 11.5% compared with 2010.

Origin and habits

Almost half of the attendees (307 people) are from Manresa (47.88%), 12% from elsewhere in the Bages region, 39% from elsewhere in Catalonia and 1.3% from outside Catalonia. Only 7% of the attendees are industry professionals. The average spending of an attendee is €22.67, 30.58% more than five years ago. Those who claim to have spent more at Fira come from outside Catalonia (€32.65), followed by Catalans from elsewhere in Catalonia (€26.72). Residents of the Bages region spent an average of €22.73 and residents of Manresa, €15.96. Those who claim to have spent most at Fira are the industry professionals, with average spending of €60. The majority of attendees went to free shows.

Between 95% and 97% of attendees would recommend Fira to a friend, and the majority of people show keen interest in Fira. Interestingly, the study also reveals that the turnout at Fira predominantly comprises females.

Attendees claim to have found out about Fira Mediterrània through friends, although the printed press, radio, television and social media are also influential.

Working methodology

To implement the study, the FUB used a statistical method based on a survey that was given out to a representative sample of Fira attendees (307 people), in addition to the analysis of waste levels. A new development in comparison with the 2010 study is the application of clustering, a commonly used technique in statistical data analysis. It consists of grouping a set of objects in such a way that objects in the same group (called a cluster) are more similar (in some sense or another) to each other than to those in other groups (clusters). 

Using this technique enabled two groups of respondents to be identified with different characteristics for evaluating Fira Mediterrània, as a result of potentiation applied to one of these groups. It reveals a cluster with greater affinity for Fira, comprising respondents who rated the event very positively. These attendees have excellent knowledge of the listings, demonstrate interest in everything related to it -both themselves and other members of their family- and spend more during the event. They believe the scheduled shows are of top quality and view the event as modern, urban, participatory and contemporary. This group is particularly interested in all the shows, independently of whether or not they coincide with their particular interests.

The second cluster has less affinity with Fira and, therefore, does not rate the event as highly, knows less about it and shows less interest in it. This group also spends less throughout the event, with average spending of €15.

The study reveals that professionals from the cultural industry who attend Fira spend far more than other visitors, and consequently they were excluded from the cluster analysis.

SUMMARY OF STATISTICS