As already experienced in the last years, smaller group meetings with a clearly targeted participants list create an outstanding platform to discuss in depth urgent questions related to various aspects of interest. On 27, 28 and 29 January 2006 the eleven national festivals Association from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and the four European cultural networks from France and the Netherlands meet in Rome to discuss various items of interest: 1. The European Festival Research Project (EFRP) - the role and involvement of national festivals association and networks and the EFA. * We are facing a lot of questions on “festivals” without having proven any evidence on issues such as the artistic, economic, social or cultural impact of festivals 2. The working, responsibilities and importance of national festivals associations and cultural networks in the respective cultural policy fields. * Various ways and manners to strengthen the role of associations in setting opinions in the framework of European cultural policies but also in the frame of the respective national cultural policies (regarding the festival phenomenon in particular) will be discussed. 3. How networks and associations communicate. The task of EFA to enhance communication among each other and the outside world! For all those festivals associations (already existing or in course to be set up) and cultural networks who would like to present their activities to EFA or who might consider to become a member please contact us!