Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           www.selu.edu/NewsEvents
    Date: 2/10/99
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple  52L

SLU'S FANFARE '98 HAS $2 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University's Fanfare 1998 had a more than $2.4
million economic impact on the Hammond-Ponchatoula area and attendance jumped 10 percent
during the annual arts festival's 13th season.
     According to a report compiled by the Fanfare office, the festival sold 16,044 tickets to its
more than 80 events, generating $150,011 in ticket sales at an average price of $9.35 per ticket.
Using fomulas provided by the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the SLU College of Business and
the National Association of Local Arts Agencies, Fanfare calculated that the total economic
impact of ticket sales was $2,403,207. Additional spending by ticket buyers at an average of $20
per person accounts for an additional $1,024,180, the festival estimates.
     "Fanfare is a cultural extravaganza that  offers something for everyone," Southeastern
President Sally Clausen said. "I'm proud of its positive impact on both the quality of life and the
economy of our community." 
     According to the report, 51,209 people attended 86 Fanfare events at 54 different venues.
The attendance figures include some 10,186 Southeastern students. Southeastern faculty and
students presented or participated in 32 events. Eleven campus organizations and departments
sponsored Fanfare programs, including first-time sponsors, the College of Business and the
department of foreign languages and literatures.
     "We are pleased that our attendance figures continue to increase," Harriet Vogt, Fanfare's
artistic director, said. "It should be noted that the attendance figures include our free events and
will not necessarily reflect ticket revenue. Fanfare 1998 was huge success and the report
 indicates that it continues to be culturally and economically beneficial to the university and 
                             (MORE)
FANFARE ECONOMIC IMPACT   Add One
community."
     Through Fanfare's education outreach program, 5,244 students, an increase of 879 over
1997, attended Fanfare events from 18 public and private elementary, junior high and high
schools.
     "Making a contribution to the cultural education of our region's young people in grades
kindergarten through 12 is very important to us," said John Miller, dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences. "Fanfare programming provides a great model for university-community
partnerships."
     Fanfare also drew out-of-state patrons from Mississippi, Texas, Washington, D.C., 
Massachusetts, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee and North Caroline, Vogt said.
                            - SLU -
     This press release is available on the World Wide Web:
      www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp99.htm