In the past decade, the creative sector has generated a lot of attention from policy makers. Especially at the city level, a thriving creative sector is perceived to be the ultimate urban development tool. It is expected to do many things, from enhancing quality of life to increasing the attractiveness of the local business climate. Creativity drives innovation and hence a creative city should form an interesting place of residence for businesses in general.

Due to its innovative and often sustainable features, creative ventures form an interesting opportunity for investors. However, measuring the return on investment of a creative venture can be challenging. Whether it is because the product is hard to understand (for example for high-tech or disruptive products) or because a regular business plan cannot be supplied due to important intangible, symbolic returns (for ventures more at the cultural side), financing creative ventures is a special niche in start-up and venture finance.

The conference strives to present high quality new and unpublished research on finance and investment in the creative or cultural sector – and related topics such as crowdfunding, venture finance, innovation and sustainability. Furthermore, it aims to bring together young scholars working on these topics.

For further details and to participate in the conference, see https://www.fma.org/CreativeVentures/ or contact Prof. dr. Rachel Pownall.