An art fair, biennial, or festival can shape the identity of the city and brand it as a cultural capital. Drawing international attention, these events can bring with them tourist dollars that stimulate the local economy. But, these massive undertakings can also stress a city’s infrastructure, present unforeseen costs and create tensions between organizers and local communities. This session will explore the roles that platform events, such as recurring international art exhibitions, music festivals and convenings play in creating the image of a city and examine the ways in which these types of programs can elevate local talent in service of delivering global impact. This session will also examine the design of successful “satellite” events that leverage platform events to elevate local and regional cultural activity.