The inaugural Sloss Music & Arts Festival was a full-blown success, running like a seasoned, well-oiled machine on all fronts. Event organizers say the festival entertained about 25,000 people over its two-day run, giving the city an estimated $4.2 million in economic impact. Recognizing the potential of the event, the CVB hosted a familiarization (FAM) tour for nearly 50 national and regional meeting planners, using the festival as the centerpiece. Also on the schedule were city tours, golf outings and dine-arounds at some of the city’s best restaurants. The FAM was a success, with planners writing glowing reviews of their weekend in Birmingham. It could mean millions of new convention dollars for the Birmingham area, expanding the economic impact of the $1.5 billion in visitor spending the area currently sees annually.