A consistent response was that Edinburgh can be challenging, exhausting and leave you out of pocket. It is therefore very important to be clear as to your motives for doing the Festival. As an experience in of itself, as an opportunity to have fun, as a rites of passage, as a way to garner further interest in the show with a view to a continued life.

In terms of continued life, be clear again on what you want. London runs, regional, international touring, community outreach programmes and workshops?

Location is everything: (Summerhall, The Assembly Rooms and Pleasance considered the musts) Most agreed that venue and time slot are essential to the success of the show both in terms of press coverage, industry interest and audience. For some industry were more important than audience numbers, because their focus was on finding producers to take the show forward. For others the audience numbers were essential to recoup funds. In either case time and place were the key to in terms of their own notion of the show's success.

This posed the question: What is a successful Edinburgh? Clearly different for different people based on expectations and desired outcomes. Certainly not guaranteed.

Long term forward planning and having a show that was fully ready was recommended.

Already established and successful shows can be an advantage but equally venues welcome and prefer new and unseen work. Chicken and egg situation: Do you establish the show first and the take it to Edinburgh or is the Festival a way to get your show further established?

Having a show can be a way of building networks and connecting with artistic individuals and communities.

However there was a view that the Festival has become increasingly commercial, promotionally driven, not discovering gems. Not what it used to be.

Still haven't made a final decision, but am clearer that I need to be clearer about the whys, wheres and whens.

Thank you to everyone who came and joined the conversation.

Participants: Kate Maravan
Ben Warwick. Nick Sweeting, Jo Mackie, Kezi Methuen, Kamaal Hussain. Tarek Iskander, Louise Orwin, Daniel Kok, Michael Norton, Tmv Norwood.