Celtic Connections and is an integral and vibrant part of cultural life in Glasgow, with the economic impact on the city reaching £5.8 million in 2007. The festival actively promotes artistic links and cultural exchange across countries, reinforced by Showcase Scotland which brought 200 music industry delegates from 35 different countries to Scotland looking to book Scottish bands for festivals abroad in 2008. The 2008 festival opened with the Common Ground concert where many of the artists taking part in the event performed together. Donald Shaw, artistic director of the festival, spoke about the future of Celtic Connections as well as the
City of London Festival of culturally enriching projects which were then showcased within the main Festival programme. The City of London Corporation provided the main support for the festival and as a result of its close ties to major businesses within the Square Mile many companies became involved in sponsoring and supporting the festival since its inception in 1962. Some Festivals looked at London's links with important international trading centres. 2005 saw a Dutch theme, 2006 highlighted Japanese culture and 2007 showed the City's connections to France's trading centres, whilst also exploring the 200th Anniversary of the parliamentary Abolition of the slave trade in