Constantin Covaliu (RO)

Constantin “Luș” Covaliu is a leading event entrepreneur and producer from Cluj‑Napoca, Romania. With a Management degree from Babeș‑Bolyai University, he began his career in hospitality and cultural events working at TIFF (Transilvania International Film Festival), Photo Romania, and as a bar and event manager in Cluj-Napoca pubs. In 2014, he co‑founded Why Not Us, and became managing partner, quickly establishing a stable team of producers and launching projects such as Comedy Weekend, Jazz & Wine, and the touring Street FOOD Festival starting in 2016. Under his leadership, the festival expanded nationwide—over 100 editions in 15 cities, gathering more than 3.3 million attendees. It became Romania’s most influential culinary event. He also served as Head of Production at major Romanian festivals UNTOLD and NEVERSEA until 2019, and briefly led EMAGIC România as CEO before the pandemic. Recently, Why Not Us has innovated further with ZAZEN, a 10‑month street‑food garden in Cluj-Napoca, and multimedia experiences like Magic Garden, drone shows, and multimedia installations. With over 150 events and 4 million visitors to his credit, Luș will share at the conference how local festivals foster community, boost regional identity, and strengthen local economies through creative and inclusive programming.