There has been lots of focus on the long-term future of the Sundance Film Festival this year as organizers consider whether to move the event to another place starting in 2027.But Sundance and Park City officials are also preparing for the 2025 edition of the festival, slated to run from Jan. 23 until Feb. 2. City Hall has posted the annual Rules of the Road document, which outlines the municipal permitting process and covers a series of topics that are of note to individuals or firms that want to operate in Park City during the festival.Typically, numerous corporate interests create temporary presences in the city for Sundance and must secure the necessary permits before the setups are allowed to open. Main Street is usually the sought-after location for the temporary setups, but there are also sometimes locations outside the Old Town core.The corporate interests desire the visibility of the street, which is bustling during Sundance with film lovers, the entertainment media and celebrity gawkers. Some of the corporate interests create elaborate setups in leased space along Main Street, turning stores and restaurants into showcases for their brands. Others are less ambitious but require City Hall permits nonetheless.The municipal Rules of the Road is designed for those planning to conduct business within the city limits. Many of the topics covered in the document are germane throughout the year, but the sheer number of applications for various categories of permits as the festival approaches makes the Rules of the Road a key City Hall festival-related publication. The fall posting of the document — months before Sundance opens — illustrates the extended timeline some of the corporate interests employ as they prepare for the festival.“This document is intended to serve as a guide for the permit processes, and frequently asked questions regarding regulations” during the festival, the introduction says.Although the Rules of the Road document is crafted for those planning to conduct business in Park City, it also provides a glimpse into the mechanics of municipal processes that are in place at other times of year as well.One of the categories of permits covered in the document is what is known as a convention sales license, often referred to at City Hall as a CSL. A wide range of activities that occur during Sundance require a convention sales license, such as marketing, promotional campaigns and gifting. The Rules of the Road note “activations are not allowed in residential units.”The document explains the application process for convention sales licenses, including requirements for a pre-inspection and occupancy information. The Park City Council must approve convention sales licenses and then another inspection is needed, it says. City Council agendas late in the year and in early January often include numerous convention sales licenses applications.Another section covers building permits, which are required as many of the temporary setups are created. Building permits are needed for work like remodeling space for the festival, the installation of walls that stretch between the floor and the ceiling, decks and signs that have “mechanical attachments” to a building, according to the document. The Rules of the Road explains an application is needed and, if officials approve the application, it must be issued to a contractor licensed in Utah.The document also outlines the process to obtain an administrative conditional use permit, which are required when temporary structures are installed. The steps include public noticing and a hearing. City Hall staffers approve or deny the permit applications.Corporate setups along Main Street during the Sundance Film Festival often involve the year-round business moving merchandise out to make way for the temporary tenant, shown in January. Some of the setups can be elaborate and require certain City Hall permits.Some of the other topics contained in the Rules of the Road:A list of contacts at City Hall, Summit County, Wasatch County and state alcohol regulators. The municipal contacts include people in the parking, finance, planning and special events departments. Summit County contacts include the Health Department and special events staffers. Temporary beverage licenses, including an explanation of the circumstances when someone must obtain a single event liquor permit. Temporary sign permits, including an explanation that “Planning Department approval is required for all signs, including free-standing signs and signs installed on windows, doors, roofs, walls, etc.”There is traditionally a push in the period immediately before the festival opens to complete the numerous temporary setups along Main Street and elsewhere. The year-round tenants move their goods out, construction crews arrive to remake the spaces and then the corporate interests add the finishing touches. Some of the temporary setups remain intact throughout the festival, but many are dismantled shortly after the celebrity-heavy opening weekend.The preparations for the festival in 2025 are ongoing amid Sundance’s continuing selection process as it considers a host for the event beginning with the 2027 festival. The three finalists are Park City/Salt Lake City; Boulder, Colorado; and Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a critical process for Park City as it attempts to retain a role in what is, by a wide margin, the most lucrative special event on the tourism calendar. Sundance is expected to announce a decision in 2025.The guide is available on the municipal website, parkcity.org. The direct link is: parkcity.org/home/showpublisheddocument/76362/638630462528270000.The post Sundance 2025: There are Rules of the Road in Park City appeared first on Park Record.