The ‘Culture Plus’ Forum is an annual international event held on the initiative of the Cultural Policy Institute and conceived as a presentation space and a discussion club providing an opportunity to examine various aspects of relationships between culture, society, economy and politics. The Forum 2005 was focused on the arts/business partnerships, the creative economy development, and the innovative urban policy. The Forum 2006 will further explore the contribution of culture to the urban and regional development. It will bring together international experts, creative professionals and representatives of authorities, the media and business community. The aim of the Forum is to develop understanding that, nowadays, culture goes far beyond the limits of the domain aimed to preserve heritage and traditions. It is time for the authorities and the businesses to discover the real social and economic power of culture, and for cultural institutions – to understand their social responsibilities and to ascertain their economic influence.