ISLEXPO costs and revenue

Summary

The request sought a full breakdown of costs and revenue for the ISLEXPO event from 2016 to 2018, which the Department for Enterprise provided in aggregate form while noting that a granular breakdown for 2017 and 2018 would require substantial research not mandated by the FOI Act.

Key Facts

• The Department for Enterprise spent a total of £382,000 across three years (2016-2018) to host ISLEXPO.
• ISLEXPO attracted 4,000 delegates and consistently reached hundreds of thousands via social media.
• The event generated total income of £138,850 in 2016, £214,510 in 2017, and £209,417.59 in 2018.
• Since the event's launch, the Department has supported over 150 new businesses and helped over 550 existing businesses grow.
• The event achieved a 90%+ positive 'attend again' rate and attracted 10% of attendees from off-island.

Data Disclosed

• £382,000
• £141,000
• £100,000
• 4,000 delegates
• 150 businesses started
• 550 businesses grown
• 1,400 more people in work
• 200 skilled workers relocated
• 90%+ attend again rate
• 10% off-island attendees
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2018-09-24
• 2018-10-19

Exemptions Cited

• Substantial research exemption (Freedom of Information Act 2015)

Original Request

Please provide a full breakdown of costs incurred by the Department (formerly DED) in hosting and promoting the annual ISLEXPO event since 2016: including but not limited to staffing, booking keynote speakers, travel expenses and promotion on and off-Island. Please also provide, if applicable, details of any revenue generated by the Department including through corporate sponsorship.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator 1st Floor, St Georges Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX

Telephone: (01624 685375) Website: www.gov.im/ded Email: steven.tallach@gov.im

Our ref: 610270 15 October 2018

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 24 September 2018 and which states:

"Please provide a full breakdown of costs incurred by the Department (formerly DED) in hosting and promoting the annual ISLEXPO event since 2016: including but not limited to staffing, booking keynote speakers, travel expenses and promotion on and off-Island. Please also provide, if applicable, details of any revenue generated by the Department including through corporate sponsorship." Our response to your request is as follows. Introduced as the Island’s first entrepreneur festival and premier business conference, sold on its networking benefits, brand opportunities, prolific keynote speakers, practical skills-based workshops and associated hospitality, ISLEXPO has fast become a mainstay in the island’s conferencing calendar, securing significant private sector support and sponsorship. The Department committed to a three year series in 2016 with the brand narrative - ‘START.GROW.LOCATE’. ISLEXPO has successfully attracted 4,000 delegates from small start-ups to large businesses, local and international business people, new entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals. The event consistently reached 100,000s via social media and received numerous journalist visits and press articles across the Isle of Man and UK. A breakdown of costs for ISLEXPO is provided below. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, complying with your request for costs broken down in the exact manner sought would require the Department to undertake substantial research, which the Department is not required to do under the Freedom of Information Act 2015. However a detailed breakdown of costs was provided to us by the organisers in 2016 and this has been included. As such we hold the following information on the costs and income for the ISLEXPO event from 2016 to 2018. Page 2 of 4

2018 Event Income DfE Spend £141,000.00 Sponsorship £62,810.00 Ticket sales £5,407.59 Food & drink vendor pitch fees £200.00 Total £209,417.59 Expenditure Event £115,641.26 Press placement £2,545.00 Fees £80,000.00 Sponsorship sales commission £13,686.00 Total £211,872.26 2017 DED Spend £141,000.00 Event income £73,510.00 Total £214,510.00 Conference costs £110,101.30 Gala costs £35,748.04 Total £145,849.34 Fees £70,000.00 Total £70,000.00 2016 Income DED Spend £100,000.00 Sponsorship £28,500.00 Table Sales £10,350.00 Total £138,850.00 Expenditure Speakers £51,500.00 Catering £23,530.05 Website, advertising, marketing and PR £21,331.44 Production and styling £15,612.51 Design and print £14,635.47 Travel and expenses £4,559.19 Entertainment £3,845.00 Transport £913.92 Sundries £740.89 Total £136,668.47 The total cost of the event, including speakers, expenses, promotion, production, staging, hospitality, entertainment etc. is included above. Page 3 of 4 To host and support the event, the Department spent the following: Total Department spend 2018: £141,000.00 Total Department spend 2017: £141,000.00 Total Department spend 2016: £100,000.00 Total Department spend overall: £382,000.00 (across 3 years) The money spent by the Department was supplemented by local businesses including sponsorship and sales. Since launching ISLEXPO in 2016 the Department for Enterprise has provided active support to over 150 businesses that have started here in the Isle of Man and helped over 550 businesses grow and achieve their potential. There are around 1,400 more people in work today than when ISLEXPO started 2 years ago. Since then the Department has helped over 200 skilled workers locate to our Island through a targeted support programme of relocation incentives to fuel the success of our local businesses. The event: - Upskilled people via business relevant training (digital, marketing, proving registered CPD opportunities) - Inspired new businesses to start up and develop - Gave more networking opportunities than any other local event - Consistently attracted 10% attendees from off-island - Secured high profile private sector sponsorship and support - Sold out all hospitality events - Achieved a 90%+ positive ‘attend again’ rate via the survey - Enabled angel investment in local businesses via ‘Pitch it’ - Increased awareness and understanding of assistance the Department provides local businesses - Generated targeted media coverage locally and in the UK - Profiled businesses coming through the enterprise support schemes including e-business, e-gaming, food and drink, creative industries etc. The events were also an opportunity to profile the Department’s enterprise support schemes. This included launching the Enterprise Development Scheme, the £2million further investment in the Employee Relocation Incentive and the improvements to the Micro Business Grant Scheme. Throughout the events the Department also received 30+ Micro Business Grant Scheme applications for people starting a new business in the Isle of Man. The event has clear value for the Isle of Man business community and, like all competitive jurisdictions, has a key role to play in raising the profile of local industry and sector development both at home and further afield. With the restructure of the Department and the development of the four new Executive Agencies and Locate Isle of Man function, we are now considering options going forward. With the closing of the three year ‘Start, Grow, Locate’ series we have an opportunity to look at feedback from businesses and delegates in order to establish the future of the event and the brand going forward and will be considering options early next year. Please quote the reference number 610270 in any future communications. Page 4 of 4

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I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely