The Minister for Economic Development has issued an upbeat message following the conclusion of the International Festival for Business (IFB) which was held in Liverpool during June and July.
The Department had a permanent presence in ‘The Hub’ for the duration of the six week festival as well as hosting weekly events that showcased the Island’s diverse economy and key sectors.
Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for Economic Development said:
‘We’ve enjoyed a highly successful participation in the International Festival for Business and I’ve been encouraged by the positive feedback that I’ve received from both the team in the Department and those in local industry who attended.
‘We’ve achieved our three main objectives which we set out at the beginning of the process: to build our political and civic ties with Liverpool and the North West; to raise the profile of the Isle of Man as a successful international business centre; and to create firm opportunities for economic development for the Island.’
Prior to the Festival the Department had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Liverpool Vision, the organisers of the Festival.
In terms of raising profile, the Isle of Man’s presence at the Festival was featured on BBC’s Breakfast News and North West Tonight programmes bringing positive coverage of the Island to many millions of people.
The opportunities arising from the Festival for inward investment and economic development in the Isle of Man have been significant and these are currently being pursued. For example there were a broad range of business opportunities created for the Island’s financial and professional services sectors.
Other spin-off benefits included the formation of the Isle of Man Maritime Group which was created specifically to host the two day event in June that showcased the Isle of Man’s Maritime sector.
The Minister continued:
‘One of the Isle of Man’s key strengths is the relationship that Government enjoys with the local business community. With over fifty local businesses and professional associations taking part, the Festival was a great example of the partnership approach we have followed in promoting the Isle of Man in recent years.’
A number of Isle of Man business people offered feedback to the Department on their experience of the Festival.
Stuart Nelson, Head of Corporate and Intermediary Banking, Barclays, Isle of Man commented:
'I was delighted to represent the Isle of Man, its Banking Sector, and Barclays at the International Festival for Business. The IFB was undoubtedly a successful event for the Isle of Man and it was pleasing to see the blossoming relationships with Liverpool, Wirral and the North West. I see this event as the catalyst to a long-term strategic relationship with these regions.’
Ralph McCormack, Manager, New Business, IQE, Isle of Man commented:
‘We definitely felt the whole festival was very worthwhile and the Department’s events we attended all had great feedback from both our staff and attendees. Everything was well organised and pitched at the right levels too.’
Steve Brown, Managing Director, SNX Ltd, Isle of Man:
‘It was a pleasure to represent the Clean Tech Industry on behalf of the Isle of Man Government in Liverpool recently and it was great to see the appetite and commitment to generating a greater awareness and interest in how the Island can support investment and new business in this sector.
‘The Department of Economic Development has worked tirelessly to pave the way for companies from all sectors to take advantage of the Island’s supportive business infrastructure and should be applauded.’
