On Wednesday 25th May over 1,000 local and off-island delegates attended ISLEXPO 2016 hosted by the Department of Economic Development.

The event was opened by Sir Chris Hoy MBE and Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for the Department of Economic Development, who commented:

‘ISLEXPO 2016 was a fantastic event and a real first for the Isle of Man. I’ve received great feedback and would like to sincerely thank everyone behind the event’s success. In particular I would like to thank all of the local sponsors and partners for their support and investment.

‘I was delighted to see a diverse range of attendees engaging with the local business community and Government initiatives. The Department is dedicated to driving growth in our economy and the event was the perfect platform for our business focused initiatives launched this year, including the ?50 million Enterprise Development Scheme.’

Micky Swindale, Director of KPMG, a headline sponsor of ISLEXPO and a founder of new investment consortium Bridge, commented:

‘We have thoroughly enjoyed being part of ISLEXPO and it’s been fantastic to see large numbers of the local community turn out to take part in this great initiative for Isle of Man business. As part of the new Manx Angel Investor Network, Bridge, we hosted the ‘Pitch it’ sessions for entrepreneurs and local students. I was very impressed by the quality of the ideas presented and believe they demonstrated a real drive for innovation and growth on our Island.’

The free one-day conference included interactive digital workshops with Google, talks from Dale Murray CBE, Alex Hunter and Jim Mellon and panel discussions with industry experts.

Isle of Man food and drink was highlighted at the event with providers serving local produce throughout the day and a ‘Future Foodies Panel’ which celebrated local food and drink success stories. The Island’s creative industry sector also supported the event with a session curated by the Isle of Man Film Festival and exciting PechaKucha 20x20 presentations.

For more information on the funding, support and assistance available for starting or growing your business, please visit www.whereyoucan.com/EDS. 

Photo - Sir Chris Hoy speaking at the Gala Dinner on May 24^th.