Member Article

Evaluation of impact and value of IFB 2014 underway

The organisers of the International Festival for Business 2014 have launched an evaluation survey.

Liverpool Vision, the Mayor of Liverpool’s economic development company, which co-ordinated the 50-day festival hosted in the city on behalf of the UK, is seeking the views of IFB Business Club members and other festival participants.

IFB 2014, which was the biggest event in the UK of its kind in more than 60 years, has already been hailed as a success by UK government with the festival returning in two years’ time.

Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision and chair of IFB 2014, said: “It took 18 months to plan and two months to deliver the festival, but in some ways the hard work now really begins with an assessment of its impact on business and the economy in the city, the region and in the UK.

“A full evaluation is underway, reporting to Government in the autumn, and to make this as comprehensive as possible, input from participants is central to the process.

“We invite all IFB 2014 delegates to take part in our surveys, so we can understand expectations, learn from their festival experience about what worked well and what did not, and measure the benefits their business gained.

“When we reprise IFB in 2016 this information will help to ensure that the festival is even better and even more effective.”

The primary objective of the evaluation project is to analyse how far IFB 2014 has served its strategic purpose of generating jobs and investment in the Liverpool City Region and wider UK economy, increasing exports and domestic sales, over both the short and long term.

Upon completion of this survey respondents will automatically be entered into the draw to win one of the following prizes:

• 1 night luxury hotel break for two people at the luxurious Richmond Hotel & Spa, Liverpool

• A pair of First Class Virgin Rail Tickets to any destination under its operation

• A £100 Gift Voucher for Liverpool ONE

With its 424 registered business events, the festival was the biggest concentration of business events taking place anywhere in the world this year. These events took place in 139 different venues across the Liverpool City Region, the wider North of England and further afield.

75,000 business delegates attended these events drawn from 88 different countries from around the globe.

With over 15,000 registered IFB Business Club members and around 12,000 business visitors to the IFB Hub, the festival provided a networking opportunity the like of which the city region has never seen.

Finally, 1,128 businesses benefited from brokerage and meet the buyer meetings at the IFB Hub.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .