The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire says the Lincolnshire Great Exhibition, which cost it £45,000 to run, will return this year.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns ran for the position with a pledge to create a business showcase event styled on the Great Exhibition of 1851, writes local democracy reporter Jamie Waller.
It was held at the Lincolnshire Showground, north of Lincoln, in October.
An entirely complimentary report on it was brought to a meeting of its Business and Infrastructure Board.
Coun Rob Witham, who stood against Dame Andrea, praised the event which had 45 exhibits and saw around 700 attend.
The event cost £69,000 to put on, but with £23,750 in private sponsorship, and £5,000 in-kind sponsorship for the likes of VIP catering and technical support.
The GLCCA itself spent a little over £45,000 on the Lincolnshire Great Exhibition. Siemens Energy and Associated British Ports (ABP) were event sponsors.
The report to the committee said two part-time staff had worked on it for four months and argued it needed more man power.
Dame Andrea said she would like to see it self-funded in the future. She also teased potential overseas investment deals that had come about since.“To me, a measure of success is that it more than pays for itself in investment in our county,” said Dame Andrea. “Later in the year, when we make an announcement, it would have paid for itself with what we are doing. I’m very confident of that.”
Deputy mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Coun Ingrid Sheard said: “We need to appreciate that it was seven weeks that we had to pull this all together. Yes there are lessons to be learned, but I don’t think we should detract from the fact of how beneficial this was to the county.”
