ISLEXPO, hosted by the Department for Enterprise, will open this year with a £70-a-head ‘Founders’ Feast’ in the Villa Marina gardens on the night before the full-day business event.

Guests attending the dinner on Tuesday, May 15, will tuck into a three-course meal provided by restaurant 14 North, followed by entertainment from award-winning writer and comedian David Schneider, of Alan Partridge fame.

The sponsor for the evening will be the island’s new car dealership, Jacksons.

Paul Collier, boss of Jacksons, said: ‘ISLEXPO’s 2018 theme of "Locate" is one we have lived and breathed over the last few years and was a driving factor behind the decision to support the island’s biggest business community event, in the same year as we open the doors to our two new super-showrooms and state of the art service centre at Cooil Road. We are hugely excited about the year ahead in our new island home.

‘Motor Mall and the service centre have already relocated from Peel Road to the new showroom on Cooil Road, and the flagship Jacksons showroom is due to open its doors around TT week.

‘Over 80 staff are already employed on the new site with more to follow over the next few months as we open fully.’

The Founders’ Feast will take place in the garden tipis, promising what a spokesman called a ‘fun hospitality experience for all’.

The Founders’ Feast sets the scene for the next day’s business event with a strong line-up of keynote speakers, practical workshops, expert panels, funding advice and pop-up talks.

The conference is free-to-attend, giving delegates access to a ‘full day of rich content and an action-packed post-5pm programme in the Garden Hub.’

Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for Enterprise, said: ‘The Founders’ Feast is an opportunity for the island’s business community, entrepreneurs and investors to come together and enjoy a night of networking, delicious local food and drink, and entertainment.

‘ISLEXPO 2018 is focused around the theme of ‘locate’ and the importance of a location for a successful business and positive lifestyle.

‘The conference will look at how we can future-proof our workforce, nurture talent and innovation at home, and attract more skilled workers and new enterprises from further afield – making sure the Island is ready for new opportunities and that our businesses have the right people to succeed.’

Founders’ Feast sponsor tickets for the Founders’ Feast are priced at £70 (excl. VAT) and are sold individually or as tables of eight.