The Department of Economic Development has secured a number of long-term commercial contracts for the Manx Grand Prix Festival.

The Department created the newly branded festival in 2010 to develop the commercial rights for the Manx Grand Prix Races and supporting events. The revised festival now also features the Classic Trial, the Two Day Trial and the Vintage Motor Cycle Club’s rally and meeting at Jurby that attracted over 12,000 visitors in 2010.

The contract for the Official MGP Festival programme has been awarded to Mannin Media following a tender process. Mannin Media has produced the TT Races programme for the last four years. The company’s plans include fascinating behind the scenes features, MGP facts and analysis as well as race guide and spectator information.

Steve Brown, Managing Director, Mannin Media commented:

“The Manx Grand Prix Festival has a passionate group of followers and we are looking forward to the challenge of creating a high quality programme that engages and interests them. The programme will be a real source of information for fans that will encompass and bring together the whole festival fortnight.”

Motorsport Merchandise, who already operates as the official supplier of TT merchandise, has joined the MGPF commercial portfolio as event sponsors and licensee for official MGPF merchandise.

They will develop a range of clothing and memorabilia for the Manx Grand Prix Festival, featuring the official logo that was created in 2010, including a wide range of T-shirt designs as well as jackets, fleeces and shirts. Manx Grand Prix Festival fans will also be able to buy Motorsport Merchandise’s extensive collection of Manx Grand Prix Festival caps.

As an official event sponsor Motorsport Merchandise will also receive a branding package across all areas of the event as well as the naming rights to the 350cc and 250cc Classic GP Races.


Roy Wilson, Managing Director, Motorsport Merchandise, commented:

“We are really pleased to be on board and will use our extensive experience of producing great quality merchandise for the TT to offer Manx Grand Prix festival fans a range that they are happy to wear.”

Other agreements secured include Mylchreest Motors, who have a multi-year deal to be the official car partner and Official Motorcycle Partner Yamaha, who will provide bikes for the Travelling Marshals in their 50th year of racing on the Isle of Man.

Morton’s Media are the official event media partner and will run a series of editorial features and advertising promoting the revised event in their range of classic titles that includes Classic Racer, Classic Dirt Bike, Classic Bike Guide and The Classic Motorcycle. The Manx Grand Prix Supporters Club also receives official sponsor status and a package of benefits around the event in recognition of the financial contribution that it makes.

All of the sponsors receive a package of high profile benefits including trackside advertising, on-line advertising on the official mpgfestival.com website, race title sponsorship, programme ads and the right to use the official Manx Grand Prix Festival logo in their marketing collateral.

The Department of Economic Development’s Motorsport Team is also talking to a number of other blue chip companies about becoming sponsors in the event and more announcements will be made ahead of the event in September 2011.


Hon Allan Bell, MHK, Minister for Department of Economic Development, Isle of Man Government, commented:

“We are really pleased to welcome all of the partners on board to help us to deliver the commercial objectives that we have set for the development of the Manx Grand Prix Festival. These partnerships are the first evidence of our long-term strategy to develop the Manx Grand Prix Festival to generate more commercial income and more visitors for the benefit of the Island’s economy. It is particularly pleasing to see so many local companies playing such important roles.”

Malcolm, I find all this to be very sad.

As I said before, I am so glad that I rode the Manx when it was FUN and not the Commercefest it seems to be developing into.

A usually reliable source tells me that a rider, who so far is nameless and probably will remain so, has been offered a fee to ride in the Post-Classic this year.

Further, the deal is to include the bike and all expenses.

And I'm not talking about the normal Owner/Sponsor type of deal either!!

R.I.P. the Manx Grand Prix, the Friendly Races

Larry

If you are suggesting that the Department or any organisation working in partnership with the Department is paying a rider and /or team to compete in the Manx Grand Prix Races, I can confirm your 'usually reliable source' is incorrect.

Efforts will continue to be made with some speed to generate additional income to reinvest in the Manx Grand Prix Festival going forward. Without increased visitors numbers and commercial income streams the viability of the MGP will come into question.

Regards

Paul

(17-02-2011, 09:27 PM)Paul Phillips Wrote: Larry

If you are suggesting that the Department or any organisation working in partnership with the Department is paying a rider and /or team to compete in the Manx Grand Prix Races, I can confirm your 'usually reliable source' is incorrect.

Efforts will continue to be made with some speed to generate additional income to reinvest in the Manx Grand Prix Festival going forward. Without increased visitors numbers and commercial income streams the viability of the MGP will come into question.

Regards

Paul

Whilst we would all like to keep the Manx on the friendly side of things, we have to look to the future to keep it going. It would not have lasted in its old format. i must admit i was worried my self when things started to move onto a more, shall we say, formal basis. But wether we like it or not money talks. The Manx costs a fortune to put on, and you can call me old fashioned if you wont, but i still think its a priviledge to be able to run my bike round sutch an historic track. To a certain extent, what ever it takes to keep it going, then we have to go with the flow. Once it stops, it won't ever come back again.

(17-02-2011, 09:27 PM)Paul Phillips Wrote: Larry

If you are suggesting that the Department or any organisation working in partnership with the Department is paying a rider and /or team to compete in the Manx Grand Prix Races, I can confirm your 'usually reliable source' is incorrect.

Efforts will continue to be made with some speed to generate additional income to reinvest in the Manx Grand Prix Festival going forward. Without increased visitors numbers and commercial income streams the viability of the MGP will come into question.

Regards

Paul

Paul - at no point in my posting did I make any such suggestion.

To misquote the Bard "methinks the lad doth protest too much"

I'll say this for you boy - you haven't half learned the language.

I still say it used to be fun. It never will be again.

Talking of manipulation of grammar:

Those of us who fall into the world of hi-tech should take note of the importance of correct grammar.

I have noticed that many who text message & e-mail have forgotten the "art" of capitalization.

Capitalization is the difference between "helping your Uncle Jack off a horse" and "helping your uncle jack off a horse."

(18-02-2011, 12:02 PM)Malcolm Wrote: Talking of manipulation of grammar:

Those of us who fall into the world of hi-tech should take note of the importance of correct grammar.

I have noticed that many who text message & e-mail have forgotten the "art" of capitalization.

Capitalization is the difference between "helping your Uncle Jack off a horse" and "helping your uncle jack off a horse."

Oh s*d off malcolm

Just to keep you happy, note the non-capitalisation . . . . . . .

Ha Ha Larry, I thought that may get a response !!!!

(18-02-2011, 12:49 AM)larryd Wrote: Paul - at no point in my posting did I make any such suggestion.

I never said you did.

Paul

And I presume that this year ALL post-classic machines will comply with the rules, regardless of who's on 'em or providing 'em

It's my belief that TTFMAG or DED or whatever it's called this week have failed to understand what it is that brings visitors to the Manx. Many of them come because they feel alienated by what the TT has turned into. By turning the Manx into a TT clone it will simply alienate them all over again. The MGP appears to have seen a steady increase in visitors over the last few years and I am also of the opinion that TT visitor numbers are declining, and the majority of TT visitors now only come for a long weekend. MGP visitors appear to stay for much longer - better for local businesses.

I don't believe the MGP really needed all this Government hoopla - all it needed was some advertising. Example: All through last year's (and 2009) TT the Ulster GP was heavily promoted on Radio TT. Not once did I hear any promotion for the Manx and this at a time when an advert would have reached it's maximum target audience. Ergo, more bums on seats. Mission accomplished...

(18-02-2011, 10:46 PM)sticky Wrote: I don't believe the MGP really needed all this Government hoopla - all it needed was some advertising. Example: All through last year's (and 2009) TT the Ulster GP was heavily promoted on Radio TT. Not once did I hear any promotion for the Manx and this at a time when an advert would have reached it's maximum target audience. Ergo, more bums on seats. Mission accomplished...

I'm only one little voice from a distant land but the reason I've been going to the Manx is because I'm a bit 'over' the TT as it no longer provides the categories of racing I like to see. Okay, the Manx may need an injection of funds but careful thought please. Don't spoil something which is such fun to be part of. Agree, the last Ulster GP was, IMO, the best motorcycle meeting I have attended and I've been to a few.

(18-02-2011, 12:49 AM)larryd Wrote:

(17-02-2011, 09:27 PM)Paul Phillips Wrote: Larry

If you are suggesting that the Department or any organisation working in partnership with the Department is paying a rider and /or team to compete in the Manx Grand Prix Races, I can confirm your 'usually reliable source' is incorrect.

Efforts will continue to be made with some speed to generate additional income to reinvest in the Manx Grand Prix Festival going forward. Without increased visitors numbers and commercial income streams the viability of the MGP will come into question.

Regards

Paul

Paul - at no point in my posting did I make any such suggestion.

To misquote the Bard "methinks the lad doth protest too much"

I'll say this for you boy - you haven't half learned the language.

I still say it used to be fun. It never will be again.

Larry;

You have in fact raised a very good point, and I'd like to thank you for doing so.

Perhaps we the need to consider the question in real terms. That is to say terms that physically exist. As opposed to imaginary, or 'rainbow, mushroom pixy terms'. Or other similar methods such as 'happy gnome logic', which we don’t entirely support at this time in our current topsy turvy nonsense legislation. However I think that on the balance of probabilities, and from a forward-thinking, multifaceted, pro-intergenerational polylateral perspective, if we can regenerate that particular 'vocabulary' structure which you have mentioned. On a strictly voluntary basis and using a foreword thinking person to person, me to you perspective. I think it's quasi-certain that movement on this subject could very well be retroactively multi-archived. Not at this time, but another time, say in the next ten or twenty years, decades, or in the life of the next two or ten events. And in some ways I think it's double-plus-good or even triple-plus-great that in a democracy people are allowed to raise questions such as this and have an answer given. Not necessarily the type of answer they were expecting, or wanted, or not an answer in a conventional or ultra-literal sense. That would be quasi-bad-crimethink, and ultra-Paxman scary. And that’s just not acceptable because no one wants psycho-knife consequences to quasi-bad-crimethink do they ?

Malcolm.

This was originally posted here, but got "split" into the other thread full of squabbling!

I think that this Re-Branding of the Manx GP is great.

It has bought a whole new generation of people into the festival. I have read alot of slagging off about these "red and black suzukis" on these types of forums, and yes they are bringing in big TT names such as Dunlop, Martin, Farquar, Costello, Buckley and people are complaining that it may be putting people off competing in certain classes, but lets all face it, it IS good racing, and people DO come to see these certain names then get drawn into the classic charm!

(If im honest, i dont think i would be into classic superbikes now if it wasnt for these names bringing them to my attention! Blush )

Stop with the slagging off the regeneration of this festival, we cant live in the past.. otherwise youre just aiming and targeting this fortnight to aload of old grumpy men!!

-Lady TT