Crowds of bike fans wait for the start of the 2015 Senior TT at Sulby Bridge

New Isle of Man TT promoter has ambitious plans - but how will fans get here and where will they stay?

The TT has a new private partner with ambitious plans to invest £2.5m in the event and attract tens of thousands of new visitors.

But critics of the appointment of Vision Nine are asking how all these extra fans are going to get here and wondering where they will stay.

Following an hour-long debate, Tynwald supported the proposal to award Vision Nine a 10-year contract for the TT and Classic TT from 2017, by 27 votes to three.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly MHK said: ‘We have reached the point where we need additional expertise, networks and investment.’

He said visitor numbers for the TT and Festival of Motorcycling had increased over the past five years by 43 per cent to 57,000 while economic value and government income have both increased by 63 per cent, to £28m and £5m respectively.

But Vision Nine’s ambitious growth targets would see spectator numbers for the TT and Classic TT increase to between a minimum of 76,500 and a maximum of 125,000 by year 10 of its contract (85,000 for the TT alone).

If achieved, this would generate in excess of £69m economic benefit and government income of £12m per year.

It will take on more than £2m of the government’s annual costs to run the events and provide £2.5m of investment. In return, it will share the resulting net income in the proportion of 80/20 Vision Nine/DED.

But in Tynwald, Juan Turner MLC described the growth forecasts as ‘incredibly optimistic’. - ‘How are we going to get all these extra people here?’  he asked.

Mr Skelly said the idea was to spread capacity, increasing visitors during the non-peak period of the TT and Festival of Motorcycling.

At present the island is near current capacity over the middle weekend only, the DED said. By Senior Race Day visitor numbers are at their lowest point for the race week period - although this is not obvious as numbers are swelled as a result of the Bank Holiday on the island.

There is a great opportunity to extend the “peak” for the entire race week period, say the DED.

Mr Skelly insisted the Steam Packet had ‘plenty of capacity’ with only 10 per cent of ferry sailings during TT being full. Airlines, too, had significant extra capacity available.

The DED believe additional temporary accommodation can be created from basic camping through to temporary 4/5* hotels.

‘Of course’ targets were ambitious, he said, but they were achievable. And if the company did not hit targets for number of spectators, economic impact, media audience and rider participation, the contract could be terminated.

Mr Skelly said the aim was to attract a ‘new global and more diverse fan base’ while retaining core TT audience who could continue to walk around the paddock and watch the races for free. Peel Day and Ramsey Sprint could be expanded to give them wider appeal.

For the race organisers it will be business as usual, he stressed.

While plans for a World Series have been shelved, there was an option for Vision Nine to discuss the feasibility of future off-island TT events, said the minister. But the department would have the power of veto on this.

John Houghton (Douglas North) claimed Vision Nine had a ‘chequered history’.

Questions were also raised about the tendering process with claims that other potential bidders were put at a disadvantage by the tight deadline for applications. There were concerns, too, that Vision Nine was a client of the Sports Consultancy that was brought in to investigate the feasibility of a World Series.

Mr Skelly insisted the standard procurement process had been followed and satisfactory due diligence had taken place. Other bidders had also been clients of the Sports Consultancy, he said.

It is understood the Steam Packet is considering the implications of the Vision Nine contract, but said it has no comment to make yet.

Julian Topham, chief executive officer of Vision Nine, said: 

‘We are looking to get started on our plans for 2017. Our priority at present will be setting up an office with local staff members here in the Isle of Man.

‘We will be delivering real growth in spectator numbers and economic benefit for the Isle of Man over the next 10 years.’

Vision Nine awarded TT contract (from left) Gary Thompson MBE BEM, Clerk of the Course TT Events, Adam Driscoll, CEO Vision Nine, 
Laurence Skelly, MHK, Minister for the Department of Economic Development David Cretney, MLC and Julian Topham, CEO Vision Nine

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly MHK confirmed that a contract with Vision Nine had yet to be signed.

Vision 9 was due to take over as the government’s private partner after this year’s Manx Grand Prix, in time for TT2017. It has ambitious plans to invest £2.5m in the event and attract tens of thousands of new visitors.

But now it may not take over until after next year’s TT at the earliest.

Mr Skelly blamed the delay on failure to reach agreement with other government agencies involved in the TT.

He said: ‘I can confirm that the contract has not been signed.

‘There are on-going negotiations with all the different government agencies responsible for delivering the TT event. We are pursuing the will of Tynwald that we outsource to our preferred bidder which is Vision Nine. We are content with the decision to select Vision Nine as our preferred bidder.’

Tynwald supported the proposal to award Vision Nine a 10-year contract for the TT and Classic TT from 2017 following an hour-long debate in April.

The London-based company’s ambitious growth targets envisage spectator numbers for the two combined events increase to between a minimum of 76,500 and a maximum of 125,000 by year 10 of its contract (85,000 for the TT alone).

But critics of the appointment of Vision Nine have queried how all these extra fans are going to get here and wondering where they will stay.

The racing itself will continue to be run by ACU Events Ltd.

Adrian Darbyshire