Expo for the Common Good?

The Inverness City Committee will consider a request tomorrow for £60,000 towards the cost of providing free access to young people for the duration of the Housing Expo. (07/06/10).

The 'financial assistance application form' notes more fully:

"The purpose of the funding request is to increase the accessibility of the event to young people and specifically to encourage them to attend. The funding would be used to extend an invitation from Members of the City of Inverness to all children living in and visiting the Highlands to come to Inverness to enjoy Scotland’s first Housing EXPO free of charge. For those young people living in Inverness, we would seek to encourage them not to miss this unique event. If the bid is successful, a PR campaign would be created around the ‘Kids Go Free’ offer - created and sponsored by the Inverness Common Good Fund."

"With your support we would seek to encourage the young people of Inverness and those living outwith the area to persuade their mums, dads, grannies, grandpas, aunties, uncles etc to take them to the EXPO and to spend time in the City as well as going to the event itself. We are engaged in discussions with transport providers to operate a half hourly bus service from the centre of town to the Milton of Leys to maximise on the connection between event site and the City Centre and, in doing so, the potential positive economic impact for the City’s business community."

Details of the Expo budget 2008-2010 can be found as page 6 of 7 of ICC-26-10

Further details on the Expo can be found at ICC -20-10

"Tickets are priced at £9 for adults, children under five are admitted free and school age children are charged £4.50. Discounted tickets are available for students and the elderly at £6 and season and family tickets cost £25. The average ticket price is £6 per person. Tickets are available in advance over the web through ‘The Booth’ though it is expected that most visitors will opt to pay ‘at the gate’ which has implications for the Housing Expo’s cash flow. Details of ticket prices and how to book can be found at the Expo web-site address –

www.Scotlandshousingexpo.com. The ticket prices are currently under review."