Hospitality costs nearly £53,500

By Nic Rigby
BBC News, Norwich

EEDA has held a number of meeting at Newmarket race course

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) spent £53,465 on hospitality in 2007/2008, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act have shown.

The figures show since 2002 the agency has spent £237,652 on entertaining business leaders and organising events to promote the region.

The EEDA said the events, at venues such as Newmarket race course, promoted business and social-networking.

The figure has fallen from the £61,642 it spent in 2005/2006.

However, it is nearly £20,000 more than the agency spent over 2006/07 when the total cost came to £35,767.

The information was released after a request by the BBC News Website.

The figures found that the most expensive event of 2007/2008 was the Ideas Talk conference held at Tattersalls in Newmarket.

EEDA expenditure on corporate entertaining and hospitality 2002/03: £7,650 2003/04: £21,000 2004/05: £39,628 2005/06: £61,642 2006/07: £35,767 2007/08: £53,465 2008/09 (so far): £18,500 TOTAL: £237,652

A spokeswoman for the EEDA said it "was one of the region's biggest-ever business events" and had the "ultimate aim of boosting the regional economy".

The spokesman added: "Other events are an essential way of informing and getting feedback from EEDA's partners."

In 2006, the BBC News Website revealed that the EEDA spent £61,642 in 2005/2006 on hospitality, which is still the highest expenditure in any one year.

The most expensive event was a Destination Growth event, with more than 500 delegates, which took place at Newmarket racecourse in November 2005 and cost £33,184 on the venue, catering and entertainment.