JERSEY needs an air display that “speaks to people outside the Island” and provides a reason to come to Jersey, the Economic Development Minister has told a Scrutiny panel.
Asked about the government’s £40,000 grant for this year’s festival, Deputy Kirsten Morel said that while he had always had a fond place in his heart for the event, he thought there was now “an element of modernisation” that could take place.
And he suggested moving the event to the weekend to broaden its appeal.
Organisers of this year’s event were again forced to launch a last-minute public appeal for funds due to financial difficulties.
The display ultimately went ahead, thanks to the “generosity of Islanders” according to organiser Mike Higgins, but with the loss of two static displays, multiple aircraft pulling out at the last minute for operational reasons and no Red Arrows.
Responding to questions from the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel yesterday, Deputy Morel said: “I think it has the potential to be an event that draws significant numbers to the Island but… you have to have to have an event which strikes a chord with people outside Jersey.
“I have lots of warm feelings towards the air display because I’m an Islander. That isn’t going to sell any tickets to Jersey.”
The minister suggested that, like the Battle of Flowers, it might move from its traditional slot on a Thursday to the weekend.
He said: “I don’t that’s going to affect the brand in any way in the negative sense, but it would potentially make it a much more accessible event for Islanders as well as visitors.
“That would be a clear way of modernising the display without affecting its branding.”
He rejected the suggestion that reviving the event’s association with the Battle of Britain would be helpful, adding that he did not believe in the current world that such militaristic associations would be welcome.
“Modern aircraft, sustainably fuelled aircraft, prototypes talking about the future rather than the past could be much more ‘grabbing’ for Islanders – and not just for Islanders.
“But I do want to [give] credit to the organisers. I look forward to talking to [them] about further modernisations and how they are going to take it to the future,” he said.
Questioned further by the panel, Deputy Morel defended the government’s approach to putting the onus on the festival organisers to raise additional funding to supplement the government’s contribution.
While applauding the success of their crowdfunding efforts, he said they might have been employed earlier in the year.
“I think it’s really incumbent – and what I want to try to dissuade any events organisers from doing is thinking that last-minute requests put government into the position they feel, by popular demand, that they have to come up with the money.
“If you are running an event, it’s like running a business. You have a budget set and you have to operate within that budget,” Deputy Morel said.
