The Minister for Economic Development, Alan Bell MHK, was one of the speakers at the Isle of Man Funds’ Autumn Briefing, hosted and supported by Barclays Wealth, which took place in London on November 10th. In front of an invited audience, Minister Bell provided an update of recent developments in the Isle of Man economy and its funds sector, noting the strong performance of the Island’s economy throughout the recession, underpinned by its increasingly diverse nature. This was followed by an overview from Dean Turner, Investment Strategist at Barclays Wealth, on the global economic environment and key trends for the future. Economic Development Minister, Allan Bell MHK, said of the event: “I am very encouraged that our Autumn Briefing was so well received, at what was a key event for us. There was also an acknowledgement among the audience not only of the excellent opportunities that exist for funds and private equity in the Isle of Man, but of the diversified economic base we have and the world class service we offer in niche sectors such as aircraft and superyacht registration.” Member of the Department for Financial Services, Juan Watterson MHK, commented: “The event provided an excellent opportunity for representatives of the Island’s funds industry to highlight our offering in both funds and private equity to influential contacts in London. Representatives from several key London law firms were in attendance and hopefully this event will stimulate further business for the Island.” David McGarry, Chairman of the Isle of Man Fund Management Association, noted that: “the Autumn Briefing was very well received and had further built on the success of the Isle of Man Funds Conference which took place in London in the Spring. The Briefing was one of a number of ongoing marketing initiatives taking place in London, including a series of visits by representatives of the Isle of Man Fund Management Association to key London law firms, and strong Isle of Man participation in the British Venture Capital Association Annual Summit event. All of these initiatives had greatly heightened awareness in the key London marketplace of the Isle of Man Funds proposition.” David Stanley, Head of Intermediary and International Wealth Solutions, Barclays Wealth said: "'We were pleased to support and host this year's Autumn 2010 Briefing in partnership with the Isle of Man Government and Isle of Man Fund Management Association. We constantly work alongside key stakeholders to reinforce the contribution made by the Isle of Man and other Crown Dependencies to the world's business and financial communities. Events such as this further emphasise the roles we fulfil in ensuring the overall success of the City of London as a global financial centre." ENDS