- Date Released: 16 July 2024
- Request Number: FOI202406023
- Release of information under: FOIA
Information requested
I would like to make an FOI request regarding the ONR event held on 18th June 2024.
Could you please detail all costs involved, including:
- Venue hire costs
- Food and drink costs for the entire day
- Music and entertainment costs
- Staff time costs (salary spend) for all those attending
- Staff time costs for the planning and booking for the event venue
- Travel and subsistence costs for staff who had to travel
- Any other direct or indirect expenditure regarding this event
Information released
We confirm that under s.1 of the FOIA, we hold some of the information pertinent to your request. Please see below for our response.
The ONR staff conference held at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 18 June 2024, brought together all our staff in person for the first time in seven years. It provided an opportunity to invest in our people, network with colleagues and recognise our achievements since vesting as a Public Corporation ten years ago. It generated more than 500 innovative ideas to add value to how we work.
Table 1. Event costs
| Description | Cost |
|---|---|
| Venue - St George’s Hall, Liverpool | £17,052.00 |
| Catering - Four Seasons Catering | £14,433.60 |
| Audio, lighting and video - Adlib | £27,205.99 |
| Chair and table hire - Childwall Table and Chair Hire | £3,477.00 |
| Table number stands - 5 Star Catering Equipment Hire Ltd | £138.55 |
| Music - String quartet | £400.00 |
| Facilitation - Inky Thinking | £13,096.62 |
| Branding and printing - The Print Room | £1,722.00 |
| Pin badges - pinbadges.co.uk | £274.55 |
| Total | £77,800.31 |
Table 2. Staff costs
| Description | Cost |
|---|---|
| Staff salary - planning | £39,494.00 |
| Travel and subsistence | £51,955.00 |
| Staff salary - attending (622 delegates) | £259,125.00 |
| Total | £350,574.00 |
It is important to note that all procurement followed public sector guidelines; and that staff costs are incurred regardless so are not technically considered a cost for the event. In the spirit of openness and transparency, estimated staff salary costs have been provided by our Finance Directorate. These calculations are based on an average daily salary for ONR staff and time recorded against our time management system. Calculating the exact salary costs for planning and attending the event would likely take us beyond the appropriate limit for responding to FOI requests. Therefore this part of your request has been refused under s.12 of the FOIA.
Exemptions applied
12
Public Interest Test (PIT):
No