The 50th anniversary of the BVI National Parks Trust was to be celebrated
with grand events that could double as fundraisers for the trust, which manages all 21 of the territory’s national parks, but the November concert series at Queen Elizabeth II Park wound up costing the trust much more than it brought in, said Natural Resources and Labour Minister Dr. Kedrick Pickering in the House of Assembly on Tuesday.
While the trust’s board anticipated that expenditures would be covered by revenue, the event was plagued by unanticipated costs, Dr. Pickering said. The stage, for example, had to be engineered to an international standard, which meant it had to be brought in from overseas, since there were no such stages in the territory.
The trust also had to pay for unanticipated clearing up and other preparations at the QEII Park, the minister added. The “VIP area” at the event was more expensive than anticipated because of staffing, Dr. Pickering said.
The total cost, including artist fees, travel and accommodations, marketing and area set-up, was $828,623.10, Dr. Pickering said. Ticket sales, bar sales and donations brought in $96,938.50, he said, adding that the deficit is $731,684.