Grand Prix Hospitality Scam Shut Down: Company Defrauded Businesses of £230,000

A company that offered fraudulent hospitality packages for this year's British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been shut down by the Insolvency Service after defrauding businesses of an estimated £230,000.

Manchester-based Informa Expo Ltd, operating under the name Informa Hospitality Group, lured customers with heavily discounted hospitality packages, claiming they were available due to cancellations. However, customers who paid for these packages were unable to contact the company, as their phone and email contacts were removed.

Investigations by the Insolvency Service uncovered no evidence of legitimate trading by Informa Expo. The company, incorporated in August 2022 as Informatic Solutions Ltd, had never secured the rights to offer hospitality packages for the Grand Prix.

The sole hospitality provider for the British Grand Prix confirmed that they had issued a cease-and-desist letter to Informa Expo for their unauthorised advertising and sale of packages. The FIA, motorsport's governing body, also issued warnings regarding the company.

Informa Expo's activities were labelled "objectionable" and "not in the public interest" by David Usher, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service. He stated that this was the third company claiming to sell hospitality packages for high-profile sporting events that the Insolvency Service has successfully shut down in the past year.

The company's fraudulent practices mirrored those of Darcella Ltd and Prive Global Sports Ltd, both of which were shut down by the Insolvency Service earlier this year. Analysis of Informa Expo's banking records revealed three payments totalling over £42,000 to Prive Global Sports in January 2023.

Adding to the company's illegal activities, Informa Expo charged 20% VAT on each sale, collecting an estimated £46,000 in tax despite not being registered to do so. No evidence was found that this collected VAT was paid to HM Revenue and Customs.

Despite claiming a City Tower office address in Manchester, investigations revealed that Informa Expo had no presence or right to occupy the address. Attempts to contact current and previous directors of Informa Expo were unsuccessful, and the company failed to provide its books and records to the Insolvency Service.

The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of Informa Expo. Enquiries concerning the company's affairs should be directed to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk.