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Dan Harris – Growing an international business from a Biosphere

Dan Harris’ extensive career creating inflight entertainment systems has seen him travel the world. He’s now based in the Isle of Man, where he combines pursuing international business development with enjoying the sights of the UNESCO Biosphere.

Leading the world of inflight entertainment

I first founded Ensemble Media in Florida, but moved the company to the Isle of Man around ten years ago – moving over to the Island myself just a few years later.

Ensemble Media develops and licenses software for the travel industry, including inflight entertainment systems.

The company was founded out of my significant experience in this sector. I led the first company to offer cabin-wide inflight multiplayer games, and my business partner Mario Poirier and I collectively have more than forty years’ experience working with airlines around the world to provide inflight entertainment to their passengers.

Swapping the city for the Biosphere

What drew me to the Isle of Man in the first instance was its supportive business environment and the way companies based on the Island were able to enjoy close working relationships with the Isle of Man Government and regulators.

This was important for my business, especially as previously Ensemble Media did a lot of work in the e-gaming space – which is a regulated industry, so being able to work closely with the regulator was extremely helpful.

But I also quickly discovered that the Isle of Man had a lot more to offer.

Compared with everywhere else I’ve lived, the Isle of Man has exceptionally clean air and water and I enjoy the close connection to nature that this brings. I feel incredibly fortunate to have such varied landscapes and scenic views of the world’s only whole-nation UNESCO Biosphere right on my doorstep.

Those striking landscapes also make for great driving experiences around the Island. I’m a petrol head at heart, so even before my move to the Island, I knew about world-famous Isle of Man TT races. It’s now just a short walk from my home to my favourite TT vantage point to watch the action up close, and when the races aren’t on I can still enjoy a drive around the Island’s beautiful open roads, passing the wonderful milestones of the famous TT course along the way.

Staying close to the international community

As you’d expect, my career comes with a huge amount of international travel, and being based in the peaceful surroundings of the Isle of Man doesn’t get in the way of this at all – quite the opposite in fact! As the Island is only a short flight from Heathrow, I feel closely connected to all of the major hubs around the world. I’m able to meet with airline customers across Europe, the USA and Asia regularly, and as easily as if I were living in a major city.

Since establishing Ensemble Media in the Isle of Man, I’m pleased to say we’ve enjoyed significant growth. Most recently, we’ve acquired the Miami-based GUE tech, expanding our catalogue of games to produce an unparalleled selection of titles from every genre.

Our goal of course is market leadership. We continue to gain market share from our competitors and are very closing to surpassing the current market leader. Watch this space…

Dan Harris

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