14 spotlight on bournemouth
BID stands for business opportunities
Bournemouth was named the Best UK Coastal Resort at the 2013 British Travel Awards, but as well as the beautiful coast, the town and surrounding areas are a hive of economic activity. Sue Hughes spoke to some people involved in ongoing successful initiatives
The proposals to establish the Bournemouth Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) were approved following the results of a ballot in 2012. The BID has been established as a not-for-profit independent company with a board of directors drawn from a range of businesses in the BID area.
During the five-year course of the BID it will invest more than £3 million in improving business opportunities in the town centre, with core funding coming from the 585 eligible businesses in the Town Centre BID area. On top of these levy contributions, the board anticipates it will be able to lever in an additional 30% through voluntary contributions, sponsorship and matched funding for specific projects.
The Town Centre BID will concentrate on attracting more day visitors, with new promotional campaigns and events, a team of town rangers to make the town more welcoming, as well as introducing better signage and wayfinding.
Town Centre BID manager Gregg Dunnett said: “The Town Centre BID is working to turn Bournemouth into the top Christmas destination in our region, and a recognised Christmas destination nationally during the next few years. This will give a huge boost to accommodation providers and to town centre businesses at the most important time of year to retailers.
“The BID is doing this by creating a brand new event that lasts from mid-November to early January – the Gardens of Light. This year it will feature an outdoor ice skating rink, a high-quality Santa’s Grotto, and it will light up the gardens with festival lighting and special features such as the Light Pods and the Light
www.businessmag.co.uk
Improvement District’s recent Golden Ticket promotion (above) sought to highlight one of the reasons why Bournemouth is so popular as a coastal resort – the huge variety of events, activities and entertainment which is on offer year round.
“Potential visitors were asked which of six major prizes they preferred: a beach wedding, private dinner at the Russell- Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, weekend at the Chocolate Boutique Hotel, walking
Reeds. Much of this is free, attracting people into town, and creating a buzz that there is a lot going on in Bournemouth.
“This is matched by a significant advertising and marketing campaign, including TV ads, radio ads, local press, social media and outdoor advertising. There’s also a brand new Bournemouth Christmas website:
www.makeitbournemouth.co.uk
“These are tough times for high street businesses, but through the combined power of the two Business Improvement Districts, Bournemouth is fighting back and really starting to make a difference.“
Meanwhile, the coastal BID runs from Westbourne to Hengistbury Head, the second of the BIDs voted through by Bournemouth businesses in 2012. There are 760 eligible businesses within the Coastal BID area, with a total rateable value of £31.5m. Objectives include: increasing the number of people visiting Bournemouth and persuading them to stay longer; encouraging more visitor spend in local shops and repeat visits, and helping make businesses more profitable by negotiating discounts with key suppliers.
Alun Williams, Bournemouth Coastal BID manager, added: “The Coastal Business
tours of the Jurassic Coast, a backstage ’meet and greet’ with Jessie J, or a half day on a luxury motor cruiser.
“Earlier this year it was Bournemouth’s attraction for spring breaks by the sea and its prestigious parks and gardens which took it to the finals of Britain in Bloom which formed the basis of the BID’s Blooming Beautiful campaign. This saw fresh gerberas being given to London commuters (pictured) to illustrate in a very innovative and compelling way how coming to Bournemouth does quite literally ’colour your life’.“
The theme continues for 2014, with the Coastal BID sponsoring the new Wheels event from May 24-26 and bringing the P1 Powerboats to Bournemouth for the first time May 31-June 1. In addition to attracting visitors to the town, the BID also seeks to encourage both visitors and local people to discover the delights of Westbourne, Southbourne and Boscombe. A new walking map has proved very popular, as have the eight new events funded by the BID in 2012-13 in these areas.
The British Travel Awards reflect the opinion of the public and Bournemouth has been working its way up to the winning position for the past two years – receiving silver for the same award in 2012 and bronze in 2011. It continues to develop as an award-winning destination, with Bournemouth Air Festival recognised across the globe as one of the world’s top 10 air shows. Mark Smith, director of Bournemouth Tourism, said: “It is great to see Bournemouth receiving the recognition it deserves.“
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – DECEMBER 13/JANUARY 14
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40