Projects
July 2009
August 2009
October 2009
November 2009
January 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
Independents' Magazine
July saw the publication and distribution of 150,000 magazines promoting Leamington as the home of the independent retailer. With features on Park Street, Warwick Street, Regent Street and other areas within the town, the publication featured a more editorial style of copy.
The magazine contained the map, identified where the independent retailers can be found, together with an offers page and promotion of the 4th of July 'Independents' Day' event.
We are planning, for the first time, to increase our area of distribution to include Banbury and Rugby.
Independents' Day Event
This year, the 4th of July (American Independence Day) falls on a Saturday. Using a play on words, this is an ideal opportunity to promote Leamington as the home of the independent retailer.
It is planned to focus the event on Regent Street on that day, and create a fun family atmosphere, which will enhance the shopping experience and draw people into the town.
Provisional
- Animal Relentless Bike Tour
- Cassidy Jets American Football Team
- Cheerleaders
- Dixie Band
- Popcorn, and hot dog sales
We will also be dressing Regent Street, Warwick Street and Park Street with bunting, and will be writing to all levy payers in due course, with ideas of how they can get further involved.
Photos taken by 'The Observer'
Footfall Counters
This summer saw the installation of four footfall cameras throughout the BID area. With 2 on the Parade (M & S and entrance to Royal Priors), one on Regent Street (Superdry)and the remaining camera positioned on Warwick Street (Country Bumpkins) the data collected from these sites will not only provide valuable data on footfall within the town, but will also allow us to measure how the town is performing nationally.
This data will eventually form part of a Leamington report which will be circulated to all levy payers but in the meantime please contact the BID office for specific information.
Royal Leamington Spa Food and Drink Festival 2009
This summer sees the return of the Royal Leamington Spa Food & Drink Festival. Taking place on 29th & 30th August 2009, the festival is set to be an even bigger success than last year's which saw around 10,000 people visit the two day event.
Planning is well underway for this year and restaurants and retailers wishing to be involved are urged to act now to avoid disappointment later. As with last year, the 2009 Festival will see the streets of Royal Leamington Spa come alive with food lovers.
Taste Trail 2009
As part of the Food and Drink Festival, a 'Taste Trail' will be organised, designed to encourage people from the festival into the town and visit restaurants that they might not have been to before.
Last year, thousands of people visited up to 13 BID restaurants to sample their food - this year we have surpassed that number with 14 restaurants participating.
Bus Advertising
To continue promoting Royal Leamington Spa as the shopping and leisure destination we have branded the back of 3 buses from the Coventry fleet.
The buses are in continuous operation throughout the entire area and as well as being extremely visible can be used to promote specific events in Leamington Spa - the first of which is the Food and Drink Festival.
We also have 50 poster sites within the buses which are promoting the web site www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk and inviting customers to log on to see what is on offer in Royal Leamington Spa.
dine - National Dining Week
12th - 18th October 2009 - In October this year, dine will be sweeping across local town and city centre's throughout the UK and Ireland.
As part of the BIDS ongoing programme of marketing and events, designed to increase footfall and promote the town, dine will be supported and funded by the BID company.
Late Night Leamington
This month saw the launch of a new initiative to promote late night venues within the town. A free, pocket sized guide has been produced which showcases the broad range of late night venues on offer. Although the guide is aimed at targeting residents and visitors, particularly the student market, to experience Leamington's nightlife including pubs, bars and nightclubs, it has also been well received by those wanting a handy map of the town.
20,000 copies of the guide have been printed and will be available from the venues listed in the guide and from the Leamington Tourist Information Centre. The guide has already been distributed during Fresher Week at Warwick University and received very positively by students. 1,300 copies have been mailed out to student accommodation in Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth plus distribution to major colleges and universities in the area. Copies are also being handed out on Friday and Saturday nights to the target market around town.
The guide can also be requested online at www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk
Refresh of www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk
www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk
This month saw the refresh of the official web site for Royal Leamington Spa. The site features a new home page, an interactive map of the town, an online readable version of the Shopping guide, together with a page for each retailer in the Town.
With full content management, each retailer can update their page with new images, description and any offers or promotions.
Visitors to the site can login and next year we will actively start a program of e flyers promoting the town and what is on offer.
Christmas Lights
Once again the fantastic new lights bought by BID Leamington illuminate the town. This year we have added to the scheme with two new crossings (Regent Street and Warwick Street), updated the crossings in Park Street with Mistletoe light clusters and used the same clusters to decorate tress at the bottom of Regent Grove and in Euston Place.
We have also commissioned the renovation of existing lights in some of the trees around the area.
Once again we have enhanced the scheme with additional projections and installations onto some of the buildings to coincide with late night shopping and the weekends.
Christmas Parade Magazine
As well as our local customers, we believe that we should be targeting specific shoppers who live within an hour's drive of the town. To that end we will be producing a specific Christmas Parade Magazine which will be distributed to 169,000 homes in the Central region via The Mail on Sunday 'You' magazine on 22nd November 2009.
The format of the Parade magazine has been well received by both levy payers and customers alike and is an excellent mechanism to showcase the unique retail offering that is Leamington.
The magazine has also been made available to retailers to give to their customers.
Christmas Radio Advertising
On 23rd November for a five week period Royal Leamington Spa is being advertised on Heart FM
Radio Advertising
This month sees the start of an 8 month radio campaign with Mercia FM to promote Royal Leamington Spa as a great destination.
The advert will change throughout the campaign.
Shopping Guide
The Royal Leamington Spa shopping guide will once again be published in March this year.
Listing all businesses within the BID area, it is the definitive guide to all that is on offer within the town.
Once again the guide will be distributed in and around the town together with Tourist information centres in the surrounding area, train stations, airports, hotels and places of interest. It will also be available as a readable document on the website and anyone wanting a copy of the guide will be able to request it on line via www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk
Parade Magazine
The fourth edition of the the popular Parade magazine will be published and distributed this month to 250,000 homes - the largest number ever targeted by the town.
The magazine will be feature 16 pages of products and services offered by BID Leamington levy payers. Combining both independent and national retailers, a number of the products will be photographed locally to ensure accuracy and to include as many retailers as possible.
The magazine will be distributed locally (Leamington, Kenilworth, Warwick, South Coventry, Solihull, Stratford, Banbury and Rugby) and also regionally via the Mail on Sunday 'You' magazine.
Leamington Live
Royal Leamington Spa is to host an exciting new two day event to celebrate style, arts and culture within the town. Leamington Live, which is being organised by BID Leamington, will take place on the 1 & 2 May and is free for visitors to attend. A wide range of events and activities will take place throughout the town centre. Over 100 local businesses are expected to participate in this unique event which aims to promote the town's varied retailers in a fun and engaging way.
Leamington Live will incorporate five trails around the town which will follow the five senses – sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. The Fashion Trail will feature the season’s hottest trends from Leamington retailers with ‘Fashion on the Move’ events plus live fashion shows and in-store demonstrations. Pamper pods will enable visitors to receive complimentary treatments including manicures, massages and make-up lessons.
The Food Trail will incorporate a live kitchen with demonstrations by local chefs, special offers at restaurants and cafes, sampling and themed events. The Art Trail will feature live demonstrations by established and up and coming local artists as well as in store displays of art. The Music Trail will play host to a number of local talented musicians performing a wide range of music from choir singing to string quartets and from jazz to classical in dedicated areas. The Elephant Trail will incorporate a fun treasure trail around the town. Children will have to find toy elephants in store windows, break the code and claim their prize plus the chance to win a family day out at an off road safari.
A pocket sized event leaflet will detail all the events and activities taking place over the two days along with their location and details of how to win the off road safari competition. Event staff will be on hand to guide visitors, answer queries and hand out leaflets.
We will be writing to all levy payers with ideas of how to get involed and to encourage participation in such a great event.
Hanging Baskets
Once again BID Leamington Ltd will be responsible for the hanging baskets within the BID area.