The Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) has set out a clear strategy for the next three years, including the programme of activities that it will be delivering for its members – over 750 retail and leisure businesses in the city centre – over this period.
With a clear vision of helping to make Nottingham the shopping and leisure destination of choice in the East Midlands, encouraging higher spending in the city and enhancing the city’s national reputation, the BID will be organising and funding a programme of projects and initiatives for its members, building on what it has delivered previously.
The projects are all designed to attract people to the city from a wide geographic area and also encourage them to return; promote the depth and scale of the retail and leisure offering; help Nottingham keep ahead of the competition through marketing, promotions and events and provide an beatable visitor experience thanks to high standards of cleanliness, effective signage and access particularly in connection with transport and parking and strong crime prevention and safety measures both day and night.
With marketing remaining a priority for the BID there will be a number of high profile events, campaigns and PR initiatives to create a buzz around the city and capture people’s imagination. These include a fashion event – 48 Hours of Fashion – on 26 and 27 April, a food and drink event in August, a campaign to highlight the strength and depth of the independent businesses in the Autumn and then a Christmas campaign at the end of the year. The BID’s consumer website www.itsinnottingham.com will be enhanced and its highly successful VIP Nottingham scheme, that people can sign up to free of charge and then benefit from special offers and treats from members of the BID, will also be built upon.
A new mobile app is being developed to complement the website; providing smart phone users with access to up to the minute information and access to retail and leisure businesses and VIP promotions. All this is supported by an ongoing programme of PR activity.
In order to help keep the city centre safe, clean and welcoming to visitors and shoppers the BID will be continuing to work hard to improve the environment, access, safety and parking. Its team of Street Ambassadors are the friendly face of Nottingham city centre providing advice, information and assistance to the public. They also provide BID members – retail and leisure businesses in the city centre – with support and information and help to report and resolve any safety, cleaning and other on-street issues they may have. It will continue to fund a specialist pavement cleaning machine and its operation in conjunction with Nottingham City Council to provide an enhanced level of cleanliness. Plus the BID’s team of Taxi Marshals are on hand at night help people home.
The BID will also carry on working with parking providers and public transport operators to improve access to the city and will be helping people, once they are in the city, to find there way around the city via the new app and printed maps.
The BID provides funding towards the Street Pastor scheme that operates every Friday and Saturday night and will also work with other partners in the city to help Nottingham city centre retain the prestigious Purple Flag award which recognises that the city is a safe and pleasant environment for a night out.
With bars, pubs and clubs playing a vital role in Nottingham’s city centre economy, the BID has a strong focus on licensed businesses to help give them a voice and also help them promote responsible drinking, continuing to operate the city’s Best Bar None scheme as well as other complementary initiatives.
“The Nottingham BID is committed to supporting its members – retail and leisure businesses in the city centre – by delivering a range of initiatives that they have said are important to them in terms of helping to attract shoppers and visitors to the city thereby boosting business,” said Jeff Allen, chairman of the BID. “It’s all about creating an experience that will encourage people to come here, stay for a while to enjoy all that the city has to offer with its great range of shops and leisure venues and also return time and time again. All the initiatives in the delivery plan are designed to do just that.”
