Southend BID Newsletter July 2017

JULY ���7

BIDNEWS JULY

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I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU, SOUTHEND BID’S

NEWSLETTER As promised, we will be sending out a monthly printed newsletter in order to communicate more effectively Southend BID’s projects, initiatives and events at its pivotal stage.

In the past month, we have been working hard to host two brand new events; Southend Casefile: Mystery of the Star Eaters and Southend Food Fest, both of which ran extremely well and have since received plenty of positive feedback.

We continue to work closely with Southend’s homeless charity, HARP, to look into the best way of approaching rough sleeping and street drinking. Next month, we will launch a campaign in conjunction with HARP that will focus on educating the public on how they can best help the homeless in Southend.

Retailer Month with a dedicated page on Visit Southend and a survey for consumers to vote for their favourite establishment.

I hope you enjoy reading about what we are getting up to.

Best Wishes,

In July, streetscape improvements and upgrades occurred and we will also be introducing new implementations. In addition, Southend BID now has a regular feature in the Southend Echo which ensures substantial exposure of Southend BID and its activity – details of which you will discover as you read on.

This month also saw the celebration and promotion of the town centre’s independent businesses in aid of Independent

Alison Dewey BID Manager

Visit Sou th now has end audience an of over

33,000 across it s media ch social annels

www.southendbid.com

southendbid

@southendbid

JULY ���7

SOUTHEND FOOD FEST EVENT FEEDBACK As many of you will be aware, Southend Food Fest took place from Thursday 29th June until Sunday 2nd July.

Incorporating a food trail involving 18 businesses, visitors entered premises to purchase a dish costing a maximum of £5. After three or more dishes had been sampled, they were automatically entered into a competition to win a £100 voucher for any of the participating eateries.

Feedback from those involved in the brand new event has been very positive.

A particular business commented that it was very well run, organised and promoted.

Whilst multiple participants stated that, as a result, they were busier, received lots of interest, increased footfall and awareness and gained several new visitors. Consumers were excited by the event and enjoyed getting involved. Participating businesses have also expressed an interest in taking part in the event again as it is a welcome addition to the town and the perfect event to sample a large variety of food at a range of places.

childsafe scheme Southend BID’s ChildSafe scheme is a continual project, particularly throughout the summer school holidays. Free child safety wristbands are now available to collect from the majority of outlets across the seafront and High Street, including all arcades, Adventure Island, Toys ‘N’ Tuck and McDonald’s, in addition to both shopping centres and railway stations. For a full list, please take a look at the Visit Southend website.

400 Over

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ited with e been reun children hav e to the ChildSafe ts du their paren e police have stated th d scheme an reduced have had a ey th at th issing ed report m number of h ts wit in child inciden ea the BID ar

southend art trail In association with the Estuary Fringe Festival, Southend BID will be hosting an Art Trail, to run throughout the same time as the main event, from Friday 4th August until Sunday 13th August. The brand new BID-led event will involve local artists creating pieces of artwork to display in over 30 businesses

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Addition o f

throughout the town centre and seafront in order to increase footfall, encourage new visitors to both the town and premises, as well as celebrate artistic talent and culture in the area.

A live street art showcase called PaintFest will also be taking place on the High Street on Saturday 5th August and Sunday 6th August.

brand new B events this ID-led year

A promotional film of Southend Food Fest can now be viewed across both Southend BID and Visit Southend’s social media channels.

As the debut event was such a success, we will be looking into plans to host another Food Fest later on in the year. We will be in touch but please voice your interest in future food-related events by sending an email to:

HELLO@SOUTHENDBID.COM www.southendbid.com

southendbid

@southendbid

JULY ���7

Visit southend

TRAINING Make the most of Visit Southend’s brand new mobile optimised website – the town’s official consumer destination that receives up to 90,000 visitors a month. As a Southend BID levy payer or Friend of the BID, you have access to promote your business, events and exclusive offers with its growing audience. If you require assistance on how to use the website and its features, please email hello@southendbid.com to arrange a training session or request a copy of the step-by-step how-to guide.

In J Visit Soune, gained uthend almost

59,000 users

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340,000

74,500 session in June s

page vi ews

UPCOMING ANTI-LITTER CAMPAIGN Southend BID will be introducing an innovative anti-litter campaign that will aim to act as an incentive in encouraging members of the public to discard of their litter responsibly, appropriately and

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sustainably, with the intention of being fun, interactive and entertaining. Further information with regards to this project will be released soon.

Over

floral p been in lanters have sta High St lled in the ree side str t and eets

repainting of bins In June, following the installation of the series of robust floral planters, bunting and extended banners, a bin repainting project took place.

Collectively, 109 waste bins were cleaned and received a fresh coat of paint - 61 across the seafront and 48 throughout the town centre, as part of Southend BID’s ongoing streetscape improvements and maintenance schemes.

ECHO COLUMN Southend BID now has a regular column in the Echo. The weekly feature covers and promotes BID-led projects, events and initiatives and provides an invaluable level of exposure. With renewal fast approaching, it is more important than ever to communicate our activity and positive changes we have provided to the area.

southendbid

@southendbid