We’ve hardly had time to draw breath here at the BID over the last few months, down to the fact that we’ve had an action-packed programme of events.
Sunderland Restaurant Week returned and was as popular as ever, with more than 18,500 diners taking advantage of the special deals available at participating restaurants, pubs and cafes.
Sunderland Restaurant Week is a staple on the city calendar, but we also like to mix it up with new events –which is why we staged the first Urban Fest.
We are absolutely delighted with the response we got to this special event, which saw demos from professional skateboarders and BMXers, along with an opportunity for kids to learn how to skate.
Visitors could also participate in a whole host of diverse workshops, from
WELCOME TO OUR NEWSLETTER
street art to hair braiding, with 80% of those who took part saying they loved the experience.
As part of our on-going commitment to giving businesses the tools they need to raise awareness and drive footfall, we have launched a new series of Business Boost workshops.
Our first two - Instagram Savvy and Content Creation 101 – were really well received, so keep your eyes peeled for details of more workshops to come.
Of course, everyone is now gearing up for the festive season, and we’ll be launching a visible and proactive campaign to promote the Sunderland Gift Card.
Our aim is to drive both consumer and corporate sales, so if you’re not already on board, there couldn’t be a better time to sign up.
Always thinking ahead, we’d also like to add another date to your diary – the
CORPORATE GIFTING
It could be a thank you to staff for a job well done, an acknowledgement to clients that you’re grateful for their business or even as an incentive to remind customers of your existence – whatever the reason, the Sunderland Gift Card is a great option for corporate gifting
Apart from its value in supporting the
local economy, it is also a really easy way for corporate gift-givers to allow the recipient to choose something they’d really like and it’s also a very simple process to purchase.
To make it even easier, we’ve sharpened up the whole buying experience. Here are the many ways you can receive your card.
Online – place an online order and get the gift cards delivered directly. We have now introduced a specific page for corporate orders which allows you to pay by card or invoice. Place your order here corporate.townandcitygiftcards.com
Selling points – if you’re in need of a gift card urgently, you can use one of our selling points. There are five available - The Bridges Shopping Centre, Museum & Winter Gardens, National Glass Centre, Washington and Houghton libraries.
first ever Sunderland Cocktail Week.
This will launch on 31 January and will be the perfect antidote to the postChristmas slump.
Read on to find out what it’s all about and how you can get involved in an initiative which will hopefully drive people into the city at what is traditionally a quiet time of year.
And that’s just a small taste of what’s happening here at the BID – find out more about our upcoming projects in this newsletter.
Marketing and Events Manager, Roberta Redecke
Sunderland BID
If you’d like to know more about our BID, then why not give us a ring on 0191 722 1002 drop us a line at info@sunderlandbid.co.uk or visit sunderlandbid.co.uk
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Click & Collect – we’ve introduced a Click & Collect service for businesses. You can place your order online and then collect it from the BID office at The Yard in the city centre. For more information email giftcard@sunderlandbid.co.uk
E-cards – it is now possible to buy multiple digital gift cards rather than order one at a time, perfect for staff gifting. You can also change the values of the cards as part of the single process and even schedule a date and time when you want them delivered.
If you have any questions or would like help figuring out which options would be best for your business, just get in touch. Email us giftcard@sunderlandbid.co.uk or call 0191 722 1002.
Earlier in this section we gave you a taste of how valuable the Sunderland Gift Card is to the city economy – and why you could be missing out if you haven’t signed up to accept it.
We have around 200 businesses from all sectors – from hospitality to retail, from health and beauty to
entertainment outlets which are all part of the scheme.
To date, we have sold more than £306,000 worth of cards - all of which is money that is going back into the local economy.
At a time of year when present buying is going to start in earnest, don’t miss
out on the chance for your business to be part of the scheme.
If you’re a business in the city centre and haven’t signed up to accept the gift card yet, your time is now. Just send an email to giftcard@sunderlandbid.co.uk or call 0191 722 1002.
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO...
As we mentioned at the start of this newsletter, it’s been a full on few months. Our regular Sunniside Food Markets continue to draw a crowd, we’ve had our autumn Sunderland Restaurant Week and the city’s first Urban Fest.
We delivered the first Business Boost workshop in partnership with an agency, Social Co, back in July on how to be Instagram savvy, where businesses had the chance to enhance their knowledge about using social media to their advantage, with some practical tips on how to get the most out of Instagram. Due to its success, we had another session on content creation with a Sunderland-based agency, Social Type.
Every fourth Saturday of the month, we welcome scores of traders to Sunniside Gardens as part of Sunniside Food Market. Local artisan producers and food vendors join the line-up, with a range of themed entertainment to encourage people not only to attend but to stay around. More than 1,800 people have visited the market over the last couple of months, spending on average £18 each.
Restaurant Week, of course, needs no introduction and is now firmly entrenched in the city calendar. Always something that gives a huge boost to the local economy, this time round was no exception with more than 50 eateries
involved and an estimated £555k economic impact.
We ended the last quarter with a bang, courtesy of Urban Fest. This two day event brought a new audience into Sunniside Gardens and our research shows that people who attended then went on to do other activities in the city centre. Urban Fest also brought its own boost to the local economy, generating £104k in economic impact. More than 2,000 people visited the event and enjoyed activities such as skateboarding and bicycle demos and workshops, dance performances and battles along with a variety of workshops. The feedback has been so positive that our aim now is to make this an annual event.
This is just a flavour of the diverse range of activities planned by the BID and we’re eagerly putting together another exciting programme for next year – watch this space and get ready to be part of something special!
If you would like to have a stall at Sunniside Food Market, please get in touch by sending an email to info@sunderlandbid.co.uk or calling 0191 722 1002
Let’s face it, there’s not much fun in January. It’s cold, everyone is spent out after Christmas and there’s little to do.
...AND WHAT’S TO COME
We’ve decided to add some postfestive sparkle to the month with the launch of Sunderland’s first ever Cocktail
The event will run from 31 January, and we are asking participating venues to create an exciting signature cocktail which can be sold for £5.
We have recognised the fact that many of our hospitality outlets miss out on the restaurant week because they don’t offer food – so here’s the chance to bring in some much-needed income at this quiet time of year.
Along with the signature cocktail, bars and pubs can add a range of other offers which can be accessed by members of the public who buy the special cocktail week wristband.
Cocktail Week is becoming something of a national phenomenon and we’ve already got more than 30 venues on board – but there’s still time to sign up if you’d like to take part. For more information, please email info@sunderlandbid.co.uk
The week will barely be over before we move on to our next venture –celebrating Lunar New Year.
On 9 February 2025, Sunniside Gardens will once again be transformed to mark the Year of the Snake, with traditional dragon dancing, martial arts, music, arts and crafts.
This is always a very popular familyfriendly event and planning is already underway, so please get in touch if you would like to take part or trade at the event.
Please note that road closures will be in place, which will affect streets around Sunniside Gardens.
REPORT IT AND SORT IT
What’s better than one street ranger? Two!
We’re delighted to introduce you to Ethan, our new assistant ranger who will be supporting Lee on any job where double the manpower is required –along with carrying out tasks of his own.
Our street rangers play a vital role in keeping the city centre spick and span, as well as offering a rapid response service when some fast action is necessary.
Our “Report It and Sort It” initiative means our dynamic duo tackle all kinds
of situations – from graffiti to litter. At the same time, they play a major role in ensuring our plant displays look stunning – all part of our overall strategy to keep the city looking welcoming to visitors.
We know how much businesses appreciate the support they get from Lee (because they tell us) and now hopefully they will get to see Ethan’s face out and about around the city.
Businesses can report any jobs by ringing 07940 519270 or sending an email to streetranger@sunderlandbid.co.uk
Lee is a massive asset to the city and especially where we’re located in Sunniside. Any issues we report are dealt with straight away and Lee’s presence and positive attitude really contribute to improving and maintaining the appeal of the area for businesses, residents and visitors alike.
Martin Heap, British Esports
Lee is a rare commodity and lives and breathes Sunderland. The pride and passion he takes in his work is second to none and he is a real asset to the city. He can’t do enough for the residents and businesses and the city is a better place with Lee in it that’s for sure.
Mario Jaconelli, Lofthouse and Partners
The street ranger programme provided by the Sunderland BID is an amazing asset to the city centre, a fantastic resource assisting local businesses with a range of challenges in a timely and efficient manner. Lee specifically has a can do attitude and is always willing to go above and beyond the expected.
Richard Williamson, The Bridges Shopping Centre
FULL STEAM AHEAD AT PORT OF CALL
It’s been ten years since Port of Call first opened its doors at Park Lane – good reason for anyone to celebrate.
With a huge birthday bash planned for New Year’s Eve and an investment of more than £150,000 spent on giving the venue a spruce up, one of the stalwarts of the Sunderland leisure scene is going from strength to strength.
It’s not surprising that Port of Call continues to be a success, given that its owners have 25 years of experience in running leisure outlets in Sunderland.
From the days of nightclubs Brogans and Privilege on Crowtree Road through to Gatsby’s, the Dickman family have been an integral part of the city’s hospitality scene.
And that looks all set to continue, as Port of Call is all shipshape for what the future may bring.
Adam Dickman revealed that part of the reason for the heavy investment in the venue is because of the growth in the number of venues now in the city.
“It’s important for us to stay ahead of the game,” he said.
“We decided it was time to give us a bit of a new look. When we first opened it was themed to reflect Sunderland’s industrial heritage and shipbuilding.
“Now we’ve softened that and hopefully the results have created a real wow factor.”
Not that the maritime link has completely gone – Adam revealed that the brief to the designer was “to create a look that was like the lounge of a cruise ship from the 70s and 80s.”
Although the new look has just been unveiled, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Along with a fresh style, Adam said the aim now is to ensure that the venue was used throughout the day and to also add more events into the mix.
The introduction of a second, larger tipi means that Port of Call is perfect as a celebration or party venue - and having just got their license so that it can conduct weddings, means its can also be used for receptions.
Introducing workshops has also drawn in new crowds, with events covering everything from wreath making to paint and sip sessions.
While Port of Call’s food offering has always been well received, Adam says the plan is now to also introduce special midweek food events and different menu items.
“Ten years is certainly something to celebrate and our aim is to be a venue with something for everyone,” he said.
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNI TIES
Being part of the BID – either as a levy payer or an affiliate member – opens the doors to a whole host of opportunities and that includes a range of ways to advertise your business.
If you don’t fall into either category at the moment, then it’s certainly a great time to sign up for our affiliate scheme, which is just £250 for businesses within the city centre and £500 for those outside.
Here are just some of the ways we can work with you to help you gain positive traction and awareness.
SOCIAL MEDIA
We have more than 22,000 followers across our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok so these are a great way to make your existing and potential customers aware of who you are and what you do.
It could be anything from the introduction of a new menu, a special offer or event or a new appointmentwhatever it is we can work with you to up your levels of engagement.
We also share stories via our businessorientated channels, such as LinkedIn, so keep us informed of anything relevant, and we’re happy to share.
NEWSLETTERS
We share news in a variety of ways, including through our weekly business e-newsletter and our bi-weekly consumer e-newsletter.
It’s a fast-growing channel that hits city centre businesses and a consumer audience.
And of course there’s also the quarterly hard copy newsletter and quarterly business booster calendar which are great ways to keep you informed of a whole host of initiatives and events.
You can also promote your own events on our calendar that goes out to all businesses in the city centre, along with the hard copy newsletter, with around 750 delivered.
DIGITAL SCREENS
Our digital screens are a really powerful way to promote your
business to a huge audience – and every levy payer gets a week of free advertising on our four digital screens.
These screens are in key locations – at St Mary’s and Farringdon Row car parks, on the A19 and Pallion. All we need from you is to provide the artwork.
For more information on advertising opportunities, please email info@sunderlandbid.co.uk or call 191 722 1002
Alongside all of these free opportunities there are a number of paid options to give you an even bigger push!
They include:
Business Boost Calendar –advertise your business for just £50 for three months.
Cocktail Week Guide –advertise in the booklet for just £400. It’s A5 and will be seen by at least 4,000 people.
Other sponsorship opportunities include: Restaurant Week, Lunar New Year, #SUN letters, Professionals Lunch and more.
If you’re interested in finding out more, email roberta@sunderlandbid.co.uk
