Destination Marketing Making the most of opportunities presented by the South Downs National Park
A one-day Marketing Workshop Hidden Britain, Action for Market Towns, Collabor8 and West Sussex County Council are working together to help Towns understand how they can market themselves to potential visitors. Although funding may be harder to come by in the next few years, the opportunities presented by proximity to the South Downs National Park are significant. This workshop will help you to think about ways to make the most of this opportunity and meet potential partners from the area who can help you. The day will be a dynamic and practical introduction to the principles of marketing a destination and will introduce delegates to new and traditional methods of getting the word out, from old-fashioned leaflets to new-fangled Twitter. Sessions will be led by rural tourism and marketing experts from Hidden Britain South East. We will include examples from towns who have been through the process, and you will hear direct from a town that has used the attraction of the local countryside to increase footfall to the town itself. Delegates will have a chance to participate in some hands-on workshop sessions and will finish the day with plenty of practical ideas to put into action, as well as information on where to go for more help and advice. As well as lots of new ideas, knowledge and contacts, delegates will receive a pack with information on everything covered during the day as well as extra factsheets and resources.
Programme for the Day 15th December 2010 Billingshurst Village Hall, Romans Way, Billingshurst, West Sussex, RH14 9QW 9.30 – 9:45
Registration, coffee and networking
9.45 – 10.10
Welcome and introduction
10.10 – 10:30 Defining and understanding your product • What does your Town offer visitors – deciding on your USP • What does the South Downs offer visitors? 10:30 -11:15 Workshop sessions - Defining your product With a focus on opportunities presented by the National Park . 11.15 – 11.30 Coffee Break 11:30 – 11:50 Katharine Hale from the National Park/Collabor8 project 11:50 - 12:30 Testing and Communicating your product • Using market research – test your product and define your target market • Building a brand – engaging your stakeholders and your audience 12:30 – 13:00 Case-study - Chesham (Bucks) Promoting Yourself as a Walkers Welcome Town 13:00- 13:45
Lunch
13:45 – 14:45 Reaching your audience An overview of the best ways to reach visitors, with lots of real-world examples. • PR – getting your message out through the media • Publications & print media – how to create a leaflet that stands out from the rack • Web & Social Media – the importance of the web and why you shouldn’t be afraid of facebook and flickr • Word of mouth marketing – still the most important • Experiential marketing 14:45- 15:45
Workshop sessions - Reaching your audience
15:45 – 16.00 Final thoughts and next steps What next? Where to go for help if you want to take your marketing further.