THEINITIATIVE Annual review
2012
GOLDEN YEAR DINNER WITH THE DUKE AND DUCHESS A GENUINELY INSPIRING place WINNING BUSINESS!
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Introduction Corporate News Business Tourism Business Winning Place Brand Student City
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Welcome
Contents Visitor Information 2012 in Pictures Partnership Working Leisure Tourism Festival and Events The Year Ahead
Welcome Welcome to The Initiative, a look back over the highlights and success stories from our work throughout the year, inspiring people to visit and to live, work, study and invest in NewcastleGateshead. We continue to raise the profile of the destination to leisure and business visitors, working to change perceptions and deliver a positive impact on the area’s economy. NewcastleGateshead Initiative is now also responsible for highlighting the destination’s investment offer, working to attract potential new investors through focusing on our key sector strengths: offshore and marine; science and healthcare; and creative and digital. We have also taken on the responsibility for the destination’s visitor information service, ensuring that visitors to NewcastleGateshead can access information when and where they need it. Without the continued support of Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council and the Arts Council England, as well as our many partners in the private sector, we would not be able to achieve our aims and we are enormously grateful for their continued support.
Jamie Martin, Chair, NewcastleGateshead Initiative.
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION 2012 has been a year packed full of highlights and in a few hundred words it’s difficult to capture everything. The speed with which this year has passed has perfectly mirrored the high-octane, adrenalin-drenched spectacle that was the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. So, there’s no better place to start, I feel, than the Olympic Games. I’m genuinely proud of the fantastic role everyone played in Newcastle being a host city for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Right down to the ever-present, ever-smiling Games Makers and right up to the involvement of our highly influential politicians and business leaders and the companies that helped provide vital products for the Olympic building infrastructure. But importantly, our people; our welcoming, friendly Geordie people embraced the world in their inimitable way. We put on a fantastic show, not just at St James’ Park but also on the streets, in the restaurants and hotels and through our great bespoke cultural events that coincided with the spectacle, such as EAT! and NewcastleGateshead Bridges Festival – which yet again proved great fun and bagged us lots of press and online coverage. We have also been busy setting up and starting a completely new operation here, the ‘Inward Investment Team’ to attract business and investment from the UK and overseas. The team will be working with a range of businesses across the area on different campaigns, kicking off with a campaign around offshore and subsea. Major private-sector investment in the area from businesses working
in this sector, such as Technip and Flexlife, further demonstrates the confidence in the destination, its economy and markets, its office premises and its skilled, hard-working labour pool. NewcastleGateshead Initiative will continue to work proactively with these businesses in the coming months and years to showcase their great work and to attract other companies, further building growth and a positive reputation. From business winning to business tourism... Our convention bureau team did a sterling job promoting NewcastleGateshead with our partners on a national stage to buyers in London through a fantastic event down at Syon House, the London residence of The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, in September. And we hope some of you will be able to join them at International Confex 2013 in March next year. The ongoing investment in the destination from major hotel brands, including Sleeperz, Hotel Indigo and Ramada Encore is testament to
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
the confidence in the area as both a business and also leisure tourism destination. And the average weekday occupancy remains robust at 74%, despite a 25% increase in the number of beds in NewcastleGateshead. So, it’s been an action-packed year and collectively with our partners we have achieved a great, great deal. I refer to joint working frequently, but we couldn’t do our work without such dedicated and supportive partners… ‘proactive’ partners. And we welcome our new partners this year and hope to work with you on many of our exciting projects and campaigns throughout 2013 and further ahead.
people attended Olympic Football in the city; £7.1m expenditure Average weekend hotel occupancy:
Average weekday hotel occupancy:
Sarah Stewart, Chief Executive, NewcastleGateshead Initiative.
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This year we have not only become responsible for visitor information and developed an entire new team focusing on inward investment, but have also secured substantial funding via the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) ensuring our national marketing campaign budgets will be doubled over the next three years. From April this year we took over the visitor information service on behalf of both Newcastle and Gateshead councils and have worked closely with its staff to integrate them into the wider team and to ensure the service is delivering what visitors want and need in a destination. RGF funding from VisitEngland, as part of its Growing Tourism Locally project, will see a total budget of £1.2m, to be spent over three years, for our autumn and spring city breaks campaigns. The funding will enable us to strengthen and extend
Corporate News
Engaging events
Corporate news
Olympic Torch Relay Partner Event
Throughout the year we have hosted a number of exciting events for partners and guests. These have included a special Olympic Torch Relay celebration on the Quayside and a summer social at The Alnwick Garden, which coincided with the Garden’s 10th anniversary.
our campaigns and we will be working with a range of campaign partners. We have also worked hard to secure ERDF funding for the Convention Bureau, which will enable them to extend their capacity and reach. If we are successful it will also help us to support the efforts of our recently created Inward Investment team. The team will act as a central hub for co-ordinating inward investment activity across the area, working closely with its funding partners, Newcastle City and Gateshead Councils, private-sector networks and the LEP.
To view the videos from these events and hear what many of you had to say about working with us, go to: www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate.
Charity of the Year Heel & Toe became our Charity of the Year for 2012, following votes from staff inspired by the Durham-based charity’s work with children suffering from dyspraxia and cerebral palsy. Heel & Toe provides free conductive education therapy. The method builds coordination and muscle strength through play and exercise, and the charity was formed in 2008 after a national charity providing the service pulled out of the local area. We have organised a number of fun activities for staff and partners to help fundraising, including a charity quiz and dress-down days. To find out more go to www.heelandtoe.org.uk.
17.6m visitors to NewcastleGateshead
£1.26bn total expenditure
Stats the way to do it All our partners now have the opportunity to take advantage of an innovative data monitoring system which can help give an invaluable insight into the industry. T-Stats records and monitors business data online, giving a live robust insight into the performance of all sectors and the destination as a whole. NewcastleGateshead Initiative uses this to inform its strategy to grow the visitor economy of the destination. To find out more or to sign up to T-Stats contact research manager Ian Thomas: ian.thomas@ngi.org.uk.
Technip donates money to Heel & Toe as a thank you for a temporary base in our offices
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NewcastleGateshead is increasingly popular for association-sector conferences providing the perfect combination of practicality and inspiration. Association Management International, June 2012.
Exclusive taste of NewcastleGateshead For the first time this year we held an exclusive dinner in the London home of The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, to showcase the region to key conference and event organisers. More than 60 London-based business event organisers attended the evening, hosted by their Graces and held in the stunning surroundings of the Great Conservatory at Syon House.
Meetings on Tyne
A decade of support This year the Convention Bureau celebrated a decade of successfully securing high-profile association events for the destination through its Conference Ambassador Programme.
NewcastleGateshead has once again hosted a number of major conferences and events in 2012.
The programme was developed to enlist the help of local professionals and business people in creating bespoke, professional conference bids. In the 10 years since it formed, the programme has contributed an estimated £65m to the local economy, secured 120 events and welcomed 37,000 delegates, with almost 1,000 members from the area’s universities, hospitals and major employers all signed up to the programme.
The Sage Gateshead completed a hat-trick of political party conferences hosting the Liberal Democrat spring conference in March. This saw more than 1,200 delegates and key decision makers, and the national media descend on the destination. And in October, the National Union of Journalists held its 2012 delegate meeting at Newcastle Civic Centre over four days. Combined, the two events attracted 1,850 delegates to the destination and contributed an estimated £2m to the local economy.
To find out more about the programme and how you can get involved contact conference development manager, Gill Pilkington: gill.pilkington@ngi.org.uk.
NewcastleGateshead Initiative partners including Hilton Newcastle Gateshead and County by Thistle supported these
With lead times for event organisers becoming increasingly shorter we have been working hard to establish strong relationships with key agents, to ensure that NewcastleGateshead continues to be top of the list for conferences. This work is already paying off and the team has recently placed a car launch event at Rainton Meadows Arena through working with Golley Slater.
AWARD WINS
Gold In the Best Brochure category at the Meetings Industry Marketing Awards just ahead of Brisbane Marketing – making ours the best brochure in the world!
We were also joined by leading venues in the region including Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden, Newcastle United, Unispace, University of Sunderland, The Sage Gateshead and one of Newcastle’s newest hotels, Hotel Indigo.
SILVER
The event inspired guests to learn more about the destination and bring their next big event to the North East. It was followed by a familiarisation trip to NewcastleGateshead for some of the planners so we could show them in person what we have to offer their delegates, high-spending business tourists.
In the Best Bureau category at the Meetings & Incentive Travel industry awards just behind Glasgow – making ours the best bureau in England!
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events and ensured that delegates from across the UK were given the full Geordie experience.
Adrian Evans with Debbie Rocket of Rockliffe Hall, which also won gold at the MIMA Awards.
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Business Tourism
Business tourism
Catherine to bring MIDAS touch
Our services
Catherine Walker, our inward investment director who joined in the summer, is leading a small team to attract inward investment, after moving from Manchester’s inward investment agency, MIDAS.
• Provision of research, intelligence and statistics to support the development of a business case.
The team provides a range of bespoke flexible services to potential and existing investors, including:
• A detailed cost analysis. • Employee recruitment and retention guidance.
Supported by Gateshead and Newcastle councils and our wider marketing services, the team will act as a central hub for co-ordinating inward investment activity across the area, working closely with the councils, private-sector networks and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership to define our offer to potential inward investors and identify and proactively target sectors and companies to generate leads.
Banging the drum for the two neighbouring places, separated by The Tyne, is NewcastleGateshead Initiative. Estates Gazette, October 2012.
Promoting and profiling key sector propositions
The inward investment team addressed 350 business leaders at the North East Dealmakers Awards 2012, outlining the strategy and priority sector definition – focusing on offshore, oil and gas; the creative and digital sector; and science and healthcare. Other marketing and communications activity has involved working with key development and commercial property publications, Property Week and Estates Gazette, and building relationships with key sector press such as The Drum and niche offshore, science, healthcare and bio-medicine titles. The creation of a new website will allow audiences to engage with a range of different sectors and functions in which NewcastleGateshead has real competitive strength. New imagery and content will populate the site and digital networks will update it regularly; providing a range of ways to engage with the team and its activity, including Twitter and LinkedIn. www.investNewcastleGateshead.com
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
Business Winning
Business winning
The team will generate new leads through identifying target markets and using a range of communications tools. Digital activity on Twitter and LinkedIn will be a core element, ensuring NewcastleGateshead is always ‘open for business.’ This proactive approach complements other initiatives such as the successful City Deal which provides Accelerated Development Zone (ADZ) status on key sites, Science Central, Stephenson Quarter & Central Station, Gateshead Quays & Baltic Business Quarter and East Pilgrim Street. The ADZ covers a significant part of the area (80 hectares) and allows both councils to retain business rate income for 25 years, with potential investment reaching £1bn.
• Skills and training advice to support a sustainable and talented workforce. • Property solutions. • Access to finance and advice on grants and incentives. • Marketing and PR support. • Access to world-leading centres of excellence, cluster groups and business development networks. • Relocation advice, presentations and tours. • A single point of contact to help investors establish and then grow their business.
The new ‘business winning team’ will be tasked with making it as easy as possible for firms to relocate to Gateshead and Newcastle. The Journal, June 2012.
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Student City
A “Genuinely Inspiring” place
Newcastle was voted the UK’s Best University City four years in a row between 2008 and 2011 by MSN Travel and here at NewcastleGateshead Initiative we continue to support the universities and colleges in their work to attract potential new students.
Work to develop NewcastleGateshead’s “story” has been gathering pace this year. The development of a place brand, which is being led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative on behalf of Gateshead and Newcastle councils, aims to support economic growth by differentiating what NewcastleGateshead has to offer in order to improve promotion of the area to both national and international audiences. NewcastleGateshead Initiative has been working with a group of business leaders
to develop a toolkit and website to help businesses tell our story in a consistent way. The website is full of useful information about what makes NewcastleGateshead great, including tips and advice on the best ways to talk about the destination, examples of exciting and innovative businesses and individuals working in our key sectors, and an inspirational video which showcases how far we have come, and what the future can bring.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
We now need everyone in NewcastleGateshead to get on board and support the project so we can make sure we continue to grow as a destination. To find out more and to get involved go to www.NewcastleGateshead.com/brand For more information on the place brand project, contact director of marketing and communications, Tina Snowball: tina.snowball@ngi.org.uk.
Place Brand
Place BRAND
As well as attending undergraduate open days, providing destination information to potential students and their parents, we also provide destination images, video footage and information for the prospectus. And once again this year we have been working with final year communications / PR students at Northumbria University to develop both a semester and year-long PR module. One project will look at developing a creative campaign to market www.NewcastleGateshead.com to students and the other will focus on a city breaks campaign promoting the destination to audiences within two to three hours drive time. NewcastleGateshead Initiative is also commissioning a major piece of research to assess the perceptions of students in NewcastleGateshead – this will form an additional research project alongside the current perceptions research study among residents, visitors and potential investors. It will assess their views of NewcastleGateshead as a place to study, live and work, including their views on career opportunities and whether they plan to stay in the region after their studies, providing valuable data regarding talent attraction and graduate retention.
Almost
90% of students from both Newcastle University and Northumbria University are happy with their overall experience*
*Results from the National Student Survey.
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A brand-new look for the Visitor Information Centre, including new signage and fascia, will increase the visibility and appeal of the Grade II listed building and attract more visitors to the centre. It’s not just the outside which has seen changes though. The free literature displays now have more emphasis on NewcastleGateshead-focused material. And with a great range of local merchandise available, from Geordie Mugs to Northumbrian tartan and jewellery from local artists to locally produced fudge, preserves and tea, there’s some great gift ideas for you or your clients. If you’ve never visited please do, and please continue to signpost the centre to visitors or people keen to access more information. You’ll find the full address and contact details of the Visitor Information Centre on the back page.
Visitor Information
1.7 million overnight visitors
Visitor Information
Facelift for visitor information
Informed visitors = Economic gain It’s vitally important that visitors are well informed about what’s on offer in NewcastleGateshead for a number of reasons. Not only can it encourage them to come to the destination but once here, they are more likely to visit more places and attractions. In turn this will increase their length of stay and most importantly their contribution to the local economy. The end result being that they will be more likely to return and recommend the destination to others.
Tourism employs
Provision of timely, relevant visitor information, before and during a trip, is key to the ongoing success of the tourism industry, which is worth £1.26bn to the local economy.
18,321 people
Visitors seek out information in a number of different ways and we are keen to ensure that they can access it in the right place, at the right time and in the most appropriate format. So we have developed an ‘information partners’ project to deliver our information in the areas it’s most needed.
From April this year we became responsible for the visitor information service on behalf of both Newcastle and Gateshead councils. As well as managing the Visitor Information Centre, we are now also responsible for the future development of the service, to ensure it’s delivering what visitors want and need in a destination. Our aim is to manage an innovative and effective visitor information service to ensure all our visitors are welcomed and well informed. We have also been working hard this year to integrate the visitor information staff in to the NewcastleGateshead Initiative team. You may have also seen the team out and about at more than 30 major events and conferences
this year, including the Great North Run Pasta Party and Gateshead Summer Flower Show, providing a fantastic ‘mobile’ visitor information service for visitors. Visitor information is so important to the destination. Read on to find out why and the part you can play in enhancing the visitor experience.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
More than 200,000 people visited the Visitor Information Centre
Information Partners
These will include key entry points into the destination (such as Central Station, Newcastle International Airport and the Port of Tyne) but also through NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s partners, including hotels, attractions and other areas of high-visitor footfall. We will be ensuring that every information partner has the basic level of visitor information needed, and if we’ve not already been in touch we’d be keen to talk to any partner about how you can support the project. Contact Claremarie Ellis for more details: claremarie.ellis@ngi.org.uk.
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2012
2012 in Pictures
London 2012
in Pictures
Magician Paul Lytton entertains our business tourism partners and clients at Syon House in London.
Bridges Festival
‘Over and Out’ Saturday evening spectacular lights up NewcastleGateshead Bridges Festival.
The Olympic Torch Relay, part of the London 2012 Olympic celebrations, comes to NewcastleGateshead.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
2012 was a big year for birthdays with BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and The Alnwick Garden both celebrating their 10th anniversaries.
Juice Festival’s Dragon Parade marches across the Quayside.
Sport and Tourism Minister, Hugh Robertson MP, visits NewcastleGateshead.
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Partnership Working
Partnership working
NewcastleGateshead Initiative has been incredibly supportive of the introduction of the Hotel Indigo brand and ethos into the heart of the North East this year.
£150 MILLION
It has been a team effort right from the outset, with training provided by NewcastleGateshead Initiative proving invaluable - especially when combined with the ‘Hotel Indigo’ brand.
worth of Olympic-related contracts for London 2012
Carol Bell and Simon Preston at Blackfriars Restaurant, one of our partners for EAT! NewcastleGateshead.
Partnership is the bedrock of our organisation and we work with nearly 170 partners from the private and public sectors. This year we have worked particularly closely with Hotel Indigo Newcastle on its launch and another partner, Silverlink Holdings Ltd, has benefited from our inward investment activity, helping them to establish links with leading trade publications. Earlier this year we stepped in to ensure that the North East England Tourism awards continued following the demise of Regional Development Agency, One North East. We received a tremendous response from our partners in support of the event both in the numbers of entries, with some categories seeing record numbers, and the offers to help with judging and sponsorship.
Another way in which partners have engaged with us is through sponsorship of some of our main events. Port of Tyne was once again sponsor of the NewcastleGateshead Bridges Festival and Hi-Lights is on board for the Newcastle New Year’s Eve Winter Carnival and the NewcastleGateshead New Year’s Eve Midnight Fireworks event. We also received a resounding response to our call out for backing for the Rugby World Cup bid for Newcastle in 2015 with over 60 partners sending in letters of support.
North East businesses won
Adam Munday, General Manager of Hotel Indigo.
ur partnership with O NewcastleGateshead Initiative has been really fruitful this year in particular and importantly supporting the work we are doing to attract investment to NewcastleGateshead. NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s new agenda on attracting foreign direct investment really complements much of our development activity. The opportunities they have created for us to be in front of leading trade publications are really valuable. Michelle Percy, Director of Silverlink Holdings Ltd.
We thank all our partners for their continued support and look forward to further proactive partnership working in 2013.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
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Leisure Tourism
Our ongoing national campaign ‘Have the Tyne of your Life’ has seen a cash boost thanks to Regional Growth Fund (RGF) money from VisitEngland.
The capital of the Geordie nation is no dusty relic. It’s a modern, vibrant, confident city packed with great bars, clubs, restaurants and friendly locals. As a weekend destination, it will stand up to any British city.
As a result our total budget for autumn and spring city break campaigns will double over the next three years to £1.2m, as part of VisitEngland’s Growing Tourism Locally project.
The future for NewcastleGateshead looks extremely bright as a thriving hub for all things cultural.
Irish Daily Mirror, February 2012
Golden year This year the eyes of the world have been on NewcastleGateshead as we became one of the official host cities for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Sports fans from around the world, international media and Olympic teams all received a true Geordie welcome during the summer as the destination was gripped by Olympic fever. Here at NewcastleGateshead Initiative we used the Games as an opportunity to showcase the destination to a potential national and international audience of billons. We attended two major events hosted by VisitEngland during London 2012 giving us the opportunity to pitch stories to international media. We also hosted a number of international and national media during the Olympic Football, including Olympic broadcasters from Sweden, India, Brazil, USA, Spain, New Zealand and Japan. To ensure the destination was alive with activity, both day and night, for visitors and local residents, NewcastleGateshead Initiative scheduled two of our acclaimed annual festivals (EAT! and the Bridges Festival) to coincide with Olympic Football.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
Leisure Tourism
National Campaign Boost
Living North, July / August 2012
35,000
people attended Olympic Torch Relay event on the Quayside
42
companies won 2012 contracts worth £150m
The campaign will continue to promote NewcastleGateshead as a vibrant and fun place to visit, with the key themes of shopping, eating and drinking, festivals and events. The funding will enable us to strengthen and extend our campaigns to new target areas using new media outlets. Activity includes national press inserts, online and radio advertising focused on key target cities within Scotland, the North West, Yorkshire and the South East. We will also be partnering with VisitEngland on a cultural cities themed campaign which will start early next year, and have been working with a number of campaign partners including Hotel Indigo Newcastle, East Coast trains, Metrocentre and Eldon Square to highlight what is on offer in the destination.
4,700+
followers on twitter @altweet_pet
people attended Olympic Football at St James’ Park, contributing £7m to the region’s economy
10,900+ likes on facebook /NewcastleGateshead
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“ Tyne of your Life” Sunday Mail
The Discover vouchers have been really successful for us and we have seen a significant number of people using the discount.
Independent on Sunday
“ Out on the Toon” National Geographic Traveller
“ Newcastle as you’ve never seen it before”
Emma Arkley, Ocean Beach Pleasure Park. This year we’ve refreshed our approach to consumer e-comms with a new system that allows us to deliver individually tailored information to audiences, based on their interests and geography. Our database, which has expanded to 100,000, now promotes the destination and our key events more effectively than ever before.
Destination media coverage is evaluated independently (Jan-Sept 2012):
Total average:
Total number of articles:
Tone of coverage:
Total readership:
1
The CRM integrates with our current platforms and significantly improves our customer insight – telling us much more about where people are from, what they’re interested in and where they like to go.
1,631
£7m
2.6billion
% positive
As a result, we have been able to develop a more dynamic approach to e-comms based around regular, individually tailored, alertbased and reactive communications.
Digitally E-volved
International highlights With several new routes being launched from Newcastle International Airport, a larger aircraft introduced on the daily Emirates flight to Dubai and work in our three core international markets of Netherlands, Ireland and Norway, we continue to put the destination on the international map. New routes this year include Bergen and Amsterdam and we have been working closely with airline partners and destination airports to further raise the profile of NewcastleGateshead in these key markets.
We also continue to work in partnership with overseas representatives at both VisitEngland and VisitBritain, as well as our travel partner DFDS Seaways, to strengthen our international presence with support for media trips and marketing campaigns. International campaign highlights include: • T wo-week-long promotion of RTE2 FM in Ireland to win a city break, partnering with Jury’s Inn. • Football packages in partnership with DFDS Seaways, Sunderland AFC and Newcastle United continue to be a success, with record numbers sold this year.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
Technology targets content
In 2012, we have welcomed a total of 20 international media outlets, including representatives of: • CNN-IBN (Indian TV station). • NBC (USA official Olympic broadcaster). • TV Record (Brazilian official Olympic broadcaster). • NHK (Japanese official Olympic broadcaster). • Reizen (one of Holland’s largest travel magazines). • Network Ten (the major Australian TV channel).
2012 has been the best year to date for website performance and new developments and we plan to repeat this success next year. Following the launch of our mobile city guide iPhone app last year, we have expanded the service and developed an Android version. The apps receive 300 downloads a month. We have also developed an online Discover deals section within NewcastleGateshead.com. Free, downloadable pdf vouchers offer an easily accessible and user-friendly resource for visitors and the new online strategy augmented our partnership with VisitEngland during the launch of its £4m ‘20.12 is GREAT’ domestic campaign. More than 13,000 vouchers have
Our website on track to reach
been downloaded since the launch in March. We are also set to reach one million unique visitors to the website by the end of the year and there are now more ways to advertise on the website. The website is host to a range of advertising opportunities including skyscraper banners with prioritised listings and sponsoring and rebranding key sections. With excellent partner rates available we have seen a number take up the offer, including Blue Reef Aquarium, Ramada Encore and East Coast trains. To find out more information about these opportunities contact digital marketing executive, Emma Hallington: emma.hallington@ngi.org.uk.
unique visitors by end of 2012
Almost
unique visitors to www.NewcastleGateshead.com in July alone
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Leisure Tourism
Leisure Tourism
It also saw the return of festival favourites such as Secret Paladares (restaurants in people’s homes), as well as new events such as EAT! Speakeasy (a hidden underground drinking den and host of the Prohibition launch party). Hundreds of people enjoyed this year’s Cakebook Britain, which was part of the London 2012 Festival, despite the unsavoury summer weather, which forced the venue to be changed from Saltwell Park to Gateshead International Stadium at the last minute.
Following the success of our pilot festival last year the NewcastleGateshead Bridges Festival returned this year, welcoming an estimated 50,000 people.
There is no question that the series of high quality cultural events and festivals organised by NewcastleGateshead Initiative and its partners, has played a significant part in raising the profile of the destination.
Sponsored by the Port of Tyne, the free two-day festival celebrated the twin cities’ riverside icons. Events throughout the festival included The Print Run, which invited people to create a print design while running, skipping, dancing, hopping or leaping into the air.
Penny Vowles, Programme Manager at Northern Rock Foundation
Juice 2012 The award-winning Juice Festival returned for a fifth year this autumn, bringing with it a packed programme of creative events for children, young people and their families to enjoy over the half term break. The 10-day festival showcased outstanding work created by and for children and young people as well as a family-friendly programme delivered by regional, national and international artists.
Thousands of festivalgoers enjoyed events in art, dance, theatre and storytelling alongside Halloween events including Spooky Night at the Museum and Happy Halloween Pumpkin Carving. Other highlights included dragon-themed events that culminated in an exciting Dragon Parade to close the festival.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
Still to come... NewcastleGateshead Winter Festival 24 Nov 2012 – 10 Feb 2013 Featuring Enchanted Parks, New Year’s Eve Winter Carnival, New Year’s Eve Midnight Fireworks and Chinese New Year.
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Festivals and Events
festivals and events
EAT! NewcastleGateshead, in its sixth year in 2012, transformed the streets of NewcastleGateshead into one of the largest city-centre food festivals in the UK. The Big EAT! Weekend saw everything from a pop-up cookery school and the Chilli & Beer Festival to a street food celebration and a loaves and fishes themed city fête.
Over the next year we will be celebrating the exceptional creativity and innovation in NewcastleGateshead and the wider region with events such as the Festival of the North East. Throughout the month of June the festival will showcase inspiring moments, inventions, events and people from the North East over the last 1,400 years. Taking place in more than 100 locations, the programme will include exhibitions, events and premieres of new works and special commissions exploring the creative spark in the arts, heritage, science and industry. The festival will lead up to the Lindisfarne Gospels going on show in Durham in July. The exhibition will be the inspiration for a number of events taking place across the region and is an opportunity for NewcastleGateshead to celebrate our heritage and culture. Athletics fans from around the world will descend on Gateshead in the summer when it hosts the European Athletics Team Championships, the first major athletics event in Great Britain since London 2012.
We are hoping to continue our legacy of hosting major sporting events and should find out next year if Newcastle’s Rugby World Cup bid has been successful. Once again we will also be hosting our own exciting festivals and events throughout the year with the return of EAT! NewcastleGateshead, Juice – NewcastleGateshead’s festival for children and young people, NewcastleGateshead Winter Festival and Chinese New Year. In September we will welcome scientists, journalists and thousands of members of the public for the British Science Festival. The six-day festival will include lectures and debates for adults, hands-on activity for schools and families, comedy, theatre and expeditions. NewcastleGateshead Initiative will take advantage of these high-profile events in showcasing our entrepreneurial past and our innovative future. Indeed it is these attributes that we are keen to showcase in our place brand work. And next year we will be focusing on strengthening our
Our overall aim is to drive economic benefit for businesses and people in NewcastleGateshead. We will continue to work in partnership with those who share our vision and values to ensure we can all reap the rewards that the next 12 months can bring.
THEINITIATIVE Annual Review 2012
The Year Ahead
The year ahead ‘story’ and further engaging with businesses and individuals to ensure we are all giving out the right messages about this fantastic place. The launch of a new website giving people in the region the tools to do this will be an exciting step in this project. This year saw a record number of partners join the convention bureau team at International Confex, the country’s largest exhibition within the conference and events calendar. In 2013 the exhibition will celebrate its 30th birthday so all the team are already working hard towards making this year’s show bigger and better than ever before. Inward investment marketing will be an important focus for NewcastleGateshead Initiative in 2013, as we look to further strengthen the support we offer to potential investors. We will be working closely with our partners and key sector leaders in the region to help bring new investors into the destination, many of whom we have already started to build those all-important relationships with. Our overall aim is to drive economic benefit for businesses and people in NewcastleGateshead. We will continue to work in partnership with those who share our vision and values to ensure we can all reap the rewards that the next 12 months can bring.
Sarah Stewart, Chief Executive, NewcastleGateshead Initiative.
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Meet the team 1.
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1. Sarah Stewart Chief Executive 2. Kathie Wilcox Head of Development 3. Anne Howes Senior Office Manager 4. Rachel Cameron Finance Manager 5. Chris Sutton Management Accountant 6. Paul Szomoru Business Development Manager 7. Ian Thomas Research Manager 8. Sean Reed Research Assistant 9. Dezra Riley Monitoring & Evaluation Manager 10. Cariad Roberts Administrator & Membership Assistant 11. Joy Sanders Administrator & Finance Assistant 12. Rachael Purvis Administrative Assistant 13. Tina Snowball Director of Marketing & Communications
14. Sharon McKee Interim Head of Marketing & Communications 15. Becky Madeley Marketing Manager & Team Leader 16. Shelley Johnson Marketing Manager 17. Carmel Lawless Marketing & Communications Assistant 18. David Brookbanks Media & PR Manager 19. Shelley Armstrong Media & PR Manager 20. David Bootle Media & PR Manager 21. Vanessa Robinson Interim Media & PR Manager 22.Rebecca Stephenson Marketing & Communications Intern 23. Jason Yip Digital Marketing Manager 24. Peter Leatherland Digital Marketing Executive 25. Emma Hallington Digital Marketing Executive
26. Adrian Evans Senior BusinessTourism Manager 27. Gill Pilkington Conference Development Manager 28. Alex Mackee Operations Manager 29. Anna Moroney Operations Manager 30. Catherine Walker Inward Investment Director 31. Julie Dodds Senior Investment Manager 32. Jennifer Hartley Senior Investment Manager 33. Carol Bell Head of Culture & Major Events 34. Vikki Leaney Programme Development Manager 35. Madeleine Maughan Culture Team Assistant
Visitor Information 1. 2.
Jonathan Gilroy Visitor Information Manager Kate Bamforth Visitor Information Executive
3. Claremarie Ellis Visitor Information Executive 4. Helen Johnson Visitor Information Executive 5. Margaret Darby Visitor Information Executive 6. Sarah Gardner Visitor Information Assistant 7. Kathryn Cassell Visitor Information Assistant 8. Julia Scott Visitor Information Assistant 9. Gary Oliver Visitor Information Assistant 10. Ann Taylor Visitor Information Assistant 11. Paula Smith Visitor Information Assistant
NewcastleGateshead Visitor Information Centre Central Arcade, Newcastle T: +44 (0)191 277 8000 E: visitorinfo@ngi.org.uk Open: Mon – Sat 9.30am – 5.30pm; Sun & bank holidays 10.00am – 4.00pm
NewcastleGateshead Initiative 9th Floor, Baltic Place East, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3AE T +44 (0)191 440 5720 F +44 (0)191 440 5721 E firstname.surname@ngi.org.uk W www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate