NewcastleGateshead Initiative Partnership Pack by NewcastleGateshead Initiative

This is NewcastleGateshead Anyone who has lived or worked in NewcastleGateshead over the past 15 years knows that they have witnessed a signiﬁcant phase in the area’s story - a period that in time will form part of our own collective history. Perhaps they even played their own role in the regeneration and reinvention of our vibrant, pioneering ‘twin cities’. Some say the arrival of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North in 1998 heralded the start of NewcastleGateshead’s renaissance. Certainly, it was a bold and conﬁdent move that linked our proud industrial past to a bright future; NewcastleGateshead is a place that never forgets its heritage. Once the very edge of the Roman Empire, the two places built on the river prospered from the 14th century through the shipbuilding trade and later through the export of goods such as leather, wool

and of course, coal. It is no surprise that we returned to the river. NewcastleGateshead Quayside alone has beneﬁted from £1bn worth of ambitious new development in recent years, including Trinity Gardens, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, The Sage Gateshead and Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Investment brought conﬁdence and many further large-scale capital developments stretched up through both Newcastle and Gateshead.

Population of NewcastleGateshead: 464,200

To ﬁnd more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5729 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

At the turn of the millennium with a ﬂurry of activity taking root on both banks of the Tyne, Gateshead and Newcastle City councils came together with a group of public and private partners to form NewcastleGateshead Initiative. The early focus of the partnership was on a bid to become European Capital of Culture 2008. This focused national and international attention on the area as it transformed itself into a creative, post-industrial force to be reckoned with.

Voted ‘best city in the North’ ahead of Manchester, Shefﬁeld, Liverpool and Leeds by Daily Telegraph readers. Metrocentre is Europe’s largest indoor shopping centre.

Together, the ‘twin cities’ quickly built a reputation for being one of the most culturally vibrant destinations in Europe and continue to top travel magazine polls. NewcastleGateshead Initiative now counts more than 165 of the area’s leading organisations among its partners, delivers increasingly positive proﬁle and attracts growing numbers of visitors. Today NewcastleGateshead looks better than ever. Following a decade of building projects, the dust has begun to settle around capital development, leaving residents and visitors to enjoy worldclass cultural, leisure and sports facilities and a yearround portfolio of festivals and events. Our tourism offer is stronger than ever too, with greater choice and more than 1,000 new hotel bedrooms brought to the market in recent years. Major conferences and corporate events are staged here every week of the year.

Angel of the North named ‘UK’s most recognisable landmark’ in national Travelodge survey.

NewcastleGateshead business continues to innovate. Graduates from our universities often seek to remain in the area, ﬁnding interesting and challenging roles at leading businesses and institutions here.

Named ‘best university city’ three years running by MSN Travel. Per capita GVA in the city of Newcastle exceeds the UK average by

25%.

But there is still work to be done. Outdated perceptions persist and the reality of what we now have to offer is still often clouded by the strength of historical stereotypes. NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s role has never been more important as we seek to build upon the developments of the past decade to ensure that promotion of NewcastleGateshead as a world-class place to live, learn, work, visit and invest reaches audiences far and wide. There is a ﬁerce pride and good humour that makes Geordies known throughout the world; the people and the businesses of NewcastleGateshead are amongst its strongest assets. We are unapologetically passionate, determined to build on our recent achievements and rich history with creativity and spirit.

Cited as one of the most successful millennium projects, Gateshead Millennium Bridge has won a raft of awards, including the RIBA Stirling Prize.

Through practical, resourceful partnerships we are working together to ensure that NewcastleGateshead’s ﬂame burns even more brilliantly for years to come. This is NewcastleGateshead; we are NewcastleGateshead Initiative.

To ﬁnd more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5729 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

NewcastleGateshead Initiative is the destination management and marketing agency; our strength lies in a robust public-private partnership.

Our Show Boat event in which NewcastleGateshead’s bridges danced for their very own festival.

Strongly supported by Gateshead Council and Newcastle City Council, we are also proud to have the support of a diverse range of more than 165 businesses and organisations across North East England, large and small, who share in our vision to promote NewcastleGateshead as a world-class place in which to live, learn, work, visit and invest.

We are NewcastleGateshead Initiative We aim to... Raise the proﬁle of NewcastleGateshead, change perceptions, attract visitors and deliver economic beneﬁts as a result. We are experts in... • • • •

Destination marketing and communications. Destination management. Business tourism and conferencing. Cultural planning and festivals and events.

In short, NewcastleGateshead Initiative works to attract more visitors, which boosts private sector involvement, which in turn boosts conﬁdence in the region. That is absolutely vital to our business. We transformed the Swing Bridge into a stage for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party as part of EAT! NewcastleGateshead.

Silverlink Holdings Ltd

Our key objectives are to... • Promote and develop NewcastleGateshead as a leading city break destination among target national and international audiences. • Promote NewcastleGateshead as a ﬁrst-class destination for national and international conferences to conference / event organisers and conference ambassadors; and deliver a high-quality convention bureau service. • Shape, deliver and promote festivals and major events in NewcastleGateshead to enhance our position as a vibrant cultural destination, attract visitors and engage local audiences. • Enhance the reputation of NewcastleGateshead as an excellent place to locate and grow a business. • Build effective partnerships regionally, nationally and internationally to support delivery across all workstreams and to help sustain the long-term success of the destination.

I’ve always been proud of my heritage, but the rejuvenation of the region, supported in a large part by NewcastleGateshead Initiative, lets visitors from far and wide see why we have this pride in the area. The organisation has helped to put us on the map, nationally and internationally. Zodiac Training

The visitor economy - some interesting facts: More than

More than

1.6 million visitors stay overnight in

1.5 million visitors

NewcastleGateshead every year. These visitors spend

4m nights

visit attractions in NewcastleGateshead every year.

GVA, creating

98%.

There are more than

in gross expenditure and

delegate days,

£238m

5,700 FTE jobs. £1.2bn

5 million passengers

Around

pass through Newcastle International Airport annually.

£15.7m.

£113m in direct

An additional

In total these visitors bring into the regional economy.

More than has been invested in the tourism product in NewcastleGateshead by the public and private sector since 2004.

2.4m

day visitors visit every year.

ship passengers are welcomed to NewcastleGateshead annually.

The world’s largest half marathon, the Bupa Great North Run, has a total direct economic impact

Events play a key role in driving visitors to the destination; the weekend of the Evolution Festival, which coincided with Take That concerts at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, led to hotel room occupancy standing at

Our conference market generates

in the destination.

16 million

9,000 cruise

Tourism overall

employs 18,000 people in NewcastleGateshead.

The Cakebook event held at Gibside led to the highest Sunday attendance on record for the attraction, with more than

3,600 visitors.

£1bn

10,700 beds in hotels and serviced accommodation in NewcastleGateshead. Average weekend hotel room occupancy is

86%

(average across England: 65%).

To ﬁnd more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5729 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

Be part of it Everything we do is driven towards delivering economic benefit for the people, institutions and business of our ‘twin cities’. We love to work with organisations who share our vision, organisations who recognise the vital importance of collaboration and partnership and who want to play an integral role in boosting the profile of our place. To deliver mutual benefits for our partners and the destination as a whole, we believe it’s essential that partnership is a two-way, interactive and proactive process. Our partnership charter sets out how we like to work and we’ll happily sign on the dotted line with partners who can bring their energy and commitment to the table.

For me, the real highlight is the NewcastleGateshead Initiative staff. They’re an incredibly enthusiastic bunch: very positive, very able, always wanting to shout about the great things on offer in the region. It’s all about getting involved and being part of a really vibrant, forward-looking region. Hooked-on Group

Partnership charter NewcastleGateshead Initiative pledges to: • Work with relentless energy, enthusiasm and professionalism to profile NewcastleGateshead and our partners nationally and internationally. • Be a source of positivity and confidence, celebrating all that is good about NewcastleGateshead and constantly seeking creative new ways to champion our place and its people. • Provide a range of relevant networking, marketing and business benefits to our partner organisations. • Create platforms which encourage collaboration and help our partners make meaningful connections with the media, key stakeholders and potential visitors, clients, investors and each other. • Provide a bridge between the public and private sectors and between business, education, tourism and the creative sectors to help all achieve more and drive the destination forward. By becoming a partner of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, our partners commit to:

Becoming partners has made us feel that the County Hotel is a part of NewcastleGateshead, not just its own business. Through networking events, we have made new business acquaintances across the city. I really enjoy that working relationship; the members of staff are knowledgeable about the area, and also really good at making useful introductions on our behalf. And friendly too! County Hotel by Thistle

• Being a vocal and positive advocate for NewcastleGateshead, championing the place brand and using their local, national and international networks to help spread the NewcastleGateshead message as widely as possible. • Playing a full and proactive role in the partnership, seizing opportunities, getting involved and using the platforms NewcastleGateshead Initiative provides to create opportunities for their own organisation. • Engaging their staff, stakeholders and clients in partnership activity and empowering their people to spread the NewcastleGateshead message within and outside the destination. • Delivering a world-class experience for all those who live, learn, work, visit and invest in NewcastleGateshead.

To ﬁnd more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5729 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

Participants of our Welcome to NewcastleGateshead training programme.

The partnership puzzle Find your fit We work with a diverse range of organisations across NewcastleGateshead and wider North East England, from retailers to property developers, hotels to training providers, cultural institutions to leading law firms and many, many more. Our three partnership levels are designed to accommodate the differing scale, scope and financial contribution of all our partners. These pen portraits help paint the picture and help you find out where your organisation fits...

Looking ahead to the opportunities of 2012 at our breakfast brieﬁng event at Newcastle United Football Club.

A Gold partner… is one of North East England’s most influential businesses or organisations; one which shares NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s high ambitions for the region and is absolutely integral to the successful development of NewcastleGateshead. Gold partners will be at all key networking events, at the table for major decision-making and have significant capacity to help boost the area’s profile and drive forward its future growth and success. A Silver partner… is an important North East business or organisation, committed to the continued development and promotion of NewcastleGateshead and the region in partnership with NewcastleGateshead Initiative, in order to deliver a combination of positive perceptions, profile, visitors and business growth. Silver partners are an integral part of the local economy, respected members of the regional business community and can see the clear benefits associated with a successful NewcastleGateshead. A Bronze partner… is a business or organisation which has a vested interest in the visitor economy of North East England, recognising NewcastleGateshead’s role in this.

Michael Heseltine visits NewcastleGateshead to discuss Regional Growth Fund plans.

Bronze partners are keen to play a part in the continued development and promotion of the area as a successful destination and work in partnership with NewcastleGateshead Initiative to boost both visitor numbers and business growth.

What does partnership deliver? While supporting our work to promote the destination, partners also enjoy the following kinds of benefits and opportunities, scaled to fit each level: • Networking and profile building Joining NewcastleGateshead Initiative brings you into one of the strongest networks of key businesses in North East England. Exclusive partner briefing and update meetings, networking opportunities, invitations to significant cultural and business events and a tailor-made enews platform to disseminate your news and offers are all part of the partnership package. • Business development and support We monitor, evaluate and analyse a whole host of invaluable economic and business performance data for NewcastleGateshead which is available to partners. Access to training and development opportunities at reduced rates, visitor information materials for your business and bespoke support from the NewcastleGateshead Initiative team are part of the package to help your business benefit.

NewcastleGateshead Initiative partner brieﬁngs and networking events.

• Marketing and promotion The whole range of activity we undertake to promote and position NewcastleGateshead as a world-class place to live, learn, work, visit and invest is all available to our partners – sometimes exclusively, and often at a significantly discounted rate. Opportunities include: profile on NewcastleGateshead.com, the premier destination website for residents and visitors to NewcastleGateshead; involvement in high-profile domestic and international marketing campaigns; and profile within regional corporate business-tobusiness activity and conference sector promotion. • Convention bureau services NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau is the business tourism arm of our organisation, promoting NewcastleGateshead and the surrounding area as a first-class conference destination for national and international conferences and offering free services such as venue finding and accommodation booking. We send venue enquiries to, and offer accommodation with, partners of NewcastleGateshead Initiative exclusively. Partners can also get involved in a range of activity, all designed to help them promote their venue or services to the lucrative conference and meetings market, including attendance at trade shows and exhibitions, familiarisation trips, site visits, our marketing materials and our work with the meetings industry trade press. In short, we deliver a one-stop shop for conference organisers and work with our partners to help them bring more business to the area. Discover NewcastleGateshead – our biennial showcase event held in London.

For a full list of partner beneﬁts and opportunities at each level please see the inserts at the back of this pack.

To ﬁnd more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5729 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

What our partners say Proactive. Enthusiastic. Ambitious. Partners who really engage with our team, explore the obvious and less obvious opportunities and become ambassadors for the organisation and the destination enjoy a greater share of the mutual beneﬁts we all deliver; their success is our success.

“The visibility and achievement of NewcastleGateshead as an area has an impact on our success as a business. “We have ﬁve main business areas: bulk and conventional cargoes; car terminals; cruise and ferries; cruise visitors; and distribution. Each of those areas can beneﬁt in different ways from the success of the region. Through NewcastleGateshead Initiative we have been able to very successfully network with potential business customers at a national and international level. “Each December, a group of around 2,000 Faroe Islanders visit the region on a two-day shopping trip. We work with NewcastleGateshead Initiative, helping get the visitors to the shopping centres, and informing retailers to expect a run on chocolate! “Our most recent development within the partnership has been our sponsorship of the Bridges Festival. As part of our corporate responsibility we like to support the local arts scene and local business.” Port of Tyne

Toast of the Toon - business leaders join staff for 10th birthday celebrations.

“We’re big fans of NewcastleGateshead Initiative here! They’re a fabulous group of people to work with and excellent at what they do. It’s certainly the only group we work with that performs at a national and international level to promote the interests of NewcastleGateshead. “From our perspective it’s very important that our sector has a voice. The partnership does a fantastic job in attracting visitors to the region, and since shopping is one of the main things people like to do when they visit the area, it makes sense for us to come together and promote what we can offer as a city.” John Lewis

“We chose to become a partner of NewcastleGateshead Initiative before Rockliffe Hall opened in 2009. Being an independent property, and even though we’re not right on the doorstep, we saw involvement with NewcastleGateshead Initiative as a platform for Rockliffe Hall to gain recognition within the North East business community, and to strengthen our own destination marketing strategy.

Partners meet tourism and heritage minister, John Penrose, at our ofﬁce.

“A successful, growing professional services ﬁrm like ours needs to attract the best people possible, whether that is graduates fresh from university or experienced people from outside the region. “The other key ingredient is some fantastic companies to work in partnership with. “NewcastleGateshead Initiative plays a vitally important role in both these areas, promoting the best of Tyneside to the rest of the UK and the wider world and doing a fantastic job in conveying what a great place it is to live and work. “By attracting talented, ambitious people to the region and encouraging those already here that they can achieve their goals without moving elsewhere, NewcastleGateshead Initiative is making a real difference to the business and professional life of Tyneside.”

“As a small, independent business, we felt that joining NewcastleGateshead Initiative was a great way of gaining support. We have a very small PR and marketing budget, but being part of something larger like NewcastleGateshead Initiative means that we beneﬁt from their national and international marketing campaigns.

“Being a member of NewcastleGateshead Initiative also allows Rockliffe Hall the opportunity to get involved as a partner in the many regional, national and international campaigns that are organised by the team. Two years on, not only are we strong ambassadors of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, but NewcastleGateshead Initiative is very much our ambassador. We have been introduced to many national and international clients directly through our partnership.”

“The team there is very good at putting things our way. For example, if there is a subsidised training session coming up, they always inform us and encourage our involvement. There are regular partners’ meetings and these provide an opportunity to ﬁnd out what’s going on in the region, as well as to meet other partners and share experiences. These meetings have the knock-on effect of allowing you to access local suppliers and being able to put business each other’s way, which has been good commercially, and also made us feel more part of the local business community.”

Ward Hadaway

Rockliffe Hall

River Escapes

What do I do next? To become a proactive partner, support the future success of NewcastleGateshead and reap the beneﬁts, now’s the time to get involved. • To sign up now as a partner of NewcastleGateshead Initiative please complete and return the enclosed application form. • To ﬁnd out more about the organisation, visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate. • To ask any questions and chat through options, please give us a call on 0191 440 5729.

Gold partners

NewcastleGateshead Initiative: working in partnership A gold partner is one of North East England’s most influential businesses or organisations; one which shares NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s high ambitions for the region and is absolutely integral to the successful development of NewcastleGateshead. Gold partners will be at all key networking events, at the table for major decision-making and have significant capacity to help boost the area’s profile and drive forward its future growth and success. Benefits to your business While supporting our work to promote the destination, gold partners also enjoy a wide range of benefits and opportunities*.

Over 165 organisations are partners of NewcastleGateshead Initiative; current gold partners include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Arts Council England, NE. Bond Dickinson LLP. Gateshead College. ncjMedia. Newcastle College. Newcastle International Airport. Newcastle United Football Club. Newcastle University. Nexus. Northumbria University. Port of Tyne. Ryder Architecture TT2 Virgin Money Ward Hadaway

Networking and profile building: •

• • • • • • •

Opportunity to nominate a representative from your organisation for a seat on the board of NewcastleGateshead Initiative alongside other key stakeholders - exclusive to gold partners. Opportunity to jointly host bespoke events aimed at our business network and database of influential partners - exclusive to gold partners. Voting rights at NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s Annual General Meeting - exclusive to gold and silver partners. Invitations to attend two Business Leaders’ Briefings each year - for senior level contacts at gold and silver partners only. These exclusive briefings attract 40-60 leaders from North East England’s most influential organisations and present a valuable networking opportunity. Invitations to attend three Partner Update Meetings. Attracting over 100 contacts from a wide range of organisations, these updates are designed to facilitate networking, to communicate our recent activity and highlight upcoming opportunities. Profile for your news, events and special offers within Your Network - our exclusive monthly e-newsletter featuring partner news and issued to our partner network of 1k+. Sponsorship opportunities at our corporate, inward investment and cultural events; partners enjoy advance notice of high-profile opportunities to expose your brand or messages to key audiences. Exclusive VIP invitations to previews, receptions and events throughout the year.

Business development and support: • •

• •

Use of our boardroom and meeting facilities, subject to availability - exclusive to gold partners. Access to the latest tourism industry research and information, and economic data and research; gold and silver partners enjoy exclusive access to our research team for consultation and assistance with data interpretation. Identified key contact within NewcastleGateshead Initiative team - central point of contact to provide support and information as required. Annual cross-team meeting to discuss joint working opportunities, exclusive to gold and silver partners. Support and attendance from our team at your key events - exclusive to gold and silver partners.

To find out more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5748 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

• • • • •

•

Welcome to NewcastleGateshead workshops at cost-price. Our destination awareness training is perfect for front-line visitor / customer-facing team members. Invitations for your new recruits to attend our induction evenings. Held twice a year, these fun, informal events introduce your team to both our organisation and the destination itself. Visitor information stocks for your business: from maps to pocket guides. We also ensure your literature is stocked in local tourist information centres. Our monthly e-newsletter: The Initiative. A regular round-up of our latest activity, key destination and tourism industry news, cultural and corporate dates for the diary and a summary of all current partner opportunities. Training and development support; we work with partners to deliver cost-price training opportunities to benefit your business and the performance of NewcastleGateshead as a destination; previous training has included negotiation and sales, venue show-round training, media training and presentation skills. Access to workshops and business conferences on topics relevant to businesses in the North East

Marketing and promotion: NewcastleGateshead Initiative is the lead destination marketing and management organisation in North East England promoting our ‘twin-cities’ nationally and internationally. Gold level Visit England’s chief executive James Berresford partnership is the first step towards participating in this activity and gaining profile and recognition presents his plans for tourism to our partners in Discovery Museum’s Great Hall. as a valued part of the NewcastleGateshead offer - gold partners exclusively receive 40% discount off many opportunities. • Complimentary use of marketing collateral, including pop up stands, image library, film footage and editorial content for use when promoting the area through your own channels. • Opportunity to consult and input to planned activity and campaigns through partner forums and workshops NewcastleGateshead.com (we average over 140k unique visitors a month): • Enhanced company / product listing in relevant section. • Detailed venue profile in conference section. • Opportunity to display festivals and events in ‘What’s On’ section and on home page within ‘What’s On at a Glance’ calendar. • Appear in top selection of on-site search rankings (except in accommodation searches where bookable rooms will have priority). • Coverage within NewcastleGateshead City Guide i-App. • Access to provide availability to online accommodation booking systems (commission rate: 10%). • Opportunity to provide special offers for competitions and on-site promotions. • Discounted on-site banner advertising. • Access to royalty free image library: an extensive online library of images to help sell the destination. Partners can use these images in their marketing collateral and websites free of charge. Leisure marketing: • Opportunities and discounted advertising for national and international marketing campaigns. • Discounted advertising rates within NewcastleGateshead’s pocket guide. • Opportunity to provide special offers and discounts for Discover Deals; with promotion within e-comms and website. Festivals and events marketing: • Discounted advertising rates in our key festivals and events marketing materials. Business tourism marketing: • Opportunity to host familiarisation visits and key ambassador programme events. • Discounted advertising and media opportunities in national business tourism campaigns. • Free line listing and discounted advertising opportunities in NewcastleGateshead’s award-winning Meetings & Events Guide. • Discounted opportunities to attend national and international trade shows. • Discounted advertising rates with comms to our database of more than 4k targeted conference and event organisers across the UK. Invest marketing: • Offer your services or tell your story on the investment website www.investNewcastleGateshead.com . • Opportunities to sponsor inward investment events, nationally or internationally, or work with us on sector or market visit programmes. • Inclusion in relevant propositions put to companies looking to locate in the area. • Introductions to relevant inward investors and supply chain or business opportunities. • Option of input into investment-specific e-newsletter In:Focus which has an international readership of over 1K. Media: • Inclusion in relevant media visits and press releases.

Convention bureau services: NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau is the business tourism arm of our organisation. Where appropriate partners will receive: • Conference and meeting business referrals via the Convention Bureau’s venue finding service. • The opportunity to participate in the Convention Bureau’s online accommodation booking system for major conferences and events and to appear in the dedicated online web pages for event organisers. • Direct referrals that the Convention Bureau receives from national and international agencies.

Gold partnership costs: £10,760 (+VAT) per annum.

*Please note all benefits are where appropriate / relevant to partner organisations.

What do I do next? To become a proactive partner, support the future success of NewcastleGateshead and reap the benefits, now’s the time to get involved. • To sign up now as a partner of NewcastleGateshead Initiative please complete and return the enclosed application form. • To find out more about the organisation, visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate. • To ask any questions and chat through options, please give us a call on 0191 440 5748.

Silver partners

NewcastleGateshead Initiative: working in partnership A silver partner is an important North East business or organisation, committed to the continued development and promotion of NewcastleGateshead and the region in partnership with NewcastleGateshead Initiative, in order to deliver a combination of positive perceptions, profile, visitors and business growth. Silver partners are an integral part of the local economy, respected members of the regional business community and can see the clear benefits associated with a successful NewcastleGateshead. Benefits to your business While supporting our work to promote the destination, silver partners also enjoy the following benefits and opportunities*.

Over 165 organisations are partners of NewcastleGateshead Initiative; current silver partners include:

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Beamish Museum. Shout Digital. Brewin Dolphin. BT. Fenwick Ltd. Intu Metrocentre. DFDS Seaways. Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. John Lewis. Carillion plc. Sage Gateshead. Theatre Royal.

Networking and profile building: • • • • • •

Voting rights at NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s Annual General Meeting - exclusive to gold and silver partners. Invitations to attend two Business Leaders’ Briefings each year - for senior level contacts at gold and silver partners only. These exclusive briefings attract 40-60 leaders from North East England’s most influential organisations and present a valuable networking opportunity. Invitations to attend three Partner Update Meetings. Attracting over 100 contacts from a wide range of organisations, these updates are designed to facilitate networking, to communicate our recent activity and highlight upcoming opportunities. Profile for your news, events and special offers within Your Network - our exclusive monthly e-newsletter featuring partner news and issued to our partner network of 1k+. Sponsorship opportunities at our corporate, inward investment and cultural events; partners enjoy advance notice of high-profile opportunities to expose your brand or messages to key audiences. Exclusive VIP invitations to previews, receptions and events throughout the year.

Business development and support: • • • • •

Invitations for your new recruits to attend our induction evenings. Held twice a year, these fun and informal events introduce your team to both our organisation and the destination itself. Access to the latest tourism industry research and information, and economic data and research; gold and silver partners enjoy exclusive access to our research team for consultation and assistance with data interpretation. Identified key contact within NewcastleGateshead Initiative team - central point of contact to provide support and information as required. Annual cross-team meeting to discuss joint working opportunities exclusive to gold and silver partners only. Support and attendance from our team at your key events - exclusive to gold and silver partners. Welcome to NewcastleGateshead workshops at cost-price. Our destination awareness training is perfect for front-line visitor / customerfacing team members.

To find out more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5748 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

• • •

•

Visitor information stocks for your business: from maps to pocket guides or and festival brochures. We also ensure your literature is stocked in local tourist information centres. Our monthly e-newsletter: The Initiative. A regular round-up of our latest activity, key destination and tourism industry news, cultural and corporate dates for the diary and a summary of all current partner opportunities. Training and development support; we work with partners to deliver cost-price training opportunities to benefit your business and the performance of NewcastleGateshead as a destination. Previous training has included negotiation and sales, venue show-round training, media training and presentation skills. Access to workshops and business conferences on topics relevant to businesses in the North East.

Marketing and promotion: NewcastleGateshead Initiative is the lead destination marketing and management organisation in North East England promoting our ‘twin cities’ nationally and internationally. Silver level partnership is the first step towards participating in this activity and gaining profile and recognition as a valued part of the NewcastleGateshead offer - silver partners exclusively receive 35% discount off many opportunities. • Complimentary use of marketing collateral, including pop up stands, image library, film Lord Heseltine visits NewcastleGateshead to footage and editorial content for use when promoting the area through your own channels. discuss Regional Growth Fund bids. • Opportunity to consult and input to planned activity and campaigns through partner forums and workshops. NewcastleGateshead.com (we average over 140k unique visitors a month): • Enhanced company / product listing in relevant sections. • Detailed venue profile in conference section. • Opportunity to display festivals and events in ‘What’s On’ section and on home page within ‘What’s On at a Glance’ calendar. • Appear in top selection of on-site search rankings (except in accommodation searches where bookable rooms will have priority). • Coverage within NewcastleGateshead City Guide i-App. • Access to provide availability to online accommodation booking systems (commission rate: 10%). • Opportunity to provide special offers for competitions and on-site promotions. • Discounted on-site banner advertising. • Access to royalty free image library: an extensive online library of images to help sell the destination. Partners can use these images in their marketing collateral and websites free of charge. Leisure marketing: • Opportunities and discounted advertising for national and international marketing campaigns. • Discounted advertising rates within NewcastleGateshead’s pocket guide. • Opportunity to provide special offers and discounts for Discover Deals; with promotion within e-comms and website. Festivals and events marketing: • Discounted advertising rates in our key festivals and events marketing materials. Business tourism marketing: • Opportunity to host familiarisation visits and key ambassador programme events. • Discounted advertising and media opportunities in national business tourism campaigns. • Free line listing and discounted advertising opportunities in NewcastleGateshead’s award-winning Meetings & Events Guide. • Discounted opportunities to attend national and international trade shows. • Discounted advertising rates with comms to our database of more than 4k targeted conference and event organisers across the UK. Invest marketing: • Offer your services or tell your story on the investment website www.investNewcastleGateshead.com . • Opportunities to sponsor inward investment events, nationally or internationally, or work with us on sector or market visit programmes. • Inclusion in relevant propositions put to companies looking to locate in the area. • Introductions to relevant inward investors and supply chain or business opportunities. • Option of input into investment-specific e-newsletter In:Focus which has an international readership of over 1K. Media: • Inclusion in relevant media visits and press releases.

Convention bureau services: NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau is the business tourism arm of our organisation. Where appropriate partners will receive: • Conference and meeting business referrals via the Convention Bureau’s venue-finding service. • The opportunity to participate in the Convention Bureau’s online accommodation booking system for major conferences and events and to appear in the dedicated online web pages for event organisers. • Direct referrals that the Convention Bureau receives from national and international agencies.

Silver partnership costs: £2,690 (+VAT) per annum. *Please note all benefits are where appropriate / relevant to partner organisations.

Bronze partners

NewcastleGateshead Initiative: working in partnership A Bronze partner is a business or organisation which has a vested interest in the visitor economy of North East England, recognising NewcastleGateshead’s role in this. Bronze partners are keen to play a part in the continued development and promotion of the area as a successful destination and work in partnership with NewcastleGateshead Initiative to boost both visitor numbers and business growth. Benefits to your business While supporting our work to promote the destination, bronze partners also enjoy the following benefits and opportunities*.

Over 165 organisations are partners of NewcastleGateshead Initiative; current bronze partners include:

• • • • • • • • • •

Blackfriars Restaurant. Blue Reef Aquarium. Durham County Cricket Club. Hotel du Vin, Newcastle. Live Theatre. Rockliffe Hall. Ocean Beach Pleasure Park Hi-lights Travel Bureau. Tyneside Cinema.

Networking and profile building: • • • •

Invitations to attend three Partner Update Meetings. Attracting over 100 contacts from a wide range of organisations, these updates are designed to facilitate networking, to communicate our recent activity and highlight upcoming opportunities. Profile for your news, events and special offers within Your Network - our exclusive monthly e-newsletter featuring partner news and issued to our partner network of 1k+. Sponsorship opportunities at our corporate, inward investment and cultural events; partners enjoy advance notice of high profile opportunities to expose your brand or messages to key audiences. Exclusive VIP invitations to previews, receptions and events throughout the year.

Business development and support: • • • • • • • •

Identified key contact within NewcastleGateshead Initiative team - a central point of contact to provide support and information. Welcome to NewcastleGateshead workshops at cost-price. Our destination awareness training is perfect for customer-facing staff. Access to the latest tourism industry research and information, and economic data and research. Invitations for your new recruits to attend our induction evenings. Held twice a year, these fun and informal events introduce your team to both our organisation and the destination itself. Visitor information stocks for your business: from maps to pocket guides. We also ensure your literature is stocked in local tourist information centres. Our monthly enewsletter: The Initiative. A regular round-up of our latest activity, key destination and tourism industry news, cultural and corporate dates for the diary and a summary of all current partner opportunities. Training and development support; we work with partners to deliver cost-price training opportunities to benefit your business and the performance of NewcastleGateshead as a destination; previous training has included negotiation and sales, venue show-round training, media training and presentation skills. Access to workshops and business conferences on topics relevant to businesses in the North East.

To find out more about NewcastleGateshead Initiative, call 0191 440 5748 or visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate

Marketing and promotion: NewcastleGateshead Initiative is the lead destination marketing and management organisation in North East England promoting our ‘twin cities’ nationally and internationally. Bronze level partnership is the first step towards participating in this activity and gaining profile and recognition as a valued part of the NewcastleGateshead offer - bronze partners exclusively receive 30% discount off many opportunities. • Complimentary use of marketing collateral, including pop up stands, image library, film footage and editorial content for use when promoting the area through your own channels. NewcastleGateshead.com (we average over 140k unique visitors a month): • Enhanced company / product listing in relevant section. • Detailed venue profile in conference section. • Opportunity to display festivals and events in ‘What’s On’ section and on home page within ‘What’s On at a Glance’ calendar. • Appear in top selection of on-site search rankings (except accommodation searches where bookable rooms have priority). • Coverage within NewcastleGateshead City Guide i-App. • Access to provide availability to online accommodation booking systems (commission rate: 10%). • Opportunity to provide special offers for competitions and on-site promotions. • Discounted on-site banner advertising. • Access to royalty free image library: an extensive online library of images to help sell the destination. Partners can use these images in their marketing collateral and websites free of charge. Leisure marketing: • Opportunities and discounted advertising for national and international marketing campaigns. • Discounted advertising rates within NewcastleGateshead’s pocket guide. • Opportunity to provide special offers and discounts for Discover Deals; with promotion within ecomms and website. Festivals and events marketing: • Discounted advertising rates in our key festivals and events marketing materials. Business tourism marketing: • Opportunity to host familiarisation visits and key ambassador programme events. • Discounted advertising and media opportunities in national business tourism campaigns. • Free line listing and discounted advertising opportunities in NewcastleGateshead’s award-winning Meetings and Events Guide. • Discounted opportunities to attend national and international trade shows. • Discounted advertising rates with comms to our database of more than 4k targeted conference and event organisers across the UK. Invest marketing: • Offer your services or tell your story on the investment website www.investNewcastleGateshead.com . • Opportunities to sponsor inward investment events, nationally or internationally, or work with us on sector or market visit programmes. • Inclusion in relevant propositions put to companies looking to locate in the area. • Introductions to relevant inward investors and supply chain or business opportunities. • Option of input into investment-specific e-newsletter In:Focus which has an international readership of over 1K. Media: • Inclusion in relevant media visits and press releases.

Bronze partnership costs: All prices are +VAT, per annum. Bronze - Category A Bronze - Category B Bronze - Category C Bronze - Category D Bronze - Category E Bronze partnership categories: A: B: • Hotel 150+ • Hotel 100-149 bedrooms bedrooms • Non tourism • Non residential business 20+ conference venue employees 1000+ delegates • Non tourism business 16-20 employees

Within NewcastleGateshead: £1,615 £1,292 £912 £595 £390

C: • Hotel 50-99 bedrooms • Non residential conference venue 500-999 delegates • Backpackers / Hostel 200+beds • Serviced Apartments 45+ units • Non tourism partner 11-15 employees

D: • Hotel 20 - 49 bedrooms • Non residential conference venue 200499 delegates • Backpackers / Hostel 100-199 beds • Self Catering / Serviced Apartments 20-44 units • Visitor attraction 50,000+visitors pa • Casinos • Non-tourism partner 6-10 employees

Out of NewcastleGateshead (25% discount): £1,210 £969 £687 £446 No discount

E: • Hotel <19 bedrooms • Non residential conference venue <199 delegates • Conference service providers (e.g. AV hire, PCO, DMC etc) • Backpackers / Hostel <99 beds • Self Catering / Serviced Apartments <19 units • Visitor attraction <50,000 visitors pa • Bars, pubs, cafes, nightclubs, restaurants • Local sports club / association • Blue Badge Tour Guide • Caravan / camp site • Independent retailers • Taxi services, coach hire, car hire • Non tourism micro business <10 employees (e.g. food suppliers)

*Please note all benefits are where appropriate / relevant to partner organisations.

NewcastleGateshead Initiative Partner Application Form To become a partner of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, please complete this application form and return it to the address below. We will then send you payment details and contact you to discuss your requirements in more detail. Organisation: Address:

Town/City: Postcode: Tel: Fax: Email: Website: I would like to confirm my organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to join NewcastleGateshead Initiative as a partner at GOLD / SILVER / BRONZE level (please circle as appropriate): Name: Position: Direct line: Email address:

Signature:

Date:

The invoice for your partner fee will be sent to yourself along with your new partner pack. Please also provide us, in the box below, with details of your finance department, ensuring you include a Purchase Order number or reference number. Name: Position: Adress:

Town/City: Postcode: Purchase Order Number:

Signature:

Date:

For accommodation providers: To ensure visitors receive a good standard of accommodation when they stay in the region, we only promote operators who are quality accredited by either the AA or Quality in Tourism. We would be delighted to provide any support or answer any questions you may have on this subject. Please complete the table below for our information.

Are you currently Quality Assessed? If yes, which scheme? Date of renewal If no, are you working towards accreditation?

Please provide details:

Unaccredited accommodation operators can still become partners but we cannot promote their accommodation offer. They can still take advantage of other benefits such as attending partner meetings and receiving communications. Please return this form along to NewcastleGateshead Initiative, 9th Floor, Baltic Place East, South Shore Road, Gateshead, NE8 3AE E: info@ngi.org.uk F:+44(0) 191 440 5721

NewcastleGateshead Initiative Partner Fees 2014/15 Membership of NewcastleGateshead Initiative runs annually from the date of joining. Fees will be invoiced annually and are exclusive of VAT. A Gold partner… …is one of North East England’s most influential businesses or organisations; one which shares NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s high ambitions for the region and is integral to the successful development of NewcastleGateshead. Gold partners must be at key networking events and at the table for major decision-making and have significant capacity to help boost the area’s profile and drive forward its future growth and success. A Silver partner… … is an important North East business or organisation, committed to the continued development and promotion of NewcastleGateshead and the region in partnership with NewcastleGateshead Initiative, in order to deliver any combination of positive perceptions, profile, visitors and business growth. Silver partners are an integral part of the local economy, respected members of the regional business community and can see the clear benefits associated with a successful NewcastleGateshead. A Bronze partner… … is a business or organisation which has a vested interested in the visitor economy of North East England, recognising NewcastleGateshead’s role in this. Bronze partners are keen to play a part in the continued development and promotion of the area as a successful destination and work in partnership with NewcastleGateshead Initiative to boost both visitor numbers and business growth.

Fees for 2014/15 are as follows:

Gold Partner Silver Partner Bronze Partner: Bronze - Category A Bronze - Category B Bronze - Category C Bronze - Category D Bronze - Category E

Within NewcastleGateshead £10,760 £2,690

Out of NewcastleGateshead No discount No discount

£1,615 £1,292 £912 £595 £390

£1,210 £969 £687 £446 No discount

Please see overleaf for a breakdown of bronze partner categories

Bronze Partnership Categories Category A

Hotel 150+ Bedrooms Non tourism business 20 + employees

Category B

Hotel 100-149 bedrooms Non residential conference venue 1000+ delegates Non tourism business 16-20 employees

Category C

Hotel 50-99 bedrooms Non residential conference venue 500-999 delegates Backpackers/Hostel 200+beds Serviced Apartments 45+ units Non tourism business 11-15 employees

Category D

Hotel 20 - 49 bedrooms Non residential conference venue 200-499 delegates Backpackers/Hostel 100-199 beds Self Catering / Serviced Apartments 20-44 units Visitor attraction 50,000+visitors pa Casinos Non tourism business 6-10 employees

Category E

Hotel <19 bedrooms Non residential conference venue <199 delegates Conference service providers (AV hire, PCO, DMC etc) Backpackers/Hostel <99 beds Self Catering / Serviced Apartments <19 units Visitor attraction <50,000 visitors pa Bars, pubs, cafes, nightclubs, restaurants Local sports club/association Blue Badge Tour Guide Caravan/camp site Independent retailers Taxi services, coach hire, car hire Non tourism business <5 employees e.g. food supplier