TEAM MEETING ROOM OFFER: PAGE 12 NEW-LOOK JD SPORTS: PAGE 8 TRAM ROUTEEDIT LATEST: PAGE 26 SPRING 2018 PAGE 1
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SPRING 2018
IN BIRMINGHAM DINOSAURS, LEGO AND THE KEY DATES FOR THE YEAR AHEAD: 8-PAGE SECTION
SUPPORT ON THE STREET
BID TEAM OF OFFICERS PATROLLING ALONGSIDE PCSOs AND POLICE PCSO Mike Poulton, Business Support Officer Pete Ash, PCSO Patrick McGregor, Business Support Officer Bryan Edwards, Business Support Officer Paul Barnett and PCSO Emma Riley
PAGE 2 EDIT SPRING 2018 EDIT magazine is brought to you by
Retail Birmingham is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Birmingham city centre’s retail area and has been supporting its members since 2007, promoting, enhancing and developing the shopping and leisure experience in the city centre. While the retail environment is forever changing with the challenge of shopping online, the Retail BID firmly believes in supporting the shopping experience delivered by retailers in the city centre, maintaining Birmingham’s position as the regional capital for shopping. RETAIL BID MANAGER Steve Hewlett steve.hewlett@retailbirmingham.co.uk DEPUTY BID MANAGER Assia Sohaib assia.sohaib@retailbirmingham.co.uk MARKETING EXECUTIVE Holly Barry holly.barry@retailbirmingham.co.uk BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICERS Paul Barnett, Peter Ash and Bryan Edwards support@retailbirmingham.co.uk Office: Level 4, Upper Mall West, Bullring, Birmingham B5 4BU Call 0121 643 3896 Visit www.retailbirmingham.co.uk www.shoppinginbirmingham.com Twitter @ShoppinginBham @retailbid Facebook ShoppingInBirmingham Instagram ShoppinginBham
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EDIT SPRING 2018 PAGE 3
A WARM WELCOME FROM RETAIL BIRMINGHAM Welcome to the latest edition of Edit, as we head into 2018. It has been widely reported across the UK’s major cities that retail footfall has been a challenge to maintain in recent times. Key events like Black Friday have changed the pattern of spending in the lead-up to the important festive trading period, with many stores going early into sale during December. We recognise the challenge and believe it is important that we continue to invest in making the city centre a safe, secure and pleasant place to shop, something that also came out as a priority for businesses in the Retail Group BID member survey in 2017. We want Birmingham to continue to be an outstanding destination for shopping and eating out, attracting visitors from across the region and the UK. The Retail BID board and team are determined to ensure that we do all that we can to make Birmingham city centre safer, cleaner, greener and accessible, working closely with our partners Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police. We have now strengthened our Retail Business Support team and you can read all about them in this issue. Paul, Pete and Bryan, together with our dedicated retail area PCSOs are all available to support you to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for shoppers and staff. We are also looking at how we can brighten up the city centre in readiness for the key trading periods throughout the year, including Christmas. It is clear that the local authority has continuing major financial challenges to overcome and we are looking at how the BID can take a radical approach to make a noticeable difference to the city centre area, working closely with the city. We hope to be able to share more information soon in the next issue of Edit. I have to mention the news that Birmingham has been chosen as the host city for the Commonwealth Games 2022 and this is testament to the work of a wide range of partners from across the region coming together under the leadership of Councillor Ian Ward at Birmingham City Council and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, to make this happen. This is a truly ‘once in a generation opportunity’ for the city and the Retail BID will play its part to ensure we have a spectacular welcome ready for the many thousands of visitors and the worldwide media attention this will bring. With the continuation of our retail marketing programme and together with the increased development and investment across the city centre, bringing thousands of new city centre residents and visitors, the next few years promise to be a really exciting time for everyone associated with the city. As always, if the team or I can be of assistance to you, please do get in touch, we are very much your voice.
Steve Hewlett, Retail BID manager
Third Business Support Officer helps strengthen city presence
NEW STREET RAMP / HIGH STREET FOCUS Retail BID’s Business Support Officers have been working with West Midlands Police to address issues near the New Street Ramp. Police resources are allocated according to demand so if incidents are not reported the Police will not be aware of them. It is important for businesses to call 101 to report incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB). Due to escalating issues on the New Street Ramp, a specific call reference has been created so please CALL 101 and quote 20BW/9030H/17 For issues in High Street please reference 20BW/262512Z/17. For all other city centre related issues please call 101. You can also call Retail BID on 0121 643 3896.
Retail BID Business Support Officers Pete Ash, Bryan Edwards and Paul Barnett
Stronger BID team to support retail area
Retail BID has strengthened its team of Business Support Officers to help support members across the retail area. Bryan Edwards joins the team to work alongside Paul Barnett and Pete Ash. With a background in retail crime security, loss prevention, management and support roles, Bryan has extensive experience of dealing with city centre issues in the appropriate way. Bryan has also spent time as training manager for a large retail
security group, looking after training for over 2,000 officers, 40 head office staff and co-ordinating dayto-day health and safety and risk assessments. The BID’s three Business Support Officers will act as a visual deterrent at key hotspots in the city centre, patrolling alongside PCSOs and working with partners such as West Midlands Police, Street Intervention Team and other BIDs to discourage anti-social behaviour and promote interactions with the services that are available.
The BID’s Business Support Officers are also trying to inform those that visit and work in the city centre of the ways they can help people that are in difficulties and discourage onstreet donations; the new initiative launched by the West Midlands Mayor changeintoaction.org.uk being an excellent example of this. n Businesses that observe antisocial behaviour such as begging and alcohol/drug abuse should continue to report incidents to the Police on 101.
Email the team: support@retailbirmingham.co.uk
NEW STREET RAMP: CALL 101 AND QUOTE 20BW/9030H/17 HIGH STREET: CALL 101 AND QUOTE 20BW/262512Z/17
NEW SCHEME AIDS HOMELESSNESS A new alternative giving scheme is being piloted across Birmingham to help those who sleep rough on the streets. The new scheme, Change Into Action aims to address rough sleeping across the West Midlands by supporting specialist homeless charities and street teams to provide further help and change circumstances for rough sleepers. The campaign is supported by Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), led by the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street. The public can support the scheme by donating through the Change into Action website or helping street teams to locate rough sleepers via the Street Link app. n To find out more about Change Into Action, visit https://changeintoaction.org.uk/
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Get ready to welcome the Commonwealth
Hosting Games in 2022 will bring thousands of visitors to city centre
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Birmingham city centre is expected to welcome thousands of extra visitors and be seen by millions of TV viewers across the world after the city was chosen to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced it has selected Birmingham as the host city partner of the XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022. At a special event staged at the Arena Academy school in Birmingham, CGF President Louise Martin CBE applauded the city’s ambitious and innovative vision to engage and benefit its local community, showcase the best of global Britain and warmly welcome and inspire athletes and fans from right across the Commonwealth. Birmingham 2022, which is expected to take place from 27 July – 7 August 2022,
marks 20 years since Manchester 2002, the last time the Games were held in England. Victoria Square will transform into a sporting and cultural landmark for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Set against the historic backdrop of the Council House and Town Hall, 3×3 Basketball will showcase the city centre to the world. The Games will feature the Urban Street Festival, which will celebrate urban street sport activity: sport without boundaries, music, lifestyle, and a healthy legacy. Activities will include free running, skateboarding, BMX, street dance and sport climbing. Richard Norgrove, Chair, Retail BID, said: “Our congratulations go to the Bid Team for securing the Commonwealth Games for Birmingham in 2022. “The next few years leading up to the has contributed. We have had excellent summer of 2022 are going to be fantastic support from residents and businesses in for the city centre retail area as the the city; our regional partners including excitement amounts and we start to see Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, the impact of hosting such a world-famous and the West Midlands Combined Authority, event in Birmingham. the Midlands Engine, Local Enterprise “We’re looking forward to working with Partnerships, the NEC Group, and the the Commonwealth Games organisers to University of Birmingham; as well as venues, make sure Birmingham city centre comes sport and cultural organisations across the alive for the Urban Street Festival and other Midlands. We have also enjoyed a close events that will bring in new visitors in their working relationship with the Department thousands. for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the “We will also be working hard to make Commonwealth Games Federation and sure there is a lasting legacy of hosting Commonwealth Games England. the Games in Birmingham and “The hard work begins now supporting the organisers on this and we all have just four‘The success and-a-half for future generations.” years to deliver an of this bid has unforgettable Games that will CGF President Louise Martin CBE said: “We warmly shape the future of our city, our depended congratulate Birmingham and and our people. Thank entirely on the region England on the announcement you for backing Birmingham’s whole of the bid.” – it is a defining moment for this truly Commonwealth city. West Midlands Andy Street, Mayor of the West With its rich history, cultural Midlands, said: “The success of region getting this bid has depended entirely diversity, youthful dynamism and ambitious spirit, Birmingham on the whole of the West behind it’ embodies all that we cherish Midlands region getting behind about the Commonwealth, and it and recognising the benefits so the Commonwealth Sports Movement it will bring. The Games will provide the looks forward to collaborating with all the opportunity to not only see world-class Games partners to showcase the city’s sport but bring economic and social humanity and pride to a global audience benefits. over the coming months and years.” “Above all, this will be our opportunity, Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City along with the Coventry City of Culture Council and Chair of the Bid Team, said: the year prior to the Games, to showcase “This has been a team effort and the Bid a resurgent, diverse and confident West Team would like to thank everyone who Midlands to the world.”
BIRMINGHAM 2022 FACTS & FIGURES n The event is expected to take place between July 27-August 7, 2022 n It will be 20 years since Manchester 2002, the last time the Games were held in England n The official handover to Birmingham set to take place at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony on April 15 Good sports: Digital images show how Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre could look (facing page) and a rebuilt Alexander Stadium, above
n The focal point of the games will be a rebuilt Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, the home of UK Athletics n With events planned to take place in Coventry, Sandwell and Solihull, Birmingham’s bid received the full support of the wider Midlands region, including: Birmingham City Council; three regional local enterprise partnerships: Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP; Black Country LEP; Coventry and Warwickshire LEP; the West Midlands Combined Authority and the newly elected Mayor of West Midlands, Andy Street CBE n The bid received crossparty support from all three Birmingham City Council leaders as well as the seven local authorities within the West Midlands Combined Authority (five Labour, two Conservatives).
Find out more about the 2022 Games by visiting www.birmingham2022.com
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The latest visitor campaigns created by Retail BID’s branding agency, Gung Ho, feature seasonal shopping, lifestyle and evening entertainment messages
New campaigns to drive city centre footfall
CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN FINDINGS A Visit Birmingham report has revealed key findings from our Birmingham city centre Christmas campaign. Retail BID worked with partners West Midlands Growth Company, Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Railway on the Christmas promotion. Objectives were to position Birmingham as a key visitor tourism destination and promote the overall visitor experience in the city over the festive period and into 2018. Campaign imagery focused on what the city has to offer, with eye-catching images of Great Western Arcade, Bullring, Selfridges and Mailbox. The approach was built upon existing creative developed for previous campaigns by Retail BID’s design agency Gung Ho. Key themes at the core of the destination offering were promoted as part of the city’s leisure proposition during the festive period: City, Retail, Family, Food & Drink and Accommodation.
Bold images target 45-minute drive-time to city Retail BID’s seasonal campaigns to drive footfall to the city centre will continue throughout 2018. A campaign to highlight January sales went live on December 26, with the key objective of attracting visitors to the city centre in the post-Christmas period. The BID’s current campaign, working in partnership with West Midlands Growth Company,
features keep fit and healthy eating messages, focusing on the health and well-being offering in the city centre. This campaign will be followed by Valentine’s shopping, again focusing on driving footfall. The bold imagery is being used to target the 45-minute drive-time to Birmingham city centre, with targeted digital advertising and social media engagement. RBID_Xmas2017_A4_V1ou.indd 1
07/09/2017 21:30
THE FINDINGS SHOW THAT COMPARED TO THE WINTER 2016 CAMPAIGN… n 19% increase in page-views. n 10% increase in the quality of website traffic. n Record number of map downloads. n 3,050,120 social media impressions. n Customer Perception Survey with 1,000 on-street participants, commissioned by WMGC Regional Observatory team, showed average visitor spend was up by 56% and 25% of visitors plan to return for shopping in Jan/Feb 18. OTHER KEY FINDINGS: n Retail BID’s Shopping Map received 1,047 downloads during the period. n The campaign microsite within visitbirmingham.com received a total of 49,352 unique visitors with 87,302 unique page-views. This showed a 19% increase in page-views when compared to the 2016 Data: Visit Birmingham campaign.
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JD Sports adds to changing face of New St and High St
COURT
Busy time for city centre retail area as sports retailer is latest to announce exciting plans to transform store
PRIMARK PAVILIONS
A digital impression of how the new-look JD Sports could look, top, and an artist’s impression of Primark Pavilions, left
JD Sports has submitted a planning application to Birmingham City Council to completely transform the shopfront at its New Street branch. The plans show a stunning new store with removed concrete canopy, double-height glass facia and improved window displays. Internal changes to the store also feature in the planning application, with cash desks moved and new lighting and fitting rooms. Meanwhile, the interior fit-out is continuing on the flagship H&M store for High Street, which will completely refurbish the huge shopping space left behind by BHS. The two-storey shop will cover all of units six to nine which run alongside the arcade. The building’s concrete canopy has been removed as part of the refurbishment, helping to open up New Street and allow more natural light to reach the street. H&M High Street is due to open in Spring 2018. The new H&M store is one of several new launches on New Street and High Street with work progressing on the vast Primark Pavilions centre, which is due for completion at the end of 2018, and a new Burton opening prior to Christmas.
NEW STREET
JD SPORTS
METRO BANK
HIGH STREET
A Ramora street cleaner at work
STREETS CLEANED FOR FESTIVE PERIOD
H&M 1
Metro Bank has agreed a lease on 85-88 High Street, top, and H&M’s visuals for its New Street concept store, left PROPOSED HIGH STREET ELEVATION
Retail BID Birmingham gave the city centre’s busiest streets a clean for Christmas shoppers. New Street and Corporation Street were steam-cleaned and chewing gum removed in time for the arrival of thousands of extra seasonal visitors. The recently-repaved area outside the Apple Store had gum and grime removed as A3.1 part of the BID’s ongoing street cleaning programme, carried out by Ramora Ltd, a specialist cleaning company. The BID also organised for the temporary security barriers surrounding the Frankfurt Christmas Market to be repainted to make the area more attractive for the Christmas period. No chemicals were used in the cleaning process, just steam – so there are no environmental implications when removing chewing gum from streets, and the works are being carried out during evenings to avoid disruption to businesses. The BID will continue to work with Ramora Ltd on a new programme of street steamcleaning with more details of exact locations and times to follow. A3
Primark is remodelling the former Pavilions building to create a striking four-storey centre. The project will also involve a new pedestrian access route running between Moor Street and High Street and new façades fronting these two streets. And on the junction of New Street
and High Street, Metro Bank’s plans for its first Midlands branch have been approved. Thirty jobs could be created as part of the bank’s expansion into the region. Metro Bank has agreed a 25-year lease on the ground floor of 85-88 High Street, units currently occupied
by Vodafone, Card Factory and Foot Asylum. In addition to the bank itself there will be training facilities for approximately 200 people to serve planned future openings elsewhere in the Midlands. The bank opens seven days a week, including bank holidays, and until 8pm during the week.
KEY REGENERATION PROJECTS FOR CITY Special Report: Pages 16&17
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Visual Manager Vanessa’s window into the retail world As House of Fraser Visual Manager, Vanessa Kirkham and her team are responsible for the look of one of the city’s biggest stores. Vanessa also got to work with one of the UK’s leading artists on the ever-popular House of Fraser Christmas Grotto, which was supported by Retail BID. The BID team lent a hand with the annual
project and secured the services of artist Temper to give the Grotto a new look. Here, Vanessa gives an insight into her role and what it takes to manage the displays at the store. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY ROLE AT HOUSE OF FRASER BIRMINGHAM?
I am the Visual Manager of House of Fraser Birmingham and have been with
New planters for Corporation Street The BID has worked closely with Birmingham City Council to install new granite planters along Corporation Street to complement the new public realm and assist with pedestrian safety.
the company for over five years. I am responsible for all 27 windows, making sure they are installed and styled to perfection. We are notoriously known within the company for being the store with the most windows! I am also accountable for the general look and feel of the store. Making sure the handwriting for Birmingham flows from the windows, through into the store, creating visual impact with our mannequin groupings and sites. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE VISUAL APPEAL OF THE STORE TO ATTRACT SHOPPERS AND VISITORS?
The visual appeal of the store is one of the most important things that must be considered when trying to attract shoppers and visitors to our store. The windows are our calling card to the world outside and are visible 24/7, we must stand out from the rest of the high street and showcase what amazing brands we have in store. It is up to my visual team and me to make certain we display this product in the finest way possible. This will initially draw the eye of a customer and hopefully excite and inspire them. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WORK ON THE CHRISTMAS GROTTO?
Working in the Grotto is the best part of my job. This is where I can become fully immersed and be as creative as I want, the more imaginative the better. I loved being locked away for six weeks solely
BID duo tackle marathon for city charities The House of Fraser Grotto was given a new look for Christmas 2017
to concentrate on putting together the Grotto. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by snow, glitter and of course our Yoshi the Yeti for six weeks? HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE NEW LOOK DESIGN AND LAYOUT?
This year we wanted to give the Grotto back to the children and give them the most magical Winter Wonderland they have ever seen. Working with the artist Temper was brilliant. With his amazing backdrops and cobbled pathway, he has such a talent and I would love to work with him again in the future. I cannot wait to start planning for 2018 to elevate the Grotto further! WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT TO SEE AT HOUSE OF FRASER THIS YEAR FOR EACH SEASON, STARTING WITH NEW YEAR COLLECTIONS?
This season’s focus is all about wellbeing. Whether that is embracing the elements and going out on a Spring-time walk in the country, or relaxing and unwinding at home. Both are a great way to spend your January and February. A really key trend coming up this year is leisure and active wear, these clothes aren’t just for the gym anymore. This is a big focus in our windows already and we have seen some new sports bands come into store such as Adidas, Reebok and Fila too.
Two members of the Retail BID team are aiming to go the extra mile for local charities by taking on the Virgin Money London Marathon for the first time. BID Manager Steve Hewlett and Business Support Officer Paul Barnett will run in London on April 22 in aid of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and homeless support charity St Basils. Paul is a veteran of nine Birmingham half marathons, most notably dressed as Santa, but this will be his first marathon. This will also be Steve’s first marathon and is something he had been urged to attempt by his daughter. “When she asked me, I said, ‘absolutely no chance... I couldn’t do it,’ but then having worked with Birmingham Children’s Hospital fundraising team on the The Big Hoot and The Big Sleuth art trails in the city and seeing how hard they work to raise funds I really wanted to give it a go for the charity,” said Steve. “It’s also great that Paul and I can run it together as well, to raise money for two brilliant charities in the city.” Paul added: “The most enjoyable part of taking part in all of the Birmingham half marathons has been the support you get from the crowds. “When I was given the chance to run the London Marathon for St Basils I jumped at it! I am a big believer in the wonderful work that St Basils does and I can’t wait to feel the legendary support from the crowds in London.”
Steve Hewlett, left, and Paul Barnett in training for the Virgin Money London Marathon 2018
Paul and Steve are looking to raise sponsorship for both charities and will be training together after work around the city centre BID areas and canal towpaths. World-renowned Birmingham Children’s Hospital treats over 90,000 sick children each year and is rated as ‘outstanding’ for its lifechanging specialist services, including the treatment of complex heart conditions, chronic liver and kidney disease, cancer, serious burns, epilepsy, neurology, cystic fibrosis and leading child mental health services. It also has Europe’s largest children’s intensive care unit, 24hour A&E and a leading trauma centre. St Basils works with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, helping over 5,000 young people per year across the West Midlands. The aim is to help them break the ‘cycle of homelessness’ so that they can go on to experience a bright, fulfilling future.
n Steve Hewlett is raising funds on behalf of Birmingham Children’s Hospital: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/stevehewlett n Paul Barnett is raising funds on behalf of St Basils: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/paul-barnett-SAVMLMBONDS3332018-832758
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DISCOUNTED OFFER AT CITY CENTRE GYM The Gym on High Street is offering a discounted membership rate for city centre employees. Manager Chris Woodhall is offering all local businesses a £13.99 membership and no joining fee (original price £14.99, plus £20 joining fee) Members should sign up as normal by visiting www. thegymgroup.com but put the code ‘corpbrumcc’ in the promotional code box. The Gym is open 24/7 and offers the latest cardio and resistance kit, all well maintained and durable. Chris took over as General Manager last summer and is making it his priority to expand partnerships in the corporate world. The Gym is open 24/7 and its central location near Bullring has made it popular with city centre workers, residents and a growing student membership.
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BID office meeting room available for members
8 PAGES OF KEY DATES, EVENTS AND THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS CHANGING THE CITY
DOGS WITH STAR QUALITY WANTED Does your dog have star quality? The producers of Legally Blonde the Musical are on the hunt for a canine star for when the show comes to the New Alexandra Theatre from Monday 21 to Saturday 26 May 2018. Legally Blonde has two very important members of cast – a Chihuahua called Bruiser and a dog called Rufus. Bruiser is already cast, so they are holding auditions to find a Rufus. Auditions will be held at the New Alexandra Theatre on Sunday, February 4, 10am-12 noon. The panel is looking for a British Bulldog and anyone who would like to apply for an audition can email legallyblondedogauditions@ gmail.com for more information and an application form.
The meeting room has space for 10 and is available to use as part of the BID membership
Space to use for team away days or staff meetings
RETAIL BID’S NEW ADDRESS:
Retail Birmingham Limited, Level 4, Upper Mall West, Bullring, Birmingham B5 4BU
Retail BID has relocated to a new city centre office… and BID members are invited to be a part of the move. The BID has returned to its former office in Bullring’s management suite, on Level 4 of the centre, next to the Bullring Management Suite. One of the features of the refurbished office is a meeting room that accommodates upto 10 people and is open to BID members to use as part of their membership for team meetings, away days or meetings with clients, staff and suppliers. The relocation to a larger office has enabled a stronger partnership approach to be developed and the office is now also being used by crime experts, security officers, local authority and Police colleagues for briefings and updates for
the benefit of the city centre retail area. Retail BID received support from the Business Growth Programme, led by Birmingham City Council and ERDF to cover relocation and furnishing costs. Retail BID manager Steve Hewlett said: “Lots of planning went into the office move to make sure we secured a highprofile location in the city centre, and we were pleased to receive funding from the Business Development Programme and our thanks also go to Bullring owners Hammerson and Birmingham City Council for their support. “We are aware meeting space in the city centre is in high demand, so the meeting room offers all members the opportunity to host meetings with staff and suppliers and everyone is welcome to use it at no cost, so please do get in touch.”
Dippy drops in as part of UK tour
PLUS: HOW CITY SKYLINE IS CHANGING
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The year ahead will see a host of huge events to attract visitors of all ages to the city centre. Here, we look at a few of the highlights DIPPY ON TOUR
The Natural History Museum’s famous Diplodocus, known as Dippy, is taking a road trip to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery from 26th May - 9th September 2018. The British icon is on a mission to inspire five million natural history adventures, encouraging families to explore nature on their doorstep. And to celebrate Dippy’s visit to Birmingham, Retail BID is working on a dinosaur trail across the city centre for families to enjoy when they visit the exhibit. Dippy on Tour will be a free ticketed event. Advanced booking is strongly advised as this will be a very popular exhibition, according to Birmingham Museums Trust. Dippy, has delighted visitors since he arrived in London in 1905. The Natural History Museum in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation is working with eight partners UK wide to tour one of its most iconic exhibits, with the aim of 1.5 million people across the UK seeing Dippy in person. The full skeleton cast in its displayed pose is an impressive 21.3 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 4.25 metres high. Not all dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. One group survived and evolved into the birds we know today. Using Birmingham’s fantastic bird collection this exhibition will also explore how the features we think of as characteristic of birds such as feathers and nests first appeared in dinosaurs.
WORLD-FAMOUS ATHLETICS
The IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 will take place at Arena
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Key dates for 2018
Dinosaurs, Lego and world’s top athletes... 2018 has got it all!
With a Royal Wedding to look forward to, 2018 is promising to be an exciting year. Here, we pick out the dates to help you plan promotions and seasonal collections.
FEBRUARY
Valentine’s Day. 14th February Chinese New Year (Year of the Dog). City centre celebrations between 15th-18th February Half term. 12th-23rd February
MARCH
Mother’s Day. 11th March St Patrick’s Day. 17th March Easter holidays. 26th-13th April
APRIL
Easter Bank Holiday. 2nd April St George’s Day. 23rd April
THE YEAR AHEAD IN BIRMINGHAM
MAY
Early May Bank Holiday. 7th May Royal Wedding of Prince Harry & Meghan. 19th May Spring Bank Holiday. 28th May Summer half term. 28th-1st June
JUNE
Eid-Al-Fitr. 14th June Father’s Day. 17th June
JULY
Summer holiday. 16th-5th Sept University of Birmingham graduation. 4th-12th July Aston University graduation. 16th-20th July Birmingham City University graduation. 24th-27th July Birmingham International Marathon runners pass Selfridges in the city centre
THE YEAR AHEAD IN BIRMINGHAM
Birmingham between March 1st to 4th and more than 400 athletes from 150 countries are expected to compete. This will be the second time that Birmingham has staged the championships, having successfully organised the ninth edition of the event in 2003. Remembering the 2003 event, Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “We all have fond memories of the 2003 championships – an event that helped put Birmingham on the sporting map. Since then we’ve hosted many more global sporting events and we are delighted that 15 years later, we will once again be welcoming this prestigious event back to Birmingham.” Since 2003 the city of Birmingham
has changed considerably, with new developments and improvements carried out across the city, including a £26 million revamp of Arena Birmingham, a venue which has now staged indoor athletics for 25 years, with 15 world records broken during that period. The indoor track received its own makeover ahead of this year’s Müller Indoor Grand Prix as the entire infield, including the 60m straight and all the field event run ups, has been replaced. The IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 will be jointly organised by Birmingham City Council and Birmingham-based British Athletics.
LEGO HEAVEN
The first blocks have been laid as work on
Birmingham’s Legoland continues. Birmingham’s new £7 million Legoland Discovery Centre will enable children to step into a giant box of Lego bricks when it opens in time for the school summer holidays. The Merlin indoor attraction will be located at Arena Birmingham, formally the Barclaycard Arena. Visitors can expect Lego play areas, interactive rides, master classes from the Lego Master Model Builder, special party rooms for birthdays and a 4D cinema plus, of course, thousands and thousands of bricks of all shapes and sizes to play with.
READY, STEADY, GO…
The date for two of the biggest events to pass the Bullring area, the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run and Birmingham
International Marathon 2018, has been revealed as Sunday, October 14, while the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K will take place on Sunday, May 6. The Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run is firmly established as one of the most popular half marathons in the country, while the Birmingham International Marathon will be returning for the second time after this year’s debut, which sold out months before the starting pistol was fired. More than £4.1 million was raised for local and national good causes by runners at the marathon and half marathon in 2017, while the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K generated over £1.4 million for charity. Exact start times and route details for the events are still being reviewed with more details to follow early in 2018.
AUGUST
Eid-Al-Adha. 21st August
OCTOBER
Halloween. 31st October Half term. 22nd-2nd November
NOVEMBER
Bonfire Night. 5th November Diwali. 7th November Black Friday. 23rd November Cyber Monday. 26th November
DECEMBER
Christmas half term. 24th-4th January Christmas Eve. 24th December Christmas Day. 25th December Boxing Day. 26th December
JANUARY
New Year’s Day. 2019 1st January
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Birmingham continues to evolve with regeneration schemes across city centre
SYMPHONY HALL
The building projects changing city skyline PRIMARK PAVILIONS
These are exciting times for Birmingham as some of the biggest regeneration schemes and new developments for generations come to fruition. Large parts of the city centre are being transformed and modernised, bringing new visitors, residents and businesses to Birmingham. And the number of cranes on the city’s skyline is testament to the amount of inward investment the city is attracting, breathing new life into all areas of the city. In this special feature we take a look at some of the key projects changing the face of the city. SYMPHONY HALL Town Hall Symphony Hall has appointed a design team for a proposed £12 million foyer development which will open the building onto a regenerated Centenary Square. Widely considered one of the finest concert halls in the world and home to the CBSO, the venue also hosts the best in jazz, world music, folk, rock, pop and stand-up comedy. Last year alone saw performances from Sir Van Morrison, Tony Bennett, Kraftwerk, Robert Plant CBE and Idina Menzel. Page \ Park Architects have been appointed to work on the extension of the foyer at Symphony Hall. The project is conditionally supported through the Local Growth Fund by the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. PRIMARK PAVILIONS The new Primark Pavilions retail regeneration scheme on High Street is due for completion at the end of 2018. Primark is remodelling the former Pavilions building to create a new four-storey centre. Architects’ impressions show Primark’s plans for the 263,600 sq ft centre in High Street and a new view from Moor Street Station, which will face the giant new HS2 Curzon rail station.
The project will also involve a new pedestrian access route running between Moor Street and High Street and new façades fronting these two streets. The scheme has been designed by Birmingham architecture practice 3D Reid. Existing stores such as Three and Thorntons are expected to stay at Primark Pavilions once the redevelopment is complete while Primark’s New Street store will close. PARADISE BIRMINGHAM Described as the most important city centre development in the UK outside of London, Paradise is a vast mixed-use development on the site of the former Central Library. The site is 1.8 million square feet of high quality buildings offering offices, shops, bars, cafés, restaurants and a hotel. Paradise will be one of the biggest development schemes Birmingham has seen for a generation and will dramatically transform this whole area of the city, connecting the retail core to a new-look Centenary Square, the Library of Birmingham and Brindleyplace beyond. PwC will be relocating its 1,400 strong Birmingham team to One Chamberlain Square in early 2019. Two Chamberlain Square is an eight storey, 183,000 sq ft building bringing a striking addition to the area.
2one2 BROAD STREET Birmingham-based Glenn Howells Architects has won approval to build a skyscraper that will be the tallest residential building in Birmingham with over 480 rental apartments. Called 2one2 Broad Street, the 42-storey tower – developed by Moda Living – will be on the site of the former nightclub Tramps on Broad Street, and will feature a rooftop running track, among other amenities. ARENA CENTRAL The 9.2 acre Arena Central site is at the heart of Birmingham’s civic quarter and is masterplanned to deliver 1.2 million sq ft of mixed-use development, set within a new landscaped public realm. Fronting Centenary Square, Arena Central represents ‘a highly deliverable and highly
THE YEAR AHEAD IN BIRMINGHAM
EXCHANGE SQUARE
PARADISE desirable location for work, leisure and retail’ according to marketing material. HSBC announced that it would forward-purchase 1 Centenary Square as the head office of its UK ring-fenced bank serving personal and business customers, under the HSBC UK brand. Formerly 2 Arena Central and renamed 1 Centenary Square by HSBC, the building occupies a prominent position overlooking Centenary Square to the front and the new Arena Central public realm to the rear.
The bank is expected to take occupancy in the autumn of 2018. EXCHANGE SQUARE Phase 2 of Exchange Square is the final phase of the £350 million Masshouse project. Developer Nikal is currently working on new proposals for a landmark apartment building which, if approved by planners, will be one of Birmingham’s tallest buildings and a high-profile landmark for those arriving at the Birmingham Curzon HS2 station, which will be directly opposite the site. In addition to the residential, the scheme could benefit from external amenity space across outdoor terrace/ garden areas and amenity and retail space on the lower ground and ground floor levels. BENEFICIAL BUILDING The Beneficial Building, better known as the former home of Snobs nightclub, has been empty and clad in scaffold for some time. New plans have been lodged to transform the Paradise Circus Queensway building into a boutique hotel. The new hotel could have 130 bedrooms with retail and commercial units on the ground floor. AXIS SQUARE The Axis Square site is currently home to The Axis, a 1970s building in the heart of the city centre, neighbouring the Mailbox. Proposals for Axis Square include a total of four commercial office buildings, ranging from 5 to 23 storeys, approximately 950,000 sq ft office space. In addition, there will be approximately 30,000 sq ft of ground floor retail space, including food and drink, and a vibrant new public square. NEW MONACO Plans have been submitted for a £275 million urban village scheme close to the city council that would see more than 1,000 new homes on the vacant Monaco House site on Bristol Street, near the Southside district. Monaco House is in the process of demolition, revealing the scale of the site in a prominent ‘gateway’ into the city centre.
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CITY CENTRE JANUARY 1st-7th Jan Ice Skate Birmingham 3rd Jan Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 17th Jan Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market FEBRUARY 7th Feb Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 15-18th Feb Verve Poetry Festival 16th Feb Chinese New Year 21st Feb Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market MARCH 7th March Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 11th March St Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival 21st March Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market APRIL 4th April Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 13-22 April Flatpack Film Festival 18th April Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market MAY 2nd May Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 6th May Great Birmingham 10K Run 16th May Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 26-27th May Birmingham Pride 26th May-9th Sept Dippy the Dinosaur on tour JUNE 1-10th June International Dance Festival 6th June Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 10-8th July FIFA World Cup TBC Summer in Southside
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TOWN HALL
TBC HSBC City Ride 16th June Birmingham Wildlife Festival 20th June Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market
Freedom Parade
JULY 4th July Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 6-7th July Colmore Food Festival 13-15th July Birmingham Cocktail Weekend TBC Birmingham & Solihull Jazz Festival TBC Rathayatra festival 18th July Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market
TOWN HALL
AUGUST 1st August Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 15th August Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market
FEBRUARY 2nd Feb Jack Jones 80th birthday celebration tour 4th Feb Shake the chains 5th Feb Natalie Imbruglia 13th Feb Rebecca Ferguson 14th Feb Roderick Williams and English Song 16-17 Feb Tim Vine sunset, milk, idiot 20th Feb An audience with Frank Bruno: Let me be Frank 21st Feb Jason Donovan and his amazing midlife crisis 24th Feb The big Birmingham soul night
SEPTEMBER TBC Heritage Week 5th Sept Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 9th Sept (TBC) Velo Cycle Festival 2018 19th Sept Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market OCTOBER 3rd Oct Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 14th Oct Birmingham International Marathon 17th Oct Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 21st Oct Trafalgar Day NOVEMBER 7th Nov Birmingham City Centre Fine Food Market 11th Nov Armistice Day 11th Nov WW1 Beacon Lighting 11th Nov Remembrance Sunday 11th Nov
DECEMBER TBC Acorn’s Santa Fun Run TBC Frankfurt Christmas Market
THE YEAR AHEAD IN BIRMINGHAM
JANUARY 17th Jan Domonkos csabay in recital 18th Jan King King 25th Jan The original 1968-77 Elvis TCB Band 27th Jan Ed Byrne: Spoiler Alert 30th Jan The classic rock show 2018
MARCH 2nd March Magnum 6th March Nicola Benedetti in-the-round 10th March Buddy Holly and the cricketers 11th March An evening with Ant Middleton 13th March G4 Live 2018 16th March Turin Brakes 17th March I believe in unicorns 17th March The Dublin legends 30-3 April Tiddler & other terrific tales
APRIL 7th April Foil arms and hog 13th April Rumours of Fleetwood Mac 14th April The amazing bubble man 14th April Elkie Brooks pearls: greatest hits tour 19th April Damned devotion tour 2018 20th April Alexander O’Neal 21th April Kim Wilde here we come aliens tour 29th April Michael English & Brendan Shine MAY 1st May Yo La Tengo 3rd May Eric Bibb plus support 19-20th May Dinosaurworld live! 23rd May Beethoven’s triple concerto
JUNE 2nd June Classical opera - la finta semplice 15th June The life and rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah 30th June 2018 Birmingham International Piano Competition (the final) JULY 31st July Sir Ranulph Fiennes - living dangerous SEPTEMBER 20th Sept Joan Armatrading the 2018 tour 23rd Sept An audience with Simon Reeve OCTOBER 18th Oct At last: the Etta James story
SYMPHONY HALL JANUARY 1st Jan Johann Strauss Gala
6th Jan Viennese New Year 7th Jan Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet -Swan Lake 11th Jan Bruckner’s seventh 17-20 Jan Bartok’s concerto for orchestra 18th Jan Jim Jefferies - the unusual punishment tour 19th Jan An evening of music and dance with Birmingham Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet 21st Jan Black dyke band in concert 2018 23rd Jan Joshua Bell - Vivaldi’s four seasons 27th Jan Anton & Erin 31 Jan-1 Feb Rachmaninov’s second FEBRUARY 2nd Feb Katherine Ryan 3-18 Feb Paul Carrack
4th Feb Mozart’s women 5th Feb Kodo 2018 6th Feb Nicola Benedetti Beethoven Violin Concerto 8th Feb The Mavericks 9th Feb Opera Gala 13th Feb Iron & Wine 16th Feb Symphonic Rock 19th Feb Paul Chowhry live innit 21st Feb Seal the standards tour 22nd Feb Romeo & Juliet 23rd Feb Icons of the 80s MARCH 1st March Apocalyptica plays metallica by four cellos 2nd March Best of the West End
3rd March Satinder Sartaay 7th March Thomas ades conducts 9th March The music of David Bowie 10th March Brit Floyd - Eclipse 2018 11th March Oscar winners music from the Academy Awards 13th March Michael McDonald in concert 14th March Joan Baez fare thee well tour 16th March Brendan Cole 20th March Yes - 50th anniversary tour 22nd March Steven Wilson 31st March Sister Act live choir APRIL 5-6 April Gregory Porter 8th April Beauty and the beast 10th April Jethro tull 50th anniversary tour 11th April Jaws in concert 14th April Marillion 16th April The Whitney Houston show 17th April Lisa Stansfield 18th April Saint Saens’ Organ Symphony 21st April Remembering Fred 25th April My dad wrote a porno: live 26-28 April Shostakovich’s tenth 29th April Bryan Ferry 30th April G3 MAY 2-3 May Sibelius’ secomd 4th May Crazy for Gershuin 8th May Christy Moore 10th May Don Mclean 15th May Foreigner 21st May An evening with Alexander Armstrong 22nd May Dan and Phil’s World Tour 2018
25th May Joseph Calleja and the CBSO 26th May Echo and the bunnymen JUNE 5th June Marti Pellow the private collection tour 2018 8th June Best of Bollywood 9th June Keep fit associated move to the rhythm 14-15 June Gary Barlow plus special guests 18th June George Benson in concert 22-24 June Zimmer vs Williams 23rd June Pelleas et melisande 27-28 June Nicola Benedetti: shostakovich JULY 14th July Kevin and Karen dance - the live tour 2018 23rd July Del Amitri 30th July Blame it on bianca del rio OCTOBER 9th Oct Joanna Lumley it’s all about me 20th Oct Cliff Richard 25-26 Oct Sarah Millican control enthusiast 30th Oct Caro Emerald NOVEMBER 6th Nov An evening with King Crimson 10th Nov Spectacular classics 12th Nov Joe Lycett: I’m about to lose control 18th Nov Simply Sinatra 22nd Nov Dave Gorman DECEMBER 4th Dec Deacon Blue 30th anniversary tour
BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME JANUARY 31st Jan-3rd Feb Beautiful - The Carole King Musical
FEBRUARY 6-10 Feb Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella 13-24 Feb Birmingham Royal Ballet - the sleeping beauty 18th Feb Chinese New Year 2018 27th Feb Sean Lock - Keep it light MARCH 1-3 March Dara O’Brian - Voice of reason 10th March Jon Richardson: Old Man 16-17 March Ballet BC 20-24 March Evita 27-31 March The play that goes wrong APRIL 4-29 April Wicked the musical MAY 1-12 May The Band musical 11-13 May B-SIDE Hip-Hop festival 2018 15-19 May An officer and a gentleman 21-26 May Art 29-2 June Stomp JUNE 4-9 June Titanic the musical JULY 3-8 Sept Matilda the musical SEPTEMBER 19-22 Sept Kevin Bridges OCTOBER 10-3 Nov War Horse NOVEMBER 23-13 Dec The Nutcracker
ARENA BIRMINGHAM FEBRUARY 17-18 Feb British Athletics Indoor Championships 23RD FEB Professor Brian Cox
Continued over
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MARCH 1-4 March IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 14-18 March Yonex all England Open Badminton Championships 15th March All Time Low 21-22 March 2018 Gymnastics World Cup 27th March Fall Out Boy 29th March Thirty Seconds to Mars
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ARENA BIRMINGHAM
THE YEAR AHEAD IN BIRMINGHAM
JULY 31-4 AUG Madagascar - a musical adventure NOVEMBER 13-17 Nov Rock of ages DECEMBER 3-29 Dec Benidorm
APRIL 13-15 April Torvill and Dean’s dancing on ice 20-22 April Fast & Furious live 27th April Manic Street Preachers 29th April The King is back - Ben Portsmouth is Elvis MAY 1st May Noel Gallagher’s high flying birds 3rd May Unibet premier league darts 5th May Tears for fears 11-13 May Michael Mcintyre JUNE 2nd June Bill Bailey 18th June Katy Perry JULY 7th July Roger Waters 20th July Jason Manford 26-28th July Walking with Dinosaurs SEPTEMBER 24th Sept Shania Twain OCTOBER 10 & 12th Oct Jeff Lynne’s Elo NOVEMBER 15th Nov The Australian Pink Floyd 20th Nov Nitro Circus 24-25th Nov The 2018 Birmingham International Tattoo
Summer Holiday 17th June Count Arthur Strong 18-23 June Birdsong
GENTING ARENA
DECEMBER 1st Dec Human League
ICC MARCH 30th Mar-2nd April NASUWT Annual Conference APRIL 5-8 April BSAVA Congress 2018 MAY 29th May-3rd June Inclusion International World Congress 2018 JUNE 16th June Slimming World Oscars
NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE FEBRUARY 4th Feb Nathan Carter 5th Feb An evening with Katya Zamolodchikova 7-8 Feb Teletubbies: big hugs 9th Feb Signed sealed delivered - a tribute to Stevie Wonder 10th Feb Bowie experience - the golden years tour 14-25 Feb
Shrek the musical 28th Feb David Baddiel - my family: not the sitcom MARCH 1st March The Johnny Cash roadshow 2nd March The sensational 60’s experience 3rd March Vampires Rock: the ghost train 5th March James and Ola uncensored 6th March Kerry Ellis 7th March Money for nothing 8th March Jonathan pie: back to the studio 10th March A country night in Nashville 13th March Jackson Live in concert 14-18 March Cirque Bersek 19-24 March This is Elvis 25th March Circus of Horrors 27-31 March The Rat Pack APRIL 1st April Sisters of soul 3-7 April Fat Friends the musical 8th April Seven drunken nights: The story of the Dubliners
16-21 April The last ship 25th April Ellen Kent’s La Traviata 27th April Barry Steele & friends - the 30 special the Roy Orbison story 28th April Menopause: the musical MAY 4th May An audience with Katie Price 7th May Midlands football legends live! 9th May Grumpy old women 10-11 May Joe Lycett: I’m about to lose control 12th May Mercury: the ultimate queen tribute 15-19 May Love from a stranger 21-26 May Legally blonde the musical JUNE 6th June That’ll be the day 7th June Les Musicals 8th June Jane Mcdonald 9th June Message in a bottle - a tribute to Sting and The Police 10th June Brian Conley 12-16 June
FEBRUARY 1st Feb Lady Gaga 9th Feb Kendrick Lamar Feb 15th The Script Feb 24th Imagine Dragons Feb 25th Xfactor Live Tour Feb 27th Morrissey MARCH March 1st Stereophonics March 3rd Elbow March 16th Joe Bonmassa March 21st Paloma Faith APRIL April 3-4 Sam Smith April 7th Harry Styles April 14th Nashville Final Tour April 15th Arcade Fire April 17th Dua Lipa MAY May 4th The Vamps May 10th Nickleback May 25th Bryan Adams AUGUST Aug 7th Iron Maiden
CHINESE NEW YEAR TAKES IN CITY CENTRE
Counting down to The Ivy’s city launch One of the most anticipated dining launches in Birmingham is fast approaching as The Ivy prepares to open its first restaurant in the city in the spring of 2018. The restaurant group agreed a 25-year lease on the former Austin Reed unit opposite Birmingham Cathedral, and the adjacent store, most recently occupied by Louis Vuitton, and is now seeking to fill a number of skilled kitchen, front-of-house and management roles. Hospitality recruitment website Harri. com is listing various jobs required at the Birmingham venue, such as sous chefs, bar managers, reception and admin roles and restaurant manager. Fit-out of the 7,000 sq ft unit is ongoing and the upmarket brasserie and bar will
offer “extensive all-day menus featuring the best of modern British dishes in a relaxed atmosphere”. Thy Ivy Birmingham website states: “Located on the bustling Temple Row in central Birmingham, the restaurant will make for an ideal spot to enjoy an accessible all-encompassing menu, serving British classics from dawn until dusk, including breakfast, elevenses, weekend brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, light snacks, dinner and cocktails.” The original Ivy restaurant, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2017, in London’s West End, is a long-term favourite for celebrity spotting. For more information about the vacancies at The Ivy Birmingham visit https://harri. com/The-Ivy-Collection-Management
Recruitment drive to fill roles at world-famous restaurant
The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee has confirmed details of its annual Chinese New Year Celebration to welcome in the Year of the Dog. This year’s event has expanded to incorporate a series of events across the city centre, from 15 to 18 February. There will be a charity dinner at Holiday Inn Birmingham on the evening of Thursday 15 February to start the celebration with some traditional Chinese New Year food. For more information or to purchase a ticket, email james@ chungying.co.uk On Friday 16 February, there will be a wide range of performances, lion dancing and food stalls on the grounds of St Philips Cathedral, Colmore Row, between 12pm and 2pm. And on Saturday 17 February there will be performances in the Bullring between 12pm and 1pm. The grand finale is at Southside – and for the first time there will be two stages at the Arcadian and outside the Hippodrome. There will be a funfair, performances and food stalls from 11.30am to 4.30pm. The festival welcomes more than 15,000 each year.
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Michaela Moore of Bullring and Grand Central shares news from the two centres
Premium brand launches add to vibrancy at Bullring
2017 was an exciting year for Bullring, Grand Central and LinkStreet. We have seen the centre’s offer evolve with Volkswagen opening its first ever store and regional debuts for Coach and Russell & Bromley. In November, we welcomed luxury bath, body and home brand, Rituals Cosmetics, which opened its first premium boutique outside of London at Grand Central. Alongside the brand’s range of products, the new store offers a free mini ‘slow down’ meditation service in-store which is perfect for busy New Street Station commuters. Situated close to Hobbs, Jo Malone and MAC, this recent opening further strengthens Grand Central’s established premium offer and dual role as both a transport hub and a day-out destination. Following the highly-anticipated arrival of world-famous jewellery brand, Tiffany & Co, international designer brand, Louis Vuitton, launched its new store at Selfridges in the iconic Bullring as part of their major store investment plan. Fumo, part of the award-winning San Carlo Group, also joined the premium global brands on level four of Selfridges followed by their second venue San Carlo Gran Cafe on level one in store. As the UK’s second largest city, these premium additions ensure that we’re providing a vibrant and varied offer in Birmingham that is more akin to Central London than ever before. Located between Bullring and Grand Central, LinkStreet also experienced a flurry of activity, attracting a string of new innovative pop-up shops over the festive period. Reflecting its reputation as a hub for small, independent brands, LinkStreet showcased the unique products of local jewellers, Summer and Silver as well as the luxury urban fashion brand, Total Black, and natural cosmetics brands, ENESS. These diverse retailers enhanced the customer experience trading alongside the existing mix of tenants including Pretty
Green, Irregular Choice, Ben Sherman and Trapstar. Indian street food restaurant, Mowgli, opened its debut Birmingham restaurant in October at Grand Central and has since proved to be exceedingly popular. We’re excited to kick off 2018 with a focus on food and beverage, as Grand Central’s dining offer continues to flourish and we will continue to nurture that growth this year.
Pictured: Rituals and Mowgli have launched at Grand Central
UPCOMING EVENTS
In addition to the continued exciting retail and food offer, we are also eagerly anticipating this season’s upcoming calendar of events at the centre. We are currently preparing for the city’s Chinese New Year celebrations. We are looking forward to hosting attractions in partnership with the Birmingham Chinese Festival as part of the event as it extends into the city centre. The initiative, ‘Art of Style’ is due to take
Michaela Moore
place over a spring weekend in April, showcasing the art of fashion. Located within Bullring & Grand Central, we will explore the eye-catching elements of the season’s fashion and how these trends can be applied or influenced by the art world. Finally, in May, we’ll be hosting the first of our bi-yearly Student Sessions events for 2018. With the recent retail additions and number of brands offering discounts and deals, we have no doubt this will continue to be one of the most successful events of the year. The busy Christmas period reaffirmed the centre’s popularity and position as the region’s leading retail and leisure destination. Looking forward to 2018, we are sure the year ahead is set to be another busy one as we work to consistently deliver a compelling and exciting experience for our shoppers. Michaela Moore, General Manager of Bullring and Grand Central
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‘If we can make visiting the Mailbox a great day out and a pleasant experience, I’ll be happy’ SIMON SAMUELS, PARTNER, BROCKTON CAPITAL, AND THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE REBUILT BUILDING
EDIT SPRING 2018 PAGE 25 Made.com and Heal’s are proving to be a popular addition to the Mailbox.
Premium destination celebrates launch of new Homewares Section with opening of retailers Heal’s and Made.com A leading figure in Birmingham’s ongoing renaissance has spoken of his excitement at seeing another piece of the city centre redevelopment jigsaw slot-in to place. The six-year project to transform Birmingham’s landmark Mailbox building has reached another milestone with the launch of a 21,000 sq ft homewares section on Level 1 of the iconic building. Simon Samuels has been the driving force behind the project and was on site to see the new store welcome visitors for the first time and to browse brands never before seen in the city centre. Simon is a partner at Brockton Capital who, along with Mailbox co-owners Milligan, have spent more than £50 million transforming the building after a joint purchase in 2011. The Mailbox now has a roof and welcoming lounge area, premium office spaces and a remodelled BBC reception area. And in 2015 the Mailbox created some of the Midlands’ largest office accommodation on a single floorplate, bringing 45,000 sq ft of contiguous Grade A space to Birmingham’s prime office market. Office tenants include a variety of well-known companies including the BBC, Associated Architects and software provider Advanced. The Mailbox is also home to Harvey Nichols’ 45,000 sq ft flagship store, an Everyman Cinema and Tom’s Kitchen restaurant. This illustrious roster of businesses, restaurants and boutiques now includes homewares retailers Made.com and Heal’s. For Heal’s this is its first opening in the Midlands in its 200-year history. As well as beautiful furniture, Heal’s is known for its lighting, decorative accessories, kitchenware and lifestyle brands including Case and Tom Dixon. Made.com was launched in 2010 as an
online retailer and describes its collections as designed to outlive trends and evolve with consumers’ changing styles. The two showrooms connect with other new to the city homewares retailers BoConcept, Wesley Barrell, Calligaris and The Design Quarter, creating a pioneering city centre department store for designsavvy interiors shoppers. The new stores join fashion retailers including Paul Smith, Hugo Boss, Armani, Gieves & Hawkes, Tommy Hilfiger and L.K. Bennett; Ribble Cycles’ first ever physical showroom, Castle Fine Art, Kitchen Gallery, Malmaison and AC Hotels, among many others. And such was the significance of a rebuilt Mailbox, it featured on a Marketing Birmingham list of the 15 most important projects for 2015 alongside Grand Central, the Rugby World Cup and Midland Metro tram extension. “We buy assets that are fundamentally great but just need more capital and a few ideas to fix them,” explained Simon, who has been with Brockton Capital since 2008 and has 24 years of retail and real estate experience. “We literally took this building apart and put it back together again. To see this work come to fruition is a wonderful thing. “I’ve been on this project personally for
six years and this is a very exciting day.” Simon explained how the Mailbox’s homewares section was 18 months in the making and part of a wider strategy to reposition its retail choice. “This (Level 1) has been in the planning for quite some time with homewares at its heart,” he said. “We found products and brands that weren’t represented in Birmingham or the Midlands and saw an opportunity there, but we also thought about how changing consumer habits and bricks and mortar competes with online retail these days. “Having identified the gap in the market for homewares and furniture, we also realised these are very tangible products; things people want to go and see to prod and sit on. “These are showrooms. If people convert a sale here, that’s great. But if these stores help to crystallise a decision and people buy online later, that’s a sale. Anything we can do to help facilitate that is great as all our interests are aligned. “We are now in the experience economy. If we can make visiting the Mailbox a really great day out and a pleasant experience, I’ll be happy. “You can enjoy the new homewares stores, you can have lunch at a choice of great restaurants, you can buy quality
WSP MOVE Engineering professional services consultancy WSP has agreed terms on 47,000 sq ft of office space at the Mailbox, bringing 700 jobs to Birmingham. WSP is consolidating several of its regional operations at the Grade A space in The Mailbox, with the new facility serving as its West Midlands headquarters. It has agreed an option to increase the amount of space by a further 8,000 sq ft. The deal mirrors that agreed by software group Advanced, which took out 45,000 sq ft of space at the Mailbox in 2015, creating 400 jobs.
Pictures: Tom Bird
clothing from some of the UK’s leading fashion brands. “We’re giving people lots of reasons to not only come here but to come here and stay.” Simon and fellow real estate experts at Brockton Capital are embracing the new Birmingham with the high-profile relocation of HSBC UK to Arena Central just streets away, along with professional services giant PwC’s move to the Paradise regeneration scheme, both helping to attract visitors to the Mailbox. “The city is expanding and inching westwards and everything we’ve done here is with a line of sight to what’s coming down the track in the city centre,” added Simon. “Having put a huge amount of capital and effort into turning the Mailbox into what it is today, this asset has become a great hub for everyone who lives and works in the city. “I like the idea of the Mailbox becoming a ‘Design Quarter’, not just for the city centre, but the wider West Midlands region as a whole. “With the broader investment and big corporates looking at Birmingham, this is really helping to reposition the city. “Birmingham is having its renaissance right now.”
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Alexa unveils Tiffany & Co at city’s Selfridges
Even more Metro as extension of route continues Part of route will be UK’s first to be powered by battery
Works to extend the tram network to the west of Birmingham have moved a step closer. The hoarding in Victoria Square was erected earlier this month, allowing the public to continue to get around the city safely during the tram construction works. The development of the Birmingham Westside Extension is being carried out by the Midland Metro Alliance and when complete, will further improve transport links in the city centre. It follows final funding for the scheme being given the go-ahead from the Department for Transport (DfT), allowing these major project works to get under way. Additional funding for this extension to Midland Metro has come from the West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA) transport arm, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the Greater Birmingham
and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone and third-party developers. Strengthening works are currently being carried out to the basements of businesses in Pinfold Street, which are all open as usual during construction. When fully complete, the new line, which will operate between Grand Central in the city centre to Hagley Road in Edgbaston, will have five tram stops and operate ten trams an hour during peak times. The first phase of the passenger service will take the route from New Street Station to Centenary Square, with services expected to commence in 2019/20. The second phase of the Birmingham Westside Extension will continue to Edgbaston, and is planned to open in
2021/22 in time for when Birmingham hosts the Commonwealth Games. Part of the route – from Grand Central to Centenary Square – will be built without overhead lines, making it the first battery-powered tram in the UK. This involves fitting hi-tech batteries to the trams so they can run on their own power without the need to fix electric wires to buildings – limiting the impact on Birmingham’s historic city centre and iconic buildings. The tram will provide a direct link to popular attractions, including the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall and will improve accessibility to and from the west of Birmingham. The public realm will also be improved as part of the works in the area, including planting trees along the route.
This route, together with four other tram extensions in the West Midlands, is being planned, designed and delivered by the Midland Metro Alliance on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority. The Midland Metro Alliance is a team of planning, design and construction specialists, consisting of the West Midlands Combined Authority, a consortium of design experts from Egis, Tony Gee and Pell Frischmann and contractor Colas Rail, (supported by their sub-alliance partners Colas Limited, Barhale, Bouygues UK and Auctus Management Group). n Visit www.metroalliance.co.uk to find out more about Midland Metro Alliance. n You are also able to email communications@metroalliance.co.uk with any additional questions.
An artist’s impression of a Midland Metro tram passing Birmingham’s iconic Town Hall and Victoria Square
Alexa Chung visited Selfridges Bullring as she unveiled the store’s new Tiffany & Co. boutique. The 34-year-old designer, model, author and presenter hosted a cocktail reception at the newly-opened luxury boutique located on Level 4 at Selfridges. Invitees to the launch had the opportunity to preview the brand’s collections ahead of the festive season, while Alexa tried her hand at tying the iconic Tiffany bow.
The new boutique, which offers luxurious jewellery and watches from the brand’s most iconic collections, is the 11th store to open in the country and the third in Selfridges, with existing stores in Selfridges London and Manchester Exchange Square. Alongside its stunning collections, including Tiffany City HardWear and Tiffany T and Atlas, the store will also showcase a stunning 3.24ct Tiffany Setting valued at £250,000, a piece exclusively available to the boutique.
LUXURIOUS LOUIS VUITTON LAUNCHES Coming hot on the heels of the launch of Tiffany & Co, international designer brand, Louis Vuitton, has launched a new store at Selfridges Birmingham. The new 1,700sq ft Louis Vuitton store, which opened on November 18, is the only Louis Vuitton store in the city. The brand stocks the new ‘Masters’ collection in collaboration with Jeff Koons, alongside its signature product range, which includes men’s and women’s leather goods, accessories, shoes and women’s fragrance.
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Charles Tyrwhitt is a first for Midlands
INSTA CITY what our retailers have been snapping
Prime New Street location for popular men’s shirt retailer
Tamatanga was founded in Nottingham a decade ago and has now launched in Birmingham
Tamatanga’s Indian food with difference Tamatanga brings colour and comfort food to Navigation Street
A fresh approach to Indian dining has arrived in the city centre. The award-winning Tamatanga has been an established favourite in Nottingham for more than a decade and has now launched in Birmingham. Housed in the former kitchen tap showroom in the Orion building on Navigation Street, Tamatanga is a colourful 140-cover bar and restaurant offering all day Indian dining in a family-friendly environment. Rahul Khurama, Operations Director, told the Birmingham Mail: “We like to do things differently – we are not your average Indian! “We were one of the originators of midrange, casual dining, bringing food to the High Street in a very fun, relaxed way. “We serve innovative and high quality, authentic food from fresh ingredients, the
sort you will find in India today. The best compliments we get are from people who say things like ‘that’s the best fish curry I’ve eaten since Kerala’ or ‘that’s as good as home’. “The idea for opening the first Tamatanga 10 years ago because there was nowhere in the daytime you could go for a curry. We wanted to create a casual dining space where people can enjoy good hearty Indian food. “We focus on ensuring everything is cooked from scratch and using fresh quality ingredients. For example, on our small plates menu we do a Kale Chaat – it’s our healthy twist on a street food favourite.” Tamatanga’s main menu includes lamb chops and tandoori chicken cooked in a clay oven. There’s also biryani bowls, curry bowls such as Punjabi butter chicken and Parsi lamb Bhuna.
Men’s clothing chain Charles Tyrwhitt has opened its first Midlands store in Birmingham. The shirt retailer has converted an empty shop in New Street from where it sells formal and casual clothing and shoes. The new shop is at 41 New Street, which was previously home to Ted Baker before it closed its doors in 2014. Using his middle names, Charles and Tyrwhitt (a family name dating back to the Middle Ages), Nick Wheeler founded Charles Tyrwhitt as an undergraduate in the 1980s, because he thought shirts seemed too expensive. Today, the company employs almost 1,000 people and has 28 stores across the world. It is the latest new store and bank to open on New Street and sits in an area of premium brands with the iconic Apple store, an expanded Watches of Switzerland and Hotel Chocolat café store just yards away.
HOTEL CHOCOLAT HOPING FOR SWEET SUCCESS ON NEW STREET Hotel Chocolat has opened its new café store on New Street in the city centre. The chocolatier chain has agreed a ten-year lease on a 1,422 sq ft unit in New Street with landlord Hortons’ Estate. The unit was previously occupied by sports nutrition store GCN. There are more than 80 Hotel Chocolats across the UK including in Bullring where the company launched its first outlet in Birmingham in 2007. It opened a second shop in New Street station in 2015. The New Street store, as well as selling a range of chocolates and gifts, will also serve food and drinks in Hotel Chocolat’s new Cocoa Bar Café.
The former EE store on New Street
WOK TO WALK BRINGS ASIAN FAST FOOD TO CITY Wok to Walk, a fast food chain specialising in wok fried Asian food, is opening its first outlet in Birmingham. The company has agreed a tenyear lease on 109 New Street (770 sq ft) with the landlord, Hortons’ Estate Limited. The retail unit was previously occupied by mobile telephone operator EE. Wok to Walk opened its first restaurant in Amsterdam in 2004. Today, the franchise group has more than 70 outlets around the world. The Birmingham restaurant, becomes the tenth in the UK, adding to existing restaurants in Bristol, Cardiff and London, and will be operated under franchise by Starboard Dining Ltd, part of the Starboard Group. It will be the first of a number of units to be operated by the group throughout the UK. Starboard Dining plan to open the Birmingham Wok to Walk in March.
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SOUK-STYLE CUISINE FOR GRAND CENTRAL
DECEMBER 2017
A souk-style Lebanese restaurant is opening at Grand Central. Comptoir Libanais means ‘Lebanese counter’ and the emphasis is said to be on wholesome, healthy Middle Eastern cuisine that’s affordable and served in a relaxed setting. The new Birmingham restaurant will also have a small souk market where customers will be able to buy authentic ingredients, homeware and gifts as well as branded cookbooks. Diners can look forward to mezzes, wraps, tagines, grills and Mana’esh, which is Lebanese style pizza. The first Comptoir opened its doors in 2008 in London and further restaurants have since opened across the UK. Founder Tony Kitous said: “Comptoir Libanais is somewhere you can eat casually, with no fuss. You don’t have to sacrifice comfort, style or authenticity of food just because the dining is casual.”
INVITATION TO JOIN MYBULL SCHEME Retail BID Birmingham members are being invited to take part in the Birmingham Updates MyBull keyring scheme, which allows holders to gain access to exclusive offers and discounts. The MyBull keyring is a product that can be purchased from Birmingham Updates and allows holders to gain access to various special offers and discounts at numerous venues across Birmingham. Businesses already signed up include Malmaison, Miss Macaroon, Loki Wine and Be At One. In return for an exclusive offer the venue will receive promotion of their company and their offer on the Birmingham Updates website as well as 491,000 social media followers. n Contact Oli Hills at oli@ updatesmedia.com
New barber makes the cut with a move to Piccadilly Arcade
New salon in busy arcade caters for style-conscious, fashionable men
Bustling Piccadilly Arcade has welcomed a men’s barber to its roster of creative independent businesses. Shepherds Barber is a male lifestyle brand ‘combining the passion and talent of style and fashion’. Led by Director and Master Barber, David Sturgeon, Shepherds Barber provides a range of traditional trims and shaves including ‘Ram and Lamb’; a father and son shampoo, cut and style, ‘The Grade One’ electric clipper, wash and finish and luxury and traditional wet shaves. The Shepherds experts also provide tutorials on how to shave, with a barber talking through preparation, shave and finish of skin and hair to ensure the best shave possible. Shepherds stocks leading men’s brands such as Murdock London and British hand-crafted razors to add a touch of luxury to morning routines. “Shepherds is a gentlemen’s lifestyle and grooming shop in Piccadilly Arcade, Birmingham,” explained David. “When we developed Shepherds, we wanted to create a grooming experience inspired by British tradition and tailored for modern, style-conscious men. “After ten years of working in London’s leading barber shops and helping build and develop Murdock London’s growth for the past eight years, I wanted to bring all the experience and knowledge I have gained to my hometown, Birmingham. “Shepherds is a place where men can relax, rejuvenate and unwind with a drink and leave feeling great. The core of Shepherds’ grooming experience is classic barbering and our customers can choose from services such as Traditional Wet Shaves, Beard Reshapes and Haircuts. “We have also thought about the Shepherds gentlemen who want to recreate the grooming experience at home. For them we have developed our own range of high quality men’s grooming products made in the UK. Ranging from
A GUIDE TO THE REGION'S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
in association with
BID BOARD FEATURE IN CITY ‘POWER LIST’
skincare to hair styling and beard to shaving, each product encapsulates the heritage of Great British grooming with the style and character of a modern gentleman,” added David. n Visit http://www.shepherdsbarber. co.uk/ for more information or to book a visit.
Facing page: David Sturgeon (Owner and Master Barber), Valeria Berrazueta (Owner and Operations) and Nicola Richardson-Lockton (Retail)
Retail BID board directors and the BID manager have been recognised in the Birmingham Post Power 250 for 2017. A feature written by the Birmingham Post, the Post Power 250 looks at the most powerful and influential people in the West Midlands from sectors such as health and politics through to retail, business and media which is published yearly. Amongst the retail list, head of marketing, retail and tenant engagement at the Mailbox, David Pardoe, store manager of John Lewis, Lisa Williams, general manager of Bullring and Grand Central, Michaela Moore and founder of Loki Wine, Phil Innes who sit on the Retail BID board have all been recognised as influential figures in the retail sector in the West Midlands. Retail BID manager, Steve Hewlett has also been featured in the list. Recognition was also received to the BID’s levy payers, with Adam’s restaurant and individuals from San Carlo Group making their mark on the food & drink list for their success in the food industry. n Visit https://www. birminghampost.co.uk/all-about/ power-250
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EDIT SPRING 2018: THE LAST WORD
There’s snow stopping city’s independents.. How No.50 took advantage of winter storms While this winter’s extreme weather proved snow joke for many, a city centre independent boutique took advantage of the white stuff for an impromptu fashion shoot. No.50 Heritage & Lifestyle, on Pinfold Street, stocks leading brands such as C.P. Company, Aquascutum and Stone Island. The independent is looking forward to introducing new brands to the city, such as Baracuta; makers of the first Harrington Jacket worn by the likes of James Dean and Elvis Presley, and Karhu; a great Finnish sportswear brand that originally owned the iconic three stripes now used by Adidas. And always keen to showcase its exclusive seasonal collections, No.50 uses a growing presence through social media, with Instagram proving popular for marketing new arrivals to the store. When the Midlands was hit by some of the heaviest snow storms for years in the weeks before Christmas, with Sunday, December 10, seeing the deepest deluges, No.50 owner Jordan Quinn explains how he and the No.50 team took advantage of the situation. “The snowfall photoshoot was off the cuff really,” explains Jordan. “It snowed overnight and was pretty much covered in the morning, we noticed by mid-afternoon that most
big department stores were closing early as business was very slow so we thought we would get out there and have some fun shooting in the snow to highlight some of our cold weather garments we have in store. “The model is Nick who works here. Nick is currently doing a degree in music and teaches piano. “Alex, who has just started working with us on the social media side of the business, managed the photography. “The results were great, generating plenty of social media images for us to share and raise our profile.”
No.50 Heritage & Lifestyle employee and model Nick out on the streets this winter