IQ-Magazine-Issue-15

A great place with
a limited budget for
promotion, encourages
innovation and the
delivery of destination
creativity.
that the BID has existed. Businesses now have an organisation
looking after their interests and ensuring that key decisions
are taken, having considered the interests of businesses. The
payback is that the businesses fund the BID, which between
2010 and 2019 will have reinvested over £3.5m back into
the town centre and this benefits the businesses, Councils,
residents and visitors.”
Promoting an exclusive offering
Discover Newmarket is a Community Interest Company
(CIC) that exists to promote and deliver the best of
Newmarket. The company was established in 2014 to offer
visitors a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of
the racing headquarters and to learn about the fascinating
history, heritage and culture of the town.
The organisation delivers a series of exclusive tour packages
for racing enthusiasts, local dwellers and novice consumers of
the racing industry. In 2015, Discover Newmarket hosted 502
tours, accommodating 9,422 visitors. These visitors are not
just from the local area, as people come from all over the UK,
as well as Australia, Japan, Florida, Germany and France to
discover more about the intriguing town and its history.
In the last year, the organisation has invested in a new,
responsive website and a layered communications model
to not only take the brand to new consumers, but also to
encourage returning visitors to book onto new tours and
experiences again and again.
Discover Newmarket is working to become the central
hub for tourism in Newmarket and West Suffolk. With
an integrated marketing strategy in place for the next 12
months, Discover Newmarket will be working with other likeminded
organisations, tourism bodies and local government
organisations to grow Newmarket’s tourism in a meaningful
and measurable way.
Lissie Hope, manager of Discover Newmarket, said:
IQ marketing
“We are thrilled to have welcomed over 9,000 visitors within
its first year of launch. Discover Newmarket is growing and
developing at a rapid rate and is now an established tours
operator. Working for the good of the town, every penny of
profits from Discover Newmarket will be reinvested for the
benefit of Newmarket and the local area.”
Putting a friendly face on destination
marketing
Cambridge BID is an organisation set up and funded by
Cambridge businesses and other commercial organisations
in 2013, to represent the interests of 1,100 shops, bars,
cafés, attractions, and businesses in the centre of this worldrenowned
city.
The organisation holds a mandate to deliver almost £4m
of new investment over a five-year term, which involves the
Cambridge BID team working on a range of projects that
promote the city to visitors, residents and workers, while
ensuring they experience a welcoming and vibrant street
scene that is both clean and safe.
Cambridge BID marketing activity includes producing a
range of publications and city guides, partnering with key
organisations to deliver cultural events such as Cambridge
Style Week and funding initiatives such as Loving Summer,
Independents’ Week and the Christmas Lights Big Switch On.
In August 2013 the organisation also launched its team of
professional and passionate City Ambassadors, who are
available 363 days of the year to help, advise and guide users
of the City Centre. The six-strong team, decked out in eyecatching
uniforms, have so far welcomed over 112,500 visitors
and walked a distance greater than the circumference of
the earth (28,000 miles); they have also rescued a swan and
reunited several lost husbands with their wives!
Edward Quigley, Cambridge BID Manager, said: “Cambridge
is a special city and when it comes to promoting it, our
Ambassadors are a real asset. They are our walking, talking
information centres and are ready to offer a warm welcome
and assistance to visitors and residents alike."
These three organisations, along with destination specialists
such as Visit Suffolk and Visit Cambridge, are all working
collectively to promote the beautiful places we have across
our counties. Whether it’s multi-channel marketing strategies,
innovative events or offline communication models, these
businesses are continuing to innovate and enhance the offer
of our region on a local, national and international scale.
issue 15 | page 39