This document provides information from various presentations given at a NewcastleGateshead tourism partnership event. It discusses using new data tools to benchmark business performance, opportunities around the 2012 London Olympics, recent tourism statistics for NewcastleGateshead, marketing initiatives including the visitor website and social media, and upcoming partnership events. Key points covered include improving business intelligence, business opportunities around hosting Olympic football, recent tourism numbers, and engaging partners in digital platforms and event promotion.

1. Welcome and Introduction
Sarah Stewart, Chief Executive
09 February 2012

2. Improving intelligence for all
Ian Thomas, Research Manager

3. NewcastleGateshead in numbers
• 1.6 million
• 16.2 million • 1.5 million
• £1.2 billion • 2.45 million
• 17,981
• £277 million
• 86%
• £53.37 • 6332 people
• 2.1 million visitors • 600,000 passengers
• 149,000

4. KNOWLEDGE IS
POWER
SHARED
KNOWLEDGE IS
EVEN MORE
POWERFUL

5. T-STATS - better data!
• As of 1 February moved to new data collection tool:
T-Stats.
• Holistic approach to measuring performance of the
destination.
• Immediate benchmarking for participating businesses.
• Ability to understand true impact of events.
• Co-designed by businesses.
• Available free to partners.

14. Benefits to you
• Ability to benchmark your business.
• Understand what is influencing performance.
• Historic data repository.
• Instant access to data.
• 100% secure.
• Exportable for use in business reports.
See you at the bar!

15. London 2012 Games in the North East
Emily Till, Marketing for the London 2012 Games

16. It’s not all about London... or even sport
• Torch Relay. Football:
• Football at St. James’ Park. Newcastle is one of only nine
places outside London that
• Business opportunities.
you can see Olympic sport.
• Get Set.
Torch:
• Cultural Olympiad.
The Torch is visiting every
• Inspire Mark. local authority in the region.

17. Business
• Over £100m worth of contracts.
• Aquatics Centre = Geordie-est.
• They think it’s all over…
• CompeteFor.
• Team Tomorrow.

18. Torch Relay
• Visiting 62 cities, towns, villages.
• Street route not published yet.
• Go and cheer it on.
• Be prepared for it passing by.
• www.Tourism2012Games.org

19. Newcastle ambassadors
• Newcastle City Council and Newcastle
Volunteer Centre.
• Looking for people who are enthusiastic
about the Games and the city.
• During the football and probably other
Games time activities (Torch etc).
• www.volunteercentrenewcastle.org.uk/
volunteer/olympics.php

20. Local leaders
• A way of celebrating the Games.
• For individuals or companies.
• Get ideas and tools.
• Line the streets, social activities.
• Doesn’t allow access to the brand.
• www.London2012.com

21. Other opportunities
• Get Set - for 3 to 19 year olds.
• www.getset.london2012.com
• Cultural Olympiad.
• Football tickets back on sale in
April.
• www.tickets.london2012.com
• Healthier lifestyle schemes.

22. On your marks...
• Follow us on Twitter: @NE2012Games.
• Like us on Facebook: North East for 2012 Games.
• www.NorthEastfor2012Games.com - coming soon.
• Sign up for e-bulletins - One North East or via the website.
• Send us your events.

23. Festivals & events
Carol Bell, Head of Culture and Major Events

25. EAT! NewcastleGateshead (13 - 29 July)
Cake Britain 2012:
• Opening weekend of Eat!
(13 - 14 July).
• 2012 cakes that represent the best
of Britain.
• Saltwell Park.
• Local engagement / National profile.

26. Eat! Big weekend
• 27 - 29 July.
• One of the biggest outdoor markets.
• Increased footfall in Town Centre.
• Links with retail - Fenwick, Eldon
Square.
• Encourage visitors who come for
football to say longer.

27. Bridges Festival (4 - 5 August)
• Celebration of Newcastle as an
Olympic Host City.
• Encourage visitors who come for
football to say longer.
• Creating a festival feel & sense of
pride across NewcastleGateshead.
• Great opportunities for businesses
to benefit by getting involved.

28. Juice Festival (24 Oct - 4 Nov)
• Celebration of NewcastleGateshead.
• Opportunities to attract VFR Market.
• Creating a real festival feel in the city.
• Celebration of the creativity of young
people.
• Making the most of our cultural
assets.

29. Winter Festival (24 Nov - 31 Dec)
• Promotion of NewcastleGateshead’s
seasonal offer.
• Creation of unique events:
– Enchanted Parks (Saltwell Park).
– New Year’s Eve Carnival Parade.
• Both attracted record numbers.

32. Opportunities
• Join-in to ensure your business benefits from
increased visitors.
• Promote these activities through your own
marketing networks.
• Sponsor events.
• Encourage staff to volunteering.
• Tell your colleagues friends and family.
• Access to and use of the NewcastleGateshead
Cultural Planning Calendar.

34. Business Tourism
Adrian Evans, Senior Business Tourism Manager

35. Current position: 2011-2012
• Enquiry value circa £4m. Profile increased:
• Accommodation bookings Record participation in new
up by over 15% vs. 2010. Conference Guide.
• CB of the Year nomination. Record partners:
• Identified gaps for 2012/13. Confex 2012 sees best ever
participation.
• Confident of short lead time
business.

36. Opportunities
• IMEX 2012, Frankfurt.
• EIBTM 2012, Barcelona.
• Trade magazine supplement.
• Discover NewcastleGateshead.
• 2 x Creative Conferencing mailing.
• Ambassador events.

37. Moving forward in partnership
• Currently we have 169 Future concerns:
active partners. 2012 -2013 will be a
• Estimated nearly 250 sales challenging year.
and events staff.
Opportunities:
• Innovation rather than With shorter lead times there
budget. is still time to attract the right
• Increasingly competitive business.
market place nationally.

38. “Partners in success”
• Presuming we know best.
• Additional expertise.
• Rejuvenate the events we do.
• Think about our target market.
• Nurture existing contacts.
• Entrepreneurial approach.
• Raise destination profile.

39. NewcastleGateshead 2.0
Steven Gibson, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager

41. Progress so far…
Website: Social networks:
• Unique visitors per month up 144%. • Facebook: 2,100 likes.
(Jan 2010: 32k / Jan 2012: 78k). • Twitter: 2,300 followers.
• LinkedIn: 800+ members.
• Total site visits per month up 100%.
(Jan 2010: 47k / Jan 2012: 94k). Data management:
• New CRM in place to deliver dynamic &
SEO / PPC: tailored e-comms.
• Ranked 1st for host of key terms.
• Google trusted site. E-comms:
• PPC campaign integrated with SEO.
• Total email subscriptions up 108%.
(Jan 2010: 48k / Jan 2012: 100k).

42. Opportunities for you:
1. Help us promote you effectively:
• Product records.
• Imagery and video.
• Events.
2. Engage with our digital platforms:
• Our Blog.
• Monthly emails.
• Social networks.
3. Be proactive & think of us:
• Banner advertising.
• Hotel bookings.
• Restaurant bookings.

43. Help us promote you effectively
Product records:
• Check and update your information regularly.
• Business tourism records are separate.
Imagery and video:
• Provide us with good quality images.
• We can embed video onto our site.
• You can access FREE images in our Media section.
Event promotion:
• Send us your event details and imagery.
• Our listings feed directly on to other sites.

44. Engage with our digital platforms
Blog:
• Develop ideas for content .
• Give previews & behind the scenes tours.
E-comms:
• Offer competition prizes.
• Put forward special offers & deals.
Social networks:
• We are active on:
– Facebook (NewcastleGateshead).
– Twitter (@altweet_pet).
• Join our LinkedIn group:
Connected: NewcastleGateshead.

45. Be proactive & think of us
Banner advertising:
• Now get 500k impressions across our site:
– Gold partners: £428
– Silver partners: £465
– Bronze partners: £500
Hotel bookings:
• Any commission is reinvested in the destination.
• Widgets available for integration with large events
& relevant websites.
Restaurant bookings:
• Online table bookings using ‘Toptable’ &
‘GoingOutUK’.

46. Discover deals & special offers

47. Changes to Discover Pass
Back to basics:
• Add value to the visitor experience.
• Generate additional income for partner organisations.
• Educate as many people as possible to do new things in the area.
• Collect consumer data.
Our aim:
To create the online hub for special offers
in NewcastleGateshead.

48. What are the benefits?
• Offers are FREE to download.
• Meets a change in consumer habits.
• Increases exposure of your offer.
• Online vouchers are measurable.
• More flexible around offer dates.
• Integrates with VisitEngland’s 2012
campaign.

51. We need your offers
Suggestions:
• Buy one get one free / Children go free.
• Free entry.
• 20.12% or better discount.
• Deals (e.g. two for one or three for two).
What to do next:
1. Complete our sign up form.
2. Send it back to us before close of play tomorrow
(FAO Roisin Cook).
3. Email us a relevant image and company logo
(to discoverpass@ngi.org.uk).

52. National marketing & Pocket Guide
Tina Snowball, Director of Marketing & Communications

53. National campaign:

54. Campaign proposals - Pocket Guide
• Showcase the very best of our
destination.
• Inform visitors of the range of things to
see and do.
• An informative and practical guide.
• Encourage visitors and local residents to
make the most of destination.
• Generate business for the advertisers and
businesses listed in the guide.

55. Activity in hand -
international:
• Holland.
• Ireland.
• Norway.

56. Media activity and visits
Kathie Wilcox, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager
Imagery area:
23.6cm wide x 9cm high

57. Making headlines
• Media relations.
“Hipster capital of the
• Pitching the story. North East”
Toon breaks into Expedia
• Bringing the destination to life. Top Ten destinations
• Making it easy: media Turner Prize pulls in
packs, images, footage, events record crowds
listings, itineraries, etc. Sizzling summer of celebrations
• Working with partners; cross- 20.12 is GREAT
promoting stories and news.

58. Media visits
What works:
• Fast and flexible response. “We’ve built a strong and
mutually beneficial
• Exclusive access, tours and relationship which can only
experiences. come from actually seeing a
place and meeting the
• Meeting real people - not just personalities behind the
‘suits’. press releases.”
• Seamless service - from Janet Watson,
enquiry, to visit, to coverage. freelance travel writer.

59. Get involved
• Ask for help with your media visit ideas and opportunities.
• Put forward hosts and ambassadors.
• Highlight foreign language speakers or ‘experts’.
• Update on your news and stories.
• Give us ‘stuff’! Free rooms, free meals, free tickets...
• Make the most of a visiting journalist and make sure they
remember your business.

60. Visitor information & partnership
Cath Hindle, Head of Development

61. Visitor information
Information partners:
• Based in areas of high visitor
footfall.
• Additional profile and customers.
• Flexible offer.
• Digital information as well as face to
face.

62. Partner updates
• Thursday, 21 June
(8.30am - 10.00am).
Imagery area:
• Thursday, 18 October
1 image at 7.86cm wide x
(8.30am - 10.00am).
10cm high
Venues TBC.
Open to all partners.

63. Business leaders’ briefing
• Wednesday, 18 April
(9am - 10.30am)
@ Marriott Metrocentre. Imagery area:
1 image at 7.86cm wide x
• Wednesday, 12 September
10cm high
(9am - 10.30am)
@ Copthorne Newcastle.
Open to Gold and Silver level partners.

64. Welcome to NewcastleGateshead
Induction evenings:
• Tuesday, 13 March
(6.00pm – 8.00pm).
• Tuesday, 9 October
(6.00pm – 8.00pm).
A warm welcome to NewcastleGateshead
and the work of our partnership.
Open to all partners.

65. Distribution 2012
• The biggest B2B tourism showcase in
the North East.
• Your last chance to find out what’s
happening in 2012 and to shout about
what you are doing.
• Friday, 16 March
(11.00am - 1.00pm)
@ Newcastle Centre for Sport.
Celebrating

66. Leap into local produce for 2012
• Tuesday, 29 February
(11am - 5pm)
@ Marriott Metrocentre. Imagery area:
1 image at 7.86cm wide x
Discover quality local producers and
10cm high
create a showcase for regional food
in your business in 2012.

67. Partnership 2012
• Partnership pack.
• 5% prompt payment discount.
• Key contacts.
• Get involved!

68. Thank you