sceneNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012The newsletter for businesses and employees in the City Central BID area

15 year city centre plan targets key improvements within the Bid.

Retail led Christmas campaign targets London Tube as well as across the UK.

Book Merseyside’s busiest site for FREE with the City Central team.

Enter and win a meal for two, take in a panto and ride with Santa.

We’ve got Christmas shopping all wrapped up. Choose from high street favourites to designer brands

including M.A.C, Hugo Boss and the only Beauty Bazaar,

Harvey Nichols in the country.

Add all this to our chic hotels, the warmest of welcomes and you’ll

have the perfect festive break.

It’s Liverpool.

christmasbyliverpool.com

Going underground

Win a Christmas By Liverpool prize

BIDs unite for Mission Christmas

£1,200 worth of promo space

Masterplan unveiled

City Central BID and Commercial District BID have joined forces to back a major charity aimed at supporting underprivileged children at Christmas.

And as co-sponsors of Radio City’s Mission Christmas, which aims to provide a Christmas gift to thousands of local children who would not otherwise receive one, we are looking to our members to add their support.And as one of 1,400 Bid businesses in the heart of Liverpool, we are asking if you can help through some very simple steps:• Nominate your store as a

drop off for shoppers to bring gifts to your premises.

• Encourage your staff to bring in gifts to your workplace.

• Make a cash donation.• Ask your staff to drop

off a new unwrapped gift at any participating City Centre store or participating business.

in return your business will be advertised as a supporter of Mission Christmas while Radio City will also be looking to interview participating businesses.Ed Oliver, Chairman of Liverpool Bid company’s Executive Board, said: “The people of Liverpool support

businesses in the city centre 364 days a year, and especially in the run up to Christmas, and this is a great way to show what it means to be ‘the heartbeat of Liverpool’ by supporting such a worthy cause that will benefit those with the very least.”Mission Christmas will receive huge air time on Radio City, City Talk and Magic Radio – supported by considerable online and social media activity – encouraging the public to buy a gift in the city centre and pass it on.The campaign will receive an official public launch on Thursday, 22 November in Williamson Square at 12 noon and on 29 November there will be a ‘bring your gift to work day’ event at Exchange Flags from noon to 2pm.The deadline to participate as a Mission Christmas collection point – whether for gifts or for money – will be 5pm, Wednesday, 21 November.To express your interest, please contact: carole. clare@radiocity.co.uk

IN BRIEFA big hearted City Central welcome to:House on Bold StreetGecko in Queen SquareCosta in Clayton Square

Vacancies droppingVacancies within city central have dropped to 5% below the North West average

(14%) over the past month with a string of new tenants opening across the BID.New openings include House on Bold Street, co-owned by Atomic Kitten Natasha Hamilton, Costa in Clayton Square and Gecko in Queen Square which means that area is 100% let for the first time in 3 years.Meanwhile notable relocations over the coming month include Lush to a 2 storey unit with Spa on Whitechapel and Cricket is moving to a bigger unit within Cavern Walks.

still a puller!Liverpool city centre continues to attract visitors and shoppers alike despite the

recession and worst summer on record.Footfall within City Central Bid was just 0.3% down at the end of October compared to the previous 12 months with 71.3 million footflows recorded.April to September did suffer due to closure of Central Station – and the weather – with an average drop of 7% compared to the same time in 2011.

Liverpool’s appeal on the rise

Liverpool has been named one of the hottest destinations according to the

world’s largest travel site.The city has, for the first time, been ranked in the top ten as one of Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ Choice destinations on the Rise.The award honours the destinations worldwide that have seen the greatest increase in positive feedback and interest from travellers year-on-year.Liverpool’s Visitor Economy is worth £3.1 billion a year supporting over 43,000 jobs.

Huge development plans have been unveiled to radically alter key parts of the city centre over the next 15 years.The City Centre Strategic investment Framework (SiF), developed by Liverpool Vision, in conjunction with a team of regeneration experts, calls for a focus on much of City Central Bid, from the boundary of Liverpool ONE to Lime Street.The SiF outlines exciting developments and improvements to key business and residential districts in the city centre and are a result of a major consultation exercise with Liverpool’s business community and residents.

Proposals include:• circular bus route to

link the Knowledge Quarter with the city centre and Commercial district.

• upgrade of Queen Square Bus Station

• further development of Central and Moorfields train stations

• extension of St George’s Plateau and a reworking of St John’s Gardens

• removal of Churchill Way fly-over

• complete reworking of Lime Street /Roe Street bus movement to create a pedestrian priority space

• improved connections for pedestrians and cyclists

between the city centre neighbourhoods

• overhaul on utilities and delivery of telecommunication and digital services

• ‘Lighting-Up’ Liverpool project to illuminate key buildings

The SiF 2001 envisaged scores of projects including Liverpool ONE, The Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, the cruise liner facility, the City Centre Movement Strategy and Lime Street Gateway, as well as suggesting Liverpool bid to be European Capital of Culture.Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, said: “We are determined to build on the opportunities the developments from the last SiF produced and this new framework will further generate important catalysts for the city’s continued economic growth.”A copy of the SIf 2012 is available at www.liverpoolvision.co.uk

City centre masterplan unveiled

City Central Management Team collected the ATCM award earlier this year in recognition of the UK’s first ever privately paid cop-shop.A £1,000 cheque was given as part of the award and has been used to install a defibrillator in association with the Oliver King Foundation.it follows the death of Oliver King, a pupil at King david High School in Childwall, in March 2011. He died during a swimming lesson from Sudden Arrhythmic death Syndrome (SAdS). His family believe that if a defibrillator had been available, the 12 year old’s heart could have been restarted.

The Oliver King Foundation, launched in his memory, aims to get the Government to install defibrillators in all public buildings by 2017.Mark King, Oliver’s dad said: “We were delighted to hear that Bid wanted to use the £1000 to buy a lifesaving defibrillator. We look forward to working with the team and all city centre businesses to ensure that defibrillators are available more widely, and we thank them for all the support.”To support the Oliver King foundation, please sign the petition on their website towards the 100,000 signatures needed.

Life saving defibrillator installed in ‘cop-shop’

A life saving piece of kit has been installed in the St Johns ‘cop shop’ thanks to an award won by awarded City Central BID.

City Central BID Management Team have signed a new contract to maintain all alleygates within the BID.As of 1 November Enterprise Liverpool will oversee protection of all alleygates including the fixing of broken locks.

As a result of the contract, paid through the Bid levy, new alleygates have also been installed in Leigh Place to protect businesses on Parker St and Church Street.BID businesses should now report any damage immediately to Liverpool Direct on 233 3001, giving

name, address and exact location of the gate which will then be assessed within 48 hours.Any damage of an alleygate found to have been made by a business will be treated as criminal damage and will

be reported to Merseyside Police to investigate.

New Alleygates action plan

Mark King (centre) welcomes new defibrillator at BID cop shop

New alleygate in Leigh Place.

‘Liverpool Pops-up for Christmas‘ is to run until 24 december with shops and stalls located throughout the city centre.Promoted by Liverpool’s own ‘queen of pop-up’ Kate Stewart, who founded made-here, the website and pop-up shop that supports local artists and designers.The festival has the backing of key players including the Mayor Joe Anderson, Liverpool Vision, City Centre Councillor Nick Small, Academy ONE, City Central Bid and landlords including Clayton Square and Metquarter.The project which will see made-here working with graduates and under-

graduates to offer mentoring and a retail outlet for their work. made-here founder Kate Stewart said: “The festival is an exciting project which not only shows Liverpool and its commercial landlords to be working together in a dynamic way to regenerate our city, but which offers a vital first step for many small businesses in our city. “These Pop-ups will provide Christmas shoppers with a more diverse offering from local businesses, with benefits to existing tenants and landlords including increased footfall to our shopping centres and making vacant

spaces more desirable to prospective tenants.”Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council cabinet member for employment, enterprise and skills, said: “This is a really imaginative project. Not only will it provide Christmas shoppers with more choice but help budding entrepreneurs start up businesses and reduce the number of empty shops in the city centre. So make sure you pop into these shops

during the Festive Season.”

The festival will include a pop-up department store on the first floor of Clayton Square, which will offer gifts, photography, cards, fashion, and shops by Laura’s Little Bakery, dot-art and We Walk as well as the made-here pop-up shop.

There will also be various events and shorter pop-ups in other venues including Metquarter and Cavern Walks.

IN BRIEFBoxing Day – FREE staff travel

City Central BID has joined forces with St Johns and the City Council

to provide staff working on Boxing Day with fREE car parking.The special offer has been arranged to help City Central businesses operating on the day counteract the fact that no trains are running.Spaces have been booked at both St Johns Car Park and Mount Pleasant Car Park.To take advantage of this offer please email; mike.doran@liverpool.gov.uk

Let there be lightThe new owners of Cavern Walks have given the green light (ahem!) to

extend the Ceiling of Light up Mathew Street.The curtain, known as Lucy in the Sky with diamonds, was delayed due to building works and the take over of the shopping centre but will now be installed by Enterprise Liverpool from early december.Funded through the Bid levy, the project is the first of several developments scheduled to take place over the next 6 months which are being overseen by the recently formed Cavern Quarter initiative.

Forever 21 digital screen plan

US retail giant forever 21 is aiming to make its new Liverpool store a global

communicator.Plans are to be submitted that would see the frontage of the new £20m building on the corner of Church Street being used as a huge digital screen which could potentially link to other stores across the world.The ambitious project, which would see the screen used to advertise products as well as local information and messages from the public, is to be submitted to Liverpool city council in the next few weeks.The Forever 21 site is set to open in June 2013.

Liverpool city centre’s Christmas season is being promoted to millions of people across the UK – thanks to a retail led campaign funded through your City Central BID levy.Launched last year, the 2nd edition of the Christmas By Liverpool campaign has been devised and funded in partnership with Liverpool ONE, Metquarter, Merseyrail and Geraud Markets.And new for 2012 it will feature a series of billboard posters (see right) in key London Underground interchange stations, inviting residents of the capital to take the ‘perfect festive break’ in Liverpool.The campaign has been able to go national thanks to match funding from the Liverpool EnterprisePartnership, via Visit England.Other highlights of the campaign include:www.christmasbyliverpool.com a bespoke microsite hosted by Visit Liverpool. it is being publicised virally on

social media through the call to action of a weekend in Liverpool city centre and £1,000 shopping competition which will provide data capture to partners.Regular Christmas By Liverpool enewsletters by Visit Liverpool to a database of 80,000 people.A series of radio ads running across several north west stations – for two weeks in November and first two weeks of december.250,000 copies of a Christmas By Liverpool leaflet – complete with

shopping guide and events - has been distributed across several regional newspapers. A further 30,000 copies of an A5 version will be distributed throughout the city centre.

This will be complemented by a massive web ad campaign, with a capacity for a total of 8 million views, that will focus on London and North West.

Another new element for 2012 will be a Christmas By Liverpool sales campaign which will launch the week before Christmas.

Ged Gibbons, Chief Executive of City Central Bid, said: “Liverpool city centre has so much to offer at Christmas and i’m delighted the LEP has joined our retail partnership to tell that story. By working together we are delivering a message with much greater impact and to a much wider audience.

“Marketing is a critical task especially at Christmas and every business in the Bid is getting exceptional value for money for the exposure the city will be receiving over the coming weeks.”

GOING uNDERGROuND Christmas By Liverpool campaign to reach millions

Kate Stewart shows Cllr. Nick Small pop-up products for Christmas.

We’ve got Christmas shopping all wrapped up. Choose from high street favourites to designer brands

including M.A.C, Hugo Boss and the only Beauty Bazaar,

Harvey Nichols in the country.

Add all this to our chic hotels, the warmest of welcomes and you’ll

have the perfect festive break.

It’s Liverpool.

christmasbyliverpool.com

Liverpool Pops-up for ChristmasLiverpool to host its first ever ‘pop up shop festival’ this Christmas.

• Santa’s Reindeers Queen Square Every Thursday from 29 November

• Jack & the Beanstalk Liverpool Playhouse 30 November –19 January

• Bring your Gift to Work Day Exchange Flags 29 November Noon – 2pm

• Nightmare on Lime Street Royal Court Theatre 23 November – 12 January

• Liverpool Santa Dash City Centre 2 December

• Winter Arts Market St George’s Hall 8-9 December

Win a fabulously festive Christmas By Liverpool prize – worth a cool £150.

Scene has joined up with some of our city central partners to get you in the Christmas spirit.

The free night out in the heart of your favourite city centre includes:

• a pair of tickets to see Nightmare on Elm Street at Royal Court

• a three course meal for two with a bottle of wine at Gecko, Queen Square

• a free photo on Santa’s sleigh in Metquarter – with free mulled wine and mince pies!

To win this fab prize all you have to do is answer this question:

Who is the star of the Royal Court panto this year?

Email your answer to: citycentre.pr@liverpool.gov.uk

Winner will be chosen on Monday, 3 December

Please provide relevant contact details.

Coming up for Christmas...

City Central Bid, Second Floor, 76-78 Lord Street, Liverpool L2 1TATel: 0151 233 2213 Fax: 0151 233 2218 www.citycentralbid.comEmail your latest news, views and pictures to: mike.doran@liverpool.gov.uk You can now follow City Central on and

Send us your views TM TM TM

on dark background

TM TM TM

on dark background

Cheaper car parking – and not just for Christmas!

Car parking in Liverpool city centre will be cheaper from 30 November –

and the changes will remain beyond Christmas.After a mass consultation the council is set to cut the cost of parking at city centre pay-and-display bays by almost 10 per cent – to £1 per hour.The maximum time vehicles can park at pay and display bays in the city centre will also increase from two hours to four.

Win a fabulous Christmas By Liverpool prize

Win H Win H Win

The city’s first pop-up bandstand will be the feature attraction of a continental Christmas village complete with Gluwhein Bar and Bratwurst grill nestled amongst Liverpool city centre’s Christmas Market.Set in Williamson Square the unique structure, funded by the City Central Bid levy, will provide live, festive entertainment from

Thursday, 22 November until Saturday, 22 december.Open Culture are programming the bandstand Thursday to Sunday from 12.30pm to 5pm, and until 7pm on Thursday’s to support late night shopping in the city centre.The bandstand, which formed part of the Summer of Love campaign, showcased more than 75

acts and fuelled a 37% rise in footfall to Williamson Square.Tracey Crosbie, Events Manager City Central Bid, said: “We’re delighted to have the Liverpool Bandstand back as it proved hugely popular with entertainers and the public alike.“As the feature attraction of the continental Christmas village it’ll bring some real

festive cheer while people go about their Christmas shopping.”The Liverpool bandstand will also be open to talented city centre staff. Those wishing to perform should contact Jenny Connor on 0151 233 2215.

Liverpool bandstand to sparkle this ChristmasAfter wowing thousands this summer the Liverpool bandstand is set to make a glittering return this Christmas.

£1,200 worth of promo space- book for FREE!Exclusive to BID

members

Four weeks only – for

FREE!

The area will be Holy Cross at the bottom of Lord Street, which normally costs £1,200 per day to hire the land, but for these four weeks only we are offering it for fREE.H&T Pawnbrokers have already stepped up, giving away kiddies goody bags and talking to people about their great watch promotion.

If you are interested in booking in for some days, please email Karen on karen.deas@liverpool.gov.uk or call 0151 233 5381.Terms and Conditions apply.

from 22 November to 22 December we are exclusively

offering BID members the chance to promote your business in the highest footfall zone in Merseyside.

Did you know?• Church St and Lord St

is the busiest pedestrian junction in Merseyside

• Monthly average footfall is around 1.1 million

• Christmas Grotto Access through 3rd floor in Rapid Now until 24 December

• Christmas @ Metquarter Every Thursday until 20 December

• Launch of Mission Christmas Williamson Square Noon – 22 November

• Christmas Village with Liverpool Bandstand Williamson Square 22 November – 22 December

• Christmas Market Church Street, Lord Street & Whitechapel 22 November – 22 December