Announcing the inaugural ‘Viv Awards’

What are the ‘Viv Awards’

Since this is the last post of 2009, and indeed, of the decade, I wanted to take a look back at what helped make it special for me.

In my work I meet lots of interesting people, representing many different types of organisation involved in tourism, and I felt that I’d like to do my bit to acknowledge some of the fantastic efforts being put into marketing Britain to both domestic and international visitors, and commend good practice and innovation generally, irrespective of location.

Although I’ve only been in existence since August, I’ve already noticed loads of new marketing ideas that I think deserve wider recognition.

So here I present to you the first ever ‘VivAwards’ for innovation and excellence in tourism marketing.

The inaugural ‘Viv Award’ Winners 2009:

Greenway, Devon  -  award for  green tourism

The National Trust now administers Agatha Christie’s former summer home, which enjoys  glorious views over the lower reaches of the river Dart. The award acknowledges the Trust’s efforts to prevent the narrow country lanes that surround Greenway becoming clogged with traffic.

This has been successfully achieved by limiting car parking, which is available by prior reservation only; and actively encouraging visitors to park and arrive by ferry, either from across the river at Dittisham (the route I chose when I visited Greenway this summer) or from Dartmouth. Entrance is by timed ticket, which helps prevent a crush, and the whole experience of visiting the house is greatly enhanced by an absence of roped off areas, which the family stipulated as a condition of allowing public access.  More information about Greenway.

Hampton Court, Middlesex – award for living history interpretation

As already recorded in my 28 October post, I had been previously slightly cynical about the educational value of living history interpretation; but changed my mind as a result of recent experiences. I believe it should no longer  be viewed simply as entertainment, since, when well done, as at Hampton Court, it offers a genuine opportunity to understand more about what it would have been like to live and work in a bygone era. More information about Hampton Court

Quba, Salcombe – award for innovation in retailing

As recorded in my 2nd October post, I was impressed by the attention to detail and branding at casual fashion retailer Quba, where each sales receipt is presented in the form of a passport, which not only thanks you for your custom, but directs you to more information and the possibility of online purchase at the Quba website.

This is an idea with potential for further development, perhaps for building a database, or launching some sort of loyalty scheme for customers reaching cumulative purchase value targets.

Waveney River Centre, Norfolk Broads – award for most original blog

It was during my most recent work in the East of England Tourism region, that I first came across ‘A fish called Eddie‘ . Blogs assist search engine optimisation of websites; but need topicality and an ability to serve up news, as well as offering an interesting or unusual angle on the business or interest that they represent.

Eddie is written from the viewpoint of a pikefish living in the marina at Waveney River Centre, writing entertainingly about about environmental matters. The subject is vitally important in such a fragile ecosystem as the Broads. It’s not something which ordinarily gets much attention, and deserves more, so it’s worth watching. More information about Waveney River Centre

Thermae Bath Spa – award for contribution to well being

I visited the state of the art spa complex which uses the water from Britain’s only natural hot thermal springs during my summer staycation. I wrote about my experiences in my post dated 20 September. It’s well worth making a special trip to Bath to enjoy such a world class experience. More information about Thermae Bath Spa.

Shakespeare House, Grendon Underwood – award for hospitality

I travel all over the country in the course of my work, so I really apppreciate somewhere where I instantly feel welcome and at home. In fact I enjoyed my first stay so much (see my post dated 4 September) that I returned on another occasion with my family! If you’re looking for a boutique bed and breakfast conveniently located as a base for visits to Oxford, Stratford Upon Avon or the Bicester Village factory outlet centre, this makes a great choice. It has a 5 star rating and a Gold Award service accolade. More information about Shakespeare House.

Liverpool – destination award

I’d only been to Liverpool once before,  over two decades ago, and that wasn’t a particularly memorable occasion; but my, how I noticed the changes when I visted this autumn! Its impressive new waterfront developments include Albert Dock and Tate Liverpool gallery, the Echo Arena and a new Museum that will open in 2011; added to the heritage of it’s glory year as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

I’ve seen for myself how the the city has become a world class tourist destination that’s starting to bear comparison with the best of them on the international circuit. It’s particular USPs are its maritime and musical heritage, including it’s role as birthplace of The Beatles. The Cavern Club is not to be missed, and already there are amphibious tours of the waterfront by ‘The Yellow Duckmarine‘. I plan to return. More information about Liverpool.

Chelsea Tower, Dubai – award for best marketing slogan

Although my awards are generally UK focused, for the obvious reason that I’m UK based most of the time,  I’m always on the lookout for great examples of innovation in tourism marketing from organisations and destinations anywhere in the world.

l found the best example of a marketing slogan this year, from a hotel in Dubai, in the somewhat unlikely surroundings of a staircase display about it at the Quality Hotel Heathrow.  It was featured on one of those self supporting promotional stands of the type seen frequently at travel trade exhibitions, promoting the Chelsea Tower Dubai. The award goes to them for their slogan ‘Come as a guest, leave as family’. I like the sentiment.

Each of the award winners will receive a certificate of recognition in due course.

Until next year!

Snow business: thinking ahead for 2010

I’ve resolved to get more proactive in working with the media in 2010. Irrespective of being a private citizen, or representative of a business, we all have a role to play.  We can all contribute towards helping to further raise the profile of what the UK has to offer as a destination for both overseas visitors and domestic travellers, as we enter a new decade, one in which London will be at the epicentre of world interest, by the time London 2012 comes around.

What to do next

It’s definitely not too early to start working creatively and getting ourselves organised to  serve up a steady stream of news stories that will get us, or the business we represent, a share of worldwide media interest that will focus on London and the UK in general; between now and the opening ceremony of  the games on 27th July 2012. Read on to find out how.

Opportunities to benefit from London 2012

According to the official website, actual tickets for events will not be available until 2011. However, if you’re interested in getting involved on a personal level as a volonteer, you can already join the cast of thousands who’ve already signed up. If you want the inside track on news from the venues in London and beyond I’ve found a lot of interest in stories from Inside the Games, an unofficial site to which you can subscribe.  If you’re a business and you want to get involved or listed as a potential supplier and tender for London 2012 business officially, you can get more information on the Compete For website. Finally if you’re involved in the creative or performing arts sector you might be interested in getting involved with the cultural celebrations or the Inspire programme for non commercial enterprises.

Getting proactive with the media

I’ve chosen to remain near my home base following heavy falls of snow in Kent that have made headlines around the world this week, and I’ve been out taking loads of pictures.  You might ask why; but my reasons are manifold:

I’m thinking ahead to next Christmas, when I’ll have a stack of fresh, photogenic and seasonal images to use to accompany marketing communications planned well in advance of any seasonal weather ‘on the ground’.

I’ve added to my library of original images to incorporate in presentations and training manuals to illustrate points about things being ‘cold’ or ‘frozen’ or ‘low season’.

I’ve captured a range of images I can provide to the media to accompany news stories

I’ve practiced the facility I have to send images direct from my camera phone to the media

I’ve learned from the experience about what sort of images work best,  and about the limitations of my current equipment should I decide to upgrade

I’ve added to my database of media contacts hungry for news

Although the more negative coverage given to the weather in Kent has focused on transport disruption, I’ve particularly noticed how the media have an insatiable appetite for new images and business related or human interest stories to help balance and fill the airtime of the news programmes at any time when there’s a dearth of major news.

This is something of an ongoing opportunity, which anyone prepared to put together news worthy stories, or images ought to be ready to tap into. Things can happen very quickly if the media pick up on a story. By way of illustration, I was listening live to BBC Radio Kent as the sister of tearful perospective bride Karen Rawlings called up from her snowbound hotel on Friday at breakfast time to appeal for help with transport in getting to an isoloated rural Kentish church for her wedding later that afternoon. The appeal succeeded in saving the day, and not only did the wedding take place in the stunning rural surroundings, but the pictures were fantastic, and the event received national coverage on the evening television news bulletins. The value of such broadcast media coverage is immense.

Key steps to generating news and getting covergae

1. Always carry a compact camera or a camera phone, and be ready to be interviewed. Don’t fret too much about sound and image quality. If your story is newsworthy, the media want the story, and the pictures.
2. Build a database of media contacts. Don’t forget local radio and the local  broadcast news office.
3. Contact the media about any story to which you can contribute as an ‘expert’ commentator or add information from a different angle or viewpoint.
4. Enter for awards, capture images of the presentation cermony, and tell the media when you win.
5. If you’re a busness build a ‘fascinating fact’ file about all the areas of your business operation. The media are always on the lookout for anything new, surprising, or unusual.
6. Be ready to respond quickly to media interest whenever they  contact you looking for a story.

If you’re a tourism business in the South East of England, and looking for more guidance on working with the media, you can book a place on Tourism South East‘s half day training course on ‘Meeting The Media‘, which is part of the Hosting the World suite of courses.  Open course dates are available across the region in the New Year.

Have you received coverage as a result of working with the media? Let me know if you have any tips.

May I take this opportunity to wish you seasonal greetings and a wonderful Christmas and New Year holiday break. Until next time…

Travel by Javelin: benefit from high speed

As soon as I found myself planning to attend an event at the British Library, which is adjacent to London St Pancras, I decided it would be an ideal opportunity for me to try out South Eastern’s  new domestic Javelin high speed rail service. It started operating a permanent full daily timetable at the beginning of this week, following several months of less frequent ‘preview’ services on weekdays only.

What’s new?

The new services allow for better use to be made of High Speed One, Britain’s first and only high speed rail line,  linking London to the Channel Tunnel, and on to Paris and Brussels. Previously it was only accessible to international travellers using Eurostar services to Calais, Lille, Paris or Brussels.

Javelin trains have brought a dramtic reduction in domestic journey times between London and large swathes of Kent, making commuting from and visiting the ‘Garden of England’  a much more attractive proposition on new or upgraded track. Ashford is now down to a journey time of 37 minutes from London St Pancras; and passengers from Ebbsfleet International can make the trip to St Pancras or vice versa in under 20 minutes. It’s also now possible for domestic rail passengers to interchange with international services in Ebbsfleet International for the first time, in addition to Ashford International.

Javelins are now operating beyond Ebbsfleet International, to Gravesend, the Medway towns where Charles Dickens grew up (Strood, Rochester,  Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham) and continue down the north Kent coast to Sittingbourne, the foodie haven of Faversham, and stations to Margate and Broadstairs, including trendy Whitstable and more sedate Herne Bay. Taking the high speed line to Ashford, Javelins now continue beyond it to the World Heritage city of Canterbury(West), Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate; or Folkestone, and Dover. More information about visiting Kent.

Javelin timetable information

What’s different about the trains?

Once you activate and enter inside sliding doors, you’lll find smart dove grey and Air Force blue interiors with concealed lighting and overhead digital information signs updating you with information about the next station stop and connecting services, in addition to audible information announcements. Plush comfortable seats are set two by two each side of a central aisle. I particularly noticed almost half in the less popular backward facing position in my carriage. There are relatively shallow overhead luggage racks above the seating,  some space for luggage under seats, and at least one open storage rack in each carriage as well.

Currently it is not possible to make seat reservations, although I noticed an electronic system in place on the outside wall above each row of seats, to make it possible in the future.  Ticket checks were made on both legs of my particular journey. As far as I was aware there were no refreshments on offer on the train.

My opinion

As expected, both my journeys were fast, smooth and comfortable, with  smooth acceleration and braking, and no noticeable vibration, even when the train reached its top speed of 140mph/225.3kph. There are 200 Javelin services running each weekday, with a reduced service at weekends. Neither of the trains I travelled on were crowded.

In addition to making it easier for visitors to travel in comfort and style to or from 21 stations in Kent, the new service has the added advantage of making it much easier for passengers planning to travel to the north of Britain on the east coast line, to places like Leeds, Tyneside, Edinburgh or anywhere else served by rail from London St Pancras or adjacent Kings Cross. This also applies if your journey starts in the north or east of England and you’re journeying in the opposite direction to Kent. The high speed service  arrives and departs from Platforms 11-13 at London St. Pancras. To find it simply follow the signs for ‘National Rail’ and you’ll find you ascend to these platforms by escalator or lift/elevator.

On a north Kent Javelin journey from Margate, the Javelin trains only join the high-speed line at Ebbsfleet, west of Gravesend, for the final 20 miles into London, so the time saving benefits of  using the high speed services does lessen as you go further east. Services via Ashford will however run on the high-speed line for longer, and will be quicker than existing services, with  the journey from Dover  shorter by 15 minutes, and Canterbury shorter by 23 minutes, compared to other routes.

Another consideration, whichever direction you’re travelling in, is that if the high speed route is a travel option for your particular journey between Kent and Edinburgh in Scotland, the north east, or east of England, you’ll find it’s no longer necessary to endure the hassle of travel across London by bus, tube or taxi! This alone can shave an hour off your total journey time, which is another great reason to travel by Javelin. Try it soon. In many cases it’s worth the small premium on the cost of the regular service. I shall certainly use it again.

Javelin trains are also going to be used to transport people travelling to London 2012, with the Olympic Park at Stratford International, the intermediate stop between Ebbsfleet and St Pancras, just a few hundred metres away from the station. Watch the video.

Until next time…

A change of climate: from Kent To Copenhagen

Why climate change is a hot topic

With the United Nations Climate Change Conference on in Copenhagen until Friday 18^th December, my thoughts have turned to this controversial subject. A website called Do the Green Thing.com offers an alternative take on the difficulties in reaching an international agreement on climate change at Copenhagen. Scroll down the page to see  ‘A Recipe for a Successful Copenhagen’.  – click here to view the video . It uses humour to try and make a serious point about the unenviable task faced by delegates attending the event.

Symptoms of climate change?

In spite of the efforts of climate sceptics trying to prove otherwise from information purporting to support their argument from the University of East Anglia in Norwich; the most authoritative and credible sources, from the BBC to the Met Office and Nasa seem to be agreed that climate change is happening. Equally compelling from my own personal point of view, are the symptoms I’ve observed with my own eyes, in my own backyard.

As autumn turns to winter, I’ve decided this week to share my own (admittedly entirely unscientific) micro observations of what I’ve noticed happening in the area near where I’ve lived for almost 20 years. I believe I’ve begun to spot symptoms of climate change in the rural parts of  Kent, and other parts of southern and south eastern England, that I know well.

Personal observations in the rural Weald of Kent

This is a region sheltered by a lofty arc of chalk downland to the north and south, with a relatively flat Low Weald vale of clay forming a sandwich between a concentric ridge of greensand, and a central sandstone ridge known as the High Weald at its heart.

When we first moved to the Low Weald village of Marden, almost 20- years ago, the land immediately around our home consisted of strawberry fields, hop gardens , and apple and pear orchards. The beautiful rolling countryside shown in my photographs as it changes with the seasons, is dotted with oak trees,  and remnants of ancient woodland that gets carpeted with bluebells in spring. The trees and the woodland are thankfully still there, and so is the pear orchard; but where I walk our dog every day, many of the hedges, three strawberry fields, and an apple orchard have all been ripped out within the last decade.

This has followed the installation of no doubt expensive piped irrigation during the increasingly arid summers, when the clay soil shrinks and dries rock hard (for what seems a slightly longer period with each passing year); and I now have to water my personal strawberry patch to encourage the fruit to grow to its full potential.

Only in the last couple of years have I begin to notice (with increasing concern) a network of cracks several inches deep, pulling open the grass of our paddock during summer months. This is in addition to those I always noticed on the bare earth of footpaths across the adjacent open arable land, which I call the ‘Marden Prarie’. This has replaced former apple orchards and strawberry fields sheltered by tall protective hedgerows.

At the moment, with all the heavy rain we’ve had in the last few weeks, the footpaths are muddy, wellington boots are vital to protect clothes against mud splashes;  and a temporary pond has re-appeared in the natural dip in our paddock!

Consequences of change in hop growing

Kent is known for growing hops, an ingredient of beer, and it may be a simple matter of economics as well as climate; but sadly, only one hop garden now remains in Marden, sheltered and hidden away by ancient woodland. down a minor road where I occasionally ride my bike. The cultivation of hops (and local brewing) lives on in spite of the reduced acreage, particularly around Faversham. The town is home of independent brewery Shepherd Neame, which you can visit, and there’s an annual hop festival held annually at harvest time in early September. Kent Life heritage park near Maidstone, also holds an annual hop picking and beer festival in the same month.

You can learn more about the industry that’s left an indelible mark on the Kentish landscape at visitor attractions such as the Hop Farm Family Park.; or buy the dried hop bines as decoration for your home, and other hop based products at The Hop Shop, Shoreham.

Many redundant oast houses, where the hops used to be dried, have been converted into highly desirable homes, and some are available for let. Along with conversions of other agricultural buildings, some can  be booked for short breaks in winter and longer holidays or vacations in summer, from organisations such as Freedom Holiday Homes. A place I can recommend from personal knowledge is Oast House Loft, at Morley Farm Oast. Set on a  working farm near Rye, on the Kent Sussex border, it enjoys 360º views over the farm and surrounding countryside.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that spring comes earlier nowadays, and the general extension of summer throughout our area, which is good for attracting more visitors.  Summer now extends into September, weatherwise at least, with little cold weather or frost observed until well into October.

The rise of vineyards, and English Wine

Within 500 metres of our home, two fields of grape vines have recently been planted to replace a hop garden. Just a few sad remnant hop plants have clung to life, scrambling through the remaining hedgerows.

2009 has reputedly been the best year ever for English wine. Our local vineyard is part of a noticeable trend towards an increasing acreage devoted to vines in the county. You can download a free guide to the county’s vineyards and locally produced food, from Produced in Kent , and visitors are welcomed to most of them. One of the largest and most interesting is Chapel Down at Tenterden. Closer to us at Marden is Hush Heath, an award winning estate producing sparkling rosé which retails at £35 per bottle, from the same chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, that are used to make Champagne in France! Hush Heath also produces bottled apple juice, as does nearby Biddenden vineyard , which is, in addition, a producer of cider.

As well as climate, one of the other reasons that English Wine is becoming so successful is that the underlying geology, and consequently the topography, of the landscape of southern England and the Isle of Wight, has much in common with the Paris basin, and the champagne region in particular. I’ve noticed England’s largest vineyard, Denbies of Dorking in Surrey, was this year marketing a paid-for and tutored ‘grape picking experience’ to visitors  during harvest time in October, something that, if successful, could no doubt prove to be an annual event.

Provence in Kent?

Our garden now supports an olive tree, which I can happily leave outside all the year round. Due to the seeming predictability of dry weather in summer, I’ve recently felt a conscious need to invest in planting more drought resistant plants in the garden, including shrubs such as lavender and rosemary. If you take the train up to London from here in summer, just beyond Sevenoaks, if you look out on the east side of the track, just before the North Downs tunnel, you can’t miss a huge purple field in which lavender is now grown commercially. It’s not alone: near Hadlow is Downderry specialist lavender nursery, where you can buy the plants. The phenomenon is not limited to Kent. There’s also a commercial lavender farm at Staplehurst Grange near Newport, on the Isle of Wight. They sell essential oil, shampoo, and other lovely lavender products to visitors and by mail order.

Climate South East offers more information about the effects of climate change on South East England. Can you see symptoms of climate change happening in rural locations where you live or visit? Let me know.

Until next time…

PS Apologies for the late publication of this week’s post, which was due to a technical problem earlier in the week.