Promote Committee Meeting September 2025

Tuesday 3^rd September, 2.30pm

PARTNER EVENTS

City Jam: 29^th – 31^st August

• Sponsored and used our ad space to promote our organised or supported events. Feedback here: www.southendcityjam.co.uk/survey

Waddle on Sea: finishes on Wednesday 3^rd September with a farewell event on 13^th and 14^th September.

Fireworks: 27^th September – 15^th November

• Sponsoring Switch On display, taking place at 7.30pm. Timings expected to be at 8pm for September and October and then 7.30pm in November – to be confirmed. More information will be posted on the seaside partnership throughout the season.

Southend Jazz Festival: 6^th – 12^th October

• Using partnership to promote the event to attract more people to the city and get more venues involved such as The Royals and Black and Red.

Halloween Parade: 25^th October

• Starting at 6.30pm from Gas works car park and ending near Robertos at 7.45pm to align with the firework display.

City Day: 2026

• Confirmed to return for next year.

BID EVENTS

College History Trail: dates tbc

• Delays experienced. We will do the trail but date to be confirmed.

Southend Food and Drink Festival: 24^th October – 2^nd November

• Developed out of the Southend Cocktail Week. Designed to support and celebrate the breadth of hospitality businesses in the zone, 16 units signed up including independents e.g. Caddies, Salsa, and Utopia, and chains e.g. Wagamama’s, Boom Battle Bar, and Popworld. 16 venues. Branding is vintage postcard themed

Christmas Switch On: 15^th November

• Thank you to committee for branding feedback and suggestions, now finalised with darker blue. Vibrant, joyful design.

• Planned activities include moving story telling bus to royals square, creating a Southend sign decorated by the community on the day, attempting to get panto star to switch on.

Festive Sundays: 7^th, 14^th, 21^st December

• Using the December free Sunday parking to encourage families in. Snow Queen with the Palace on the 7^th, characters tbc on the 14^th, choirs around the tree on the 21^st.

STREETSCAPE

Bunting and Baskets

· Scheduled removal: 8th October.

Christmas Scheme

· Installation: lights - end of October, tree - first week in November.

· Tree: returning to previous trusted supplier. Will have additional tree at the south of the High Street for 2024 only. Unless additional sponsorship is obtained for future years.

Cleaning

· A request has been submitted to review the current cleaning schedule.

· Discussions around the start of the Spring Summer was positive but this has not been sustained, and the issue should be escalated with the board.

· Now summer is ending, the High Street needs to be more of a priority.

· Concerns around a specific alleyway mess.

· Working with council and business to collaborate on the installation of a pigeon deterrent on the exterior.

Litter Picking

· Advance litter picking dates are scheduled in for remainder of the year. Dates and sign up can be found here: www.southendbid.com/bid-events

· Collaboration with the college public services department will start this month with students participating in regular litter pickings to fulfil their volunteer hours.

Road Markings

· A discussion with the council is due on worn out road marking.

Bollards

· Delays have been due to the need to clarify department responsibilities and procedural steps; however, this is now advancing.

OPPORTUNITIES

Summer Games

· Game decals were not possible for summer 2025 due to costs but may be considered for 2026 if produced and installed locally to manage costs.

Training sessions

· Committee members interested in hosting a one-hour BID training session (in person or online) are encouraged to get in touch.

Night time economy year-round trail

· Concept is a trail to promote Southend NTE venues without an alcohol focus.

“Beyond the Black Friday”

· Building on previous discussions around promoting businesses in this season without discounting.

· Proposal for a November spotlight on independents, highlighting the faces behind the business.

Business Directory

· Proposal to include a directory of BID businesses on the website which would be categorised e.g. independents, office, pubs and bars, hair and beauty, etc.

· VisitSouthend website will eventually support venue self-loading information to be listed (limited to hospitality, leisure, and accommodation).

AOB

Local Government Regeneration and Devolution

· Following the email circulated to committee members the previous week, an in-depth discussion took place around the letter from the council that requested the BID’s support for their LGR and Devolution.

Next meeting - 4th November at 2.30pm