Business Plan 2015 /16
VisitBrighton is the official tourism unit within Brighton & Hove City Council. The unit has three main
areas of activity; marketing Brighton & Hove and the surrounding area to domestic and overseas visitors
(VisitBrighton Marketing), selling the City as a destination for conferences, meeting & events (VisitBrighton
Convention Bureau) and providing assistance to visitors pre, and during, their visit to the City
(VisitBrighton Visitor Services).
This documents details the planned work VisitBrighton will undertake in the 2015/16 financial year. Whilst
each area of activity (Marketing, Convention Bureau and Visitor Services) is detailed separately for clarity,
in reality each works in conjunction with one another; for example marketing will assist in bringing
conferences to Brighton & Hove, which in turn will be supported by Visitor Services.
Operation Overview 2014
2014 was another busy and productive year for VisitBrighton. Key outputs include:
Marketing
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Over 100 press & media visits hosted
Press & media coverage with an advertising value in excess of £7 million achieved
20 Media Briefings and 16 Press Releases delivered
Over 2 million unique visitors to www.visitbrighton.com
21,750 Twitter followers of LoveBrighton (as at 31 Dec)
17,000 Facebook friends of LoveBrighton (as at 31 Dec)
15,000 mobile app downloads
13 consumer e-newsletters & e-shots delivered, with a 16% average open rate
Partnership campaigns with VisitEngland & VisitBritain relating to Access for All, Cultural Cities,
Cycling and LGBT travel.
Convention Bureau
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138 conference / event enquiries received
69 conferences / events confirmed for the city (60% year on year growth)
£48million economic benefit generated for Brighton & Hove
12,000 bed nights placed via the Conference Delegate Accommodation Booking Scheme, with a
total value of £1.1million
47 site inspections and familiarisation visits hosted
Attendance at International Confex, UK Meeting Show and C&IT Association Forum
Visitor Services
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9,000 emails and 9,000 phone calls handled
13,000 visitors helped by City Champions
185 Greets, welcoming 432 visitors
30,000 enquiries through the VIP network
Summary of Recent Visitor Trends
Research shows that Brighton & Hove, through the work of VisitBrighton and partner organisations, has
been successful in maintaining its position in the market place as a leading UK tourist destination.
International Visitor Overnight Stays
Figures from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) conducted by the Office of National Statistics (ONS)
show that Brighton & Hove has achieved continued growth in attracting overseas staying visitor in recent
years. Between 2010 and 2013 (the latest full year figures available) the city saw a steady rise in overseas
visitors from 302,000 to 409,000 per annum. Early indicators show that this upward trend continued into
2014.
This growth has meant that Brighton & Hove has maintained its position in the Top 10 of the most visited
UK destinations by overseas visitors. Further, when holiday visits are looked at in isolation, Brighton &
Hove is the 5th most popular destination and the UK’s top seaside destination for international visitors.
Domestic Visitor Overnight Stays
The pattern of overnight domestic visitor trends to Brighton & Hove over recent years shows greater
fluctuation. Figures from the Great British Tourism Survey (GTBS) show that between 2010 and 2012,
Brighton & Hove saw a rise in domestic visitors staying overnight followed by a fall in 2013 (latest full
figures available). Initial figures for early 2014 show a mixed picture.
Visitor Profile, Activity, Expenditure & Satisfaction
Figures from the official Visitor Survey commissioned by VisitBrighton in 2014 give a picture of the make-up
of visitors to Brighton & Hove and show positive trends when compared to the results of the 2009 Visitor
Survey:
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60% of visitors are day visitors / 40% stay overnight
23% of visitors are from overseas; an increase of 8% since 2009 – the top five ‘source’ destinations
are Germany, Spain, Netherlands, France and Australia
Just over three quarters of visitors come in ‘adult only’ groups, although there has been a rise in
family groups (from 19% in 2009 to 24% in 2014)
Visitors are relatively evenly spread across all age groups
Two thirds of visitors fall within the ABC1 socio economic classification
30% of visitors are ‘new’ to the city, having not visited before
Use of public transport to come to the City has increased
Average expenditure by overnight visitors (per person, per 24 hours excluding accommodation)
was £52.50 (up from £39.70 in 2009)
Average expenditure by day visitors increased; from £20.79 in 2009 to £36.89 in 2014
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The proportion of visitors using information pre-trip has increased
Almost three quarters of staying visitors make their decision to visit at least two months prior to
arrival
38% of staying visitors were on a short break of 1-3 nights. There is marked difference between
domestic and overseas visitors; 57% of domestic visitors were on a short break of 1-3 nights, whilst
almost 40% of overseas visitors were on a trip of seven nights or longer
Visitor satisfaction levels have improved between 2009 and 2014. Aspects which visitors rated
particularly highly are ‘ease of finding way around’, ‘vibrant cosmopolitan atmosphere’ and ‘choice
of nightlife / evening entertainment’
90% of visitors would recommend Brighton & Hove to others.
Operating Context
The operating context of tourism is an ever-changing picture which creates both challenges and
opportunities. The ongoing pressure on Local Government finances means that the VisitBrighton budget
will, once again, face a reduction in the 2015/16 financial year. In this respect, it is vital that VisitBrighton
undertakes activity that is central to our core function and works collaboratively with third parties to
ensure that we achieve greatest return on investment on monies spent and overall benefit to the city.
Leisure Tourism
At the present time (spring 2015) the strength of the UK Pound against other currencies, particularly the
Euro, creates a challenging market environment for UK leisure tourism. With the UK Pound currently
buying approximately 1.40 Euro, this creates an incentive for domestic visitors to travel to Europe and also
creates a barrier for European visitors coming in the UK.
Continued changes to national Govt. funding opportunities (noted later in this document) mean that at the
present time, it is unsure as to how VisitBrighton will be able to benefit. Certainly, it is evident that Govt.
tourism funding continues to be biased towards the north of England - in a recent announcement the Govt.
has committed £10million to tourism bodies in the north to help promote the area to UK and international
visitors – which creates further competitor pressure.
However, despite the external challenges, Brighton & Hove is still well placed to maintain its position within
the leisure tourism marketplace. The city is still seen as a leading example of seaside tourism success and
continues to have a positive sentiment in visitors’ minds.
Business Tourism
Competition from other destinations, both domestically and internationally, remains a constant. During
2014 competitor domestic destinations reduced their rates significantly to secure group or individual pieces
of business. Whilst it is not believed that this will be a continual trend it is something that requires
monitoring and discussion with our conference venue Partners to ensure Brighton & Hove remains
competitive in the marketplace.
It is true however that Brighton & Hove remain a strong, attractive and truly viable option for conference
organisers. The continual improvements in the city’s venues and hotels further cement our standing and
reputation across the meeting industry.
Marketing Plan 2015/16
The VisitBrighton Marketing Plan for the coming year reflects the visitor trends and operating context
noted previously. While the following section has been split into Offline and Online activity, this is purely
for ease of understanding. Both aspects of marketing will work in tandem with one another towards
promoting the city and our Partners to support the visitor economy.
In addition to the activities detailed below, throughout the year we will be exploring other potential
opportunities as they arise.
Offline Marketing
Media & PR
Our media and public relations activity is an essential part of the marketing mix as it enables us to
communicate the city’s key selling points and stories in a cost effective manner and deliver the greatest
levels of Return on Investment.
Domestic
VisitBrighton will retain a PR agency to promote the city to the domestic leisure market. From experience,
we know that resultant coverage from hosted press trips is greater than that achieved by any other means
and hosting media in the city gives us the opportunity to truly showcase the unique selling points and
vibrancy of Brighton & Hove and the surrounding area.
In 2015/16, our PR agency will be tasked to secure press trips from key journalists, covering both travel and
lifestyle media, including ‘qualified’ bloggers with high influence. To support our press trip activity, our PR
agency will write and distribute a schedule of press releases to media contacts throughout the year.
Both press trips and releases will be in line with our thematic & seasonal campaigns (see later) and, as ever,
the underlying aim will be to increase visitor numbers to the city and to encourage more overnight breaks.
The PR agency will also incorporate social media into their activity.
In addition, and in recognition of the fact that lead-times for accommodation bookings are decreasing, our
UK PR agency will be working closely with the national press to promote late-availability bookings through
visitbrighton.com.
Internally, the VisitBrighton team will compile regular Media Briefings containing the latest news and major
events for the city to be distributed to all our press and PR contacts.
Overseas
VisitBrighton has engaged with a PR company based in Germany for the last eight years. During this time,
the number of German visitors to Brighton & Hove has increased year-on-year and the city is now the
most popular destination for German visitors to the UK outside London.
To this end, and that the German visitor market continues to offer the greatest potential for inbound
tourism, VisitBrighton will continue to employ a Germany based PR agency in 2015/16 to represent
Brighton & Hove to this important source market.
As with our domestic PR activity, our Germany agency will be tasked with obtaining press trips to Brighton
& Hove from ‘high value’ travel and lifestyle publications and media. Additionally, our German agency will
write and distribute press releases and media briefings throughout the year in addition to representing the
city at key events (i.e. ITB).
In addition to our targeted activity in the German language market, VisitBrighton Marketing will work with
our regional and national partner bodies (Tourism South East and VisitBritain) to secure media visits to, and
coverage on, Brighton & Hove from across the world. Over the past five years we have established and
maintained an excellent working relationship with these bodies to secure high profile press trips, from both
key short haul and emerging long haul markets.
In 2015/16 we will continue to monitor international travel trends and seize upon opportunities in potential
growth markets.
For example, much is said about the vast growth potential of the inbound China market over the coming
decade. Whilst VisitBrighton does not have the budget to run independent activity in this market, we are
already working with our regional and national partners to ensure that Brighton & Hove is recognised as a
key destination for Chinese visitors to the UK. Our work in 2015/16 will include participation in the
‘Go!China’ campaign led by Tourism South East, co-hosting of media trips in conjunction with VisitBritain as
part of the ‘GREAT China Welcome’ campaign and work in Chinese social media.
Targets
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Media hosted on visits – 85 (40% UK and 60% overseas)
Media releases/briefings – 20
Total coverage AVE value – £5 million
Partnerships
As noted above, VisitBrighton Marketing works in partnership with a number of regional and national
organisations in order to spread news about the city and our Partners as far and wide as possible. In
2015/16 we will continue to maintain strategic relationships with the following bodies:
VisitEngland
VisitEngland has a proactive PR team with which we have developed an excellent working relationship to
ensure that Brighton & Hove is appropriately represented at a national level. The VisitEngland Marketing
team run a variety of campaigns throughout the year and we have already confirmed our participation in
two ongoing campaigns for the coming year:
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Rugby World Cup 2015 – As a host city for the RWC 2015, VisitBrighton is a participant in the
Destinations Working Group for the tournament. As the RWC2015 draws closer a range of
media & PR, online and offline activity will take place and we will be working to maximise the
potential to showcase the city via the tournament.
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Access for All – In 2014/15 we worked with VisitEngland on the Access for All campaign, which
promotes the city as a welcoming destination for all, including those with disabilities or access
requirements. Our successful participation in Phase 1 of the campaign has meant that Brighton &
Hove is the only destination to have been invited to participate in Phase 2. The campaign will
include both online and offline promotion.
Over the last three years VisitEngland has run a range of national thematic campaigns using monies from
the Regional Growth Fund. During this time we have taken advantage of this by ‘buying into’ a number of
the campaigns which match our target markets and objectives.
However a recent ‘Triennial Review’ means that the Regional Growth Fund has come to an end in 2015/16.
This will be replaced by the ‘GREAT UK Challenge Fund’. At present, details of the Challenge Fund are yet
to be announced, however once these are confirmed we will look to maximise on this opportunity by
submitting bids for funding (potentially in conjunction with other nearby or similar destinations).
VisitBritain
The national tourism agency for Great Britain has a network of international offices and in 2015/16 we will
continue to maintain contact with these, and VisitBritain’s London based staff, to ensure Brighton & Hove is
‘front-of mind’ and gains appropriate exposure across international markets.
In 2015 /16 we will maintain our participation in the international campaign VisitBritain is running to attract
LGBT visitors to the UK. Brighton & Hove will be one of the headline destinations for this campaign.
Members of the VisitBrighton Marketing Team will also attend the VisitBritain International Business
Exchange (VIBE) in Autumn 2015 which gives the opportunity to meet face-to-face with staff from all of the
VisitBritain overseas offices and ‘sell in’ the Brighton & Hove product to them.
Tourism South East (TSE)
VisitBrighton is an official ‘Destination Partner’ of Tourism South East and, as such, we work collaboratively
with TSE to ensure that Brighton & Hove is effectively promoted and positioned as part of the South East
tourism product.
In 2015/16 we will continue to work with TSE; our focus will be on participation in campaigns covering
near Europe (particularly in the travel trade / group sector, building on the strength of TSE in this market
segment) and also China.
LoveSussex
VisitBrighton is a member of LoveSussex, a consortium of destinations in Sussex. In 2015/16 we will
continue to be part of this group and work collectively to promote the area through joint campaigns, online
activity and trade event participation (i.e. Excursions / Vakantibeurs).
Transport / Travel Trade
In past years, VisitBrighton has successfully partnered with key transport providers including EasyJet,
Southern Rail and First Capital Connect. In 2015/16 we will continue to seek and establish new
collaborations with transport partners covering air, land and sea in key ‘source’ markets to further
maximise our marketing reach and return on investment.
Targets
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Five campaigns with partner bodies
Participation / representation at three national or international trade events
Publishing Collaborations
London is the biggest source market for leisure visitors to Brighton & Hove. In 2014, VisitBrighton
commenced a collaboration with London Visitors magazine to promote Brighton & Hove to both domestic
& overseas visitors who are within the capital and could be encouraged to come to Brighton & Hove as
part of a ‘London plus’ break.
The collaboration proved to be an effective & targeted mechanism for our messages, so in 2015/16 we will
continue to work with London Visitors to maintain and enhance the ‘Brighton Visitors’ section in the
magazine. In addition, and to build upon this market opportunity, we will commence collaboration with
London Planner magazine so that it too has a dedicated Brighton section. Collectively, these magazines
have a print run of almost 500,000.
In the coming year we will also look to establish further collaborations with media that we believe offer the
greatest and most cost effective opportunities to promote the city to potential visitors.
Target
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Three collaborations with media outlets
Print Items
VisitBrighton will continue to support our Partners through the production of ‘core’ print items to inform
and assist visitors on their trip to the city. We will continue to publish the annual Official City Map and the
‘Bedroom Browser’ venues & events guide which is published on a quarterly basis and is distributed via
VisitBrighton partner accommodation to promote the range of events taking place in the city.
In 2015/16 we will assess the feasibility of producing an official ‘Eating, Drinking & Shopping Guide’ to the
City to support our Partners in these sectors.
Language Schools
The international language school sector is an important part of the tourism economy in the city and
VisitBrighton will support our Language School partners in attracting international students. As in previous
years we will work with our Language School partners to host a delegation of agents after the international
StudyWorld conference in September 2015.
Online Marketing
Our official city website, www.visitbrighton.com, attracted over 2 million unique users in 2014 making it the
most popular, comprehensive & trusted site for information on Brighton & Hove, achieving a huge range of
Top 10 search engine rankings for targeted & popular search phrases.
In 2015/16 a key focus will be on adapting www.visitbrighton.com and associated digital activity to meet
changing consumer demands & the increasing use of mobile platforms. We will also focus on researching &
implementing strategies to increase customer engagement with the site, including increased optimisation of
the site for online bookings, as well as other potential avenues such as online ticketing.
New Responsive Website
Approximately 50% of traffic to www.visitbrighton.com is now generated via a mobile device / tablet. In
light of this changing user behaviour VisitBrighton will re-develop www.visitbrighton.com to ensure it is
fully ‘responsive’ (i.e. adapts to fit different mobile platforms). The redevelopment will also include a
complete re-design of the website, including new and improved functionality.
Targets
 New visitbrighton.com responsive website launched by Q3 2015
 2.2 million unique visitors to visitbrighton.com in 2015
 1,500 online accommodation bookings and 6,000 bed nights in 2015
 Website user satisfaction rating – 90% ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’
Integration with TripAdvisor
Research has identified that consumers highly trust the ‘Visit’ names for trip planning. Research also
suggests consumers rely heavily on TripAdvisor for reviews once they have researched possible
accommodation to book. Once a consumer has navigated away from a ‘Visit’ site to TripAdvisor they are
inundated with Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and it is extremely hard to pull them back.
In light of this, in 2015 VisitBrighton will integrate TripAdvisor* into www.visitbrighton.com, enabling the
customer to carry out their entire booking journey within the www.visitbrighton.com website. (*Please
note, TripAdvisor will be on an ‘opt-in’ basis for hotel & attraction partners)
Additionally, we will be investigating opportunities to work in collaboration with TripAdvisor so that
VisitBrighton has a greater ‘ownership’ of the Brighton & Hove tourism pages on TripAdvisor itself.
Integration with Hotel Availability Channel Managers
In January 2015 we successfully integrated www.visitbrighton.com with the popular channel manager
Siteminder. This enables accommodation Partners who opt to use Siteminder (also known as RDX Global)
to automatically assign availability to www.visitbrighton.com without using the Extranet. Throughout
2015/16 we will liaise closely with New Mind (our site developers) & accommodation Partners to explore
any further opportunities to integrate with other channel managers.
Online Booking Conversion Rate Optimisation
In light of the increasing dominance of OTAs such as LastMinute, VisitBrighton will explore opportunities,
via appropriate professional agencies, to further optimise online booking conversion rates, with a view to
ensuring as many people as possible, who visit www.visitbrighton.com looking for accommodation,
complete their journey by making a purchase.
Introduction of Online Ticketing
In 2015/16 will explore opportunities to integrate online ticketing into www.visitbrighton.com, to further
enhance the consumer experience, as well as offer events & attractions the scope to sell tickets from the
site.
Smartphone App
In early 2015 VisitBrighton’s mobile app became ‘over the air’, ensuring a more powerful ‘up to the minute’
information tool for visitors and Partner businesses. Throughout 2015/16 we will continue to promote the
app both off and online, including investigation into ‘geo fencing’ and push technologies as a way of
maximising download rates and Partner benefits.
E-newsletters & Consumer Database
Throughout 2015/16 we will issue monthly email newsletters to our consumer database promoting the city
to visitors & linking in directly with thematic campaigns (see ‘Thematic Campaign’ section below), seasonal
events and holidays. We will also re-design the current e-news template so it is in line with the new
responsive site design.
In 2015/16 we will continue to seize opportunities to grow our database of consumer contacts. In line with
this we will also look at greater levels of segmentation of our database, enabling us to deliver more tailored
communication to our potential visitors.
Release of new ‘Last Minute’ Availability E-news
To capitalise on research that has identified more people than ever are searching for hotel deals less than
three days before they travel, VisitBrighton will issue a weekly email promoting last minute room availability
in the city - for budget, mid & luxury accommodation - alongside key events during that period. This
activity will be supported by our UK PR agency.
Targets
 50,000 consumer contacts in database by 31 Dec 2015
 12 e-newsletters to our consumer database
 Achieve average e-newsletter open rate of 30%
 Three tailored e-newsletters to specific consumer segments in our database
Social Media
The role of social media as an influencer on travel and destination choice is increasingly important.
Throughout 2015/16 we will continue to engage with potential visitors and promote positive sentiment
about Brighton & Hove, through our popular social media brand ‘LoveBrighton’. We will continue to
further develop key social media channels Twitter and Facebook, as well developing our recently
introduced Instagram platform which is increasingly popular, particularly with younger users.
Alongside this, we will undertake work to better understand how social media ‘sits’ within the visitor
journey to ensure that this activity delivers demonstrable return on investment.
Targets
 Facebook – 25,000 friends by 31 Dec 2015
 Twitter – 35,000 followers by 31 Dec 2015
 Instagram – 1,000 followers by 31 Dec 2015
UK & International Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) & Pay Per Click (PPC)
As well as building a dedicated UK SEO strategy into the new ‘responsive’ website, in 2015/16 we will
investigate opportunities to promote Brighton & Hove internationally through appropriate SEO. Key
markets may include Germany, France, Scandinavia, US & the burgeoning Chinese market. International
SEO is notoriously complex & potentially costly done properly – however we are keen to investigate
opportunities & implement suitable strategies, where budget allows.
We will also explore opportunities to implement appropriate and cost effective PPC initiatives to support
key events and campaigns.
Photography, Video and Mixed Media
A key digital trend is the growing demand by consumers for mixed media that offers engaging and
informative content rather than the ‘big sell’. With this in mind, VisitBrighton will explore opportunities to
promote the city in an engaging way through video, inspiring photography and other mixed media channels.
VisitBrighton Partnership Scheme
The VisitBrighton Partnership Scheme has been in operation since 2005 and provides a way for local
businesses to support the work of VisitBrighton whilst gaining tangible benefits for their business, through
the activity that the unit undertakes.
In early 2015 Partnership numbers reached 475, with Partners coming from all sectors including
accommodation, retail, eating & drinking, attractions, tour guides and suppliers.
In 2015/16, we will continue to deliver the Partnership scheme and maintain & establish new benefits for
our Partners to ensure that the scheme continues to provide value for money. VisitBrighton will also
continue to offer an ‘open-access’ communication channel for our Partners, enabling them to contact us via
our Partnership Executive and Partnership Officers. We will be proactive in our Partner communication
via our fortnightly e-newsletter and dedicated emails as appropriate.
In the coming year VisitBrighton will host networking events for our Partners and continue to offer
opportunities for them to input our activity as appropriate.
Targets
 525 Partners by 31 March 2016
 £145,000 in Partnership revenue
 24 Partner e-newsletters written and distributed
 Four Partnership events held
Thematic Campaigns
Throughout 2015/16 we will deliver a series of thematic campaigns, online and through press & PR activity,
as well as hooking into key campaigns marketed via national tourist boards VisitBritain and VisitEngland.
Scheduled campaigns include:
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Apr/May – ‘Festivals in Brighton/Great Escape 10th Anniversary’ – to promote Brighton &
Hove as the southern alternative to Edinburgh for festival & music related city breaks.
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June/July/Aug – ‘Get Back to Nature’ – to link in with VisitBritain’s core 2015 theme of Eco &
Countryside, our main summer campaign will highlight the huge outdoors offering in & around the
city (i.e. Eco/Green Brighton, South Downs Park & surrounding countryside, Wildlife Photographer
of the Year exhibition at Brighton Museum, plus the 35th anniversary of Brighton Nudist Beach).
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July/August – Pride 25th Anniversary – we will work with Brighton Pride to promote LGBT
breaks in the city for the 25th Brighton Pride anniversary celebrations, plus work with LGBT media
and Brighton & Hove Register Office to promote the city as a leading UK destination for gay
marriages.
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Sept (plus throughout year in lead up) – ‘Rugby World Cup2015’ – we will focus activity
throughout 2015 on encouraging people with tickets to Brighton RWC2015 matches to book
/extend their stay in the city & explore all the city has to offer both relating to and also outside the
RWC.
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Sept/Oct/Nov – ‘Autumn/Winter Festivals’ – to promote festival & arts breaks in the city around
the huge array of post summer festivals.
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Nov/Dec – ‘Winter/Christmas in Brighton’ – to champion Brighton & Hove as the perfect place
for a winter or festive break, focussing on the city’s mix of independent shopping, eating & drinking
& festive events.
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Jan/Feb – ‘Love Brighton’ – to promote Brighton & Hove as the ideal destination for romantic or
Valentine breaks.
In addition to the key campaigns below, we will promote seasonal holidays and events such as school
half terms, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc.
Conference Sales Plan 2015/16
The quiet optimism that preceded 2014 in terms of seeing increased levels of enquiries and conversions for
the VisitBrighton Convention Bureau proved on the whole to be accurate.
The Convention Bureau continues to provide conference & event organisers with a comprehensive and
high level of professional service. Customer satisfaction levels from feedback we receive from organisers
post event indicate that 100% would use the VB Convention Bureau again should they return to the city
and they would recommend our service to colleagues within the industry.
The relationship with our city-wide conference venues continues to be strong and mutually beneficial.
Expectation levels for the Convention Bureau will continue to be high from this sector of the city, but with
an open, strategic and collaborative approach in the activity we undertake, we are confident that we can
meet the demands placed on us.
Key Market Sector – Domestic Associations
The domestic association market sector delivered 41% of the total enquiry levels for 2014, so we will
continue to concentrate our efforts in that area of the industry. This consistently strong sector for the
Convention Bureau and the city delivers conferences that on average have an attendance size of 300-450
delegates and typically span 2-3 days duration.
With VisitEngland calculating that a conference delegate attending a multi-day association based event will
spend £461 in that location, the economic benefits for the city are significant. For these reasons, allied to
statistics showing that over 40% of national associations choose the location of their conferences on a
rotation system around several regions of the UK, our targeted approach to this sector will ensure that
Brighton & Hove continues to secure its market share of this business.
Securing Repeat Business
Securing repeat business will continue to be an integral part of the Convention Bureau’s activity as it
provides an effective way to sustain and grow the city’s conference business. 2014 proved to be a very
successful year in that area of work with multi-year deals being secured for a number of high level
conferences including the National Union of Teachers, National Union of Students, British Geriatrics
Society and World Irish Dance Association.
Looking Forward
For 2015/16 we anticipate:
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The ‘battle of attention’ in destination competition
Global and domestic economic slowdown
Continued flexibility demands and hesitancy in contracting
Significant rate reduction from destinations for key conferences
Clients looking to ‘do more, with less’
The following Key Actions in this Plan highlights the activity we will conduct to achieve our goals in
2015/16:
Research
ICCA Database
Understanding the market opportunities is vital to ensure that the Convention Bureau is working efficiently
and effectively. In this respect, we will assign a Convention Bureau team member to research & generate
leads from the International Congress and Convention Association ‘ICCA’ database. By doing so, this will
help us grow business levels and raise the profile of Brighton & Hove to an international audience.
Ambassador Programme
We will strengthen our VisitBrighton Ambassador Programme by working in collaboration with the city’s
universities and accelerate our work with medics and academics across the city, encouraging and
supporting their bids to host conferences from their professional disciplines.
Brighton & Hove City Council Meetings & Events
Throughout 2015/16 we will look to explore any opportunities / openings that could position VisitBrighton
Convention Bureau to act as a conduit or agency for the Council’s various events & meetings that are held
throughout the year.
Customer Feedback
We will continually review and improve the customer experience by means of direct engagement and
through the VisitBrighton Customer Feedback process.
Sales
Familiarisation Visits
Having potential organisers visit and experience the destination and our conference product offer has
proven to be an effective sales tool. In 2015/16 we will deliver four inspirational and bespoke
familiarisation visits. The focus of each visit will be on client quality as opposed to client quantity. With the
implementation of a new client invitation and follow up process, we will look to secure business that will
contribute 5% of our enquiry lead source levels for the year.
Sales Calls
We will embed a full day of proactive sales call activity in the weekly workload of the Convention Bureau
team. Adopting a targeted and sustained pre and post call strategy, this activity will result in 4,000 client
calls being made in 2015/16.
Exhibitions & Events
The Convention Bureau will exhibit at the UK Meeting Show 2015 to update clients with product
development and engage new buyers. By making use of all available pre-show PR opportunities, setting
clear and measurable objectives and initiating a post-show client contact strategy, we will aim to secure
business from this show that will contribute 15% to our Enquiry Lead Source levels for the coming year.
The Convention Bureau will take a critical view at any other exhibiting opportunities that arise during the
year. Value for Money and measurable ROI will form the basis of our decision making.
Where appropriate we will attend client networking events organised by industry organisations or city wide
partners.
Cross-City Referrals
We will work with our conference venue partners to strengthen the business referral system for
conferences & events they are unable to accommodate in full or part. We will initiate a reward scheme for
those venues / representatives who refer the most business to VisitBrighton Convention Bureau.
Enquiry Handling
To enable the majority of the Convention Bureau team members to focus on pro-active sales activity, in
2015/16 we will assign a team member to take sole control of all enquiries received via email / online.
Targets
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Attract 180 conference enquiries – this will reflect a 28% increase on 2014
Convert 85 enquiries into confirmed conferences – a 23% increase on 2014
Achieve £70k commission from conference sales
Deliver economic benefit of £55m from enquiries converted – a 5% increase on 2014
Conference Delegate Accommodation Booking Service (CDABS)
The VisitBrighton Conference Delegate Booking Service brings measurable benefits to VisitBrighton and
our varied accommodation providers in the city. Providing a one-stop-shop for delegate’s accommodation
booking needs, it is a reliable and effective way in which to engage conference delegates prior to their
business visit to the city. During 2015/16 we will:

Continue to offer new and existing accommodation providers training sessions, webinars and
refreshers

Work closer with our accommodation provider in-house reservation teams to ensure maximum
benefits are achieved. This will ensure that the Booking Service is the first point of contact for our
partners if any accommodation is needed over and above what they can supply

Ensure that conference organisers are promoting the Conference Delegate Booking Site on their
respective registration sites to the optimum level as the need to drive more delegate bookings is
imperative. Where necessary, the Booking Service will provide text and imagery

Look to provide the Booking Service facility to any existing and high value clients in other
destinations across the UK

Work with BHCC Outdoor Events Team to promote our service, forge closer links with the
universities, Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals and Brighton & Sussex Medical School

Continue to proactively research any large events, meetings and conferences that are coming to
the city or in the neighbouring regions to offer our CDABS service to the respective organiser

Look to maximise commercial opportunities that exist on the system

Produce a ‘one-off’ marketing piece highlighting the Booking Service and the benefits for organisers.
This will be included in any direct mailings or e-communication undertaken by the Convention
Bureau

Ensure that the vast benefits of the booking service are, where appropriate, communicated in every
conversation the Bureau has with conference organisers.
Target
 Achieve £70k in commission from CDABS
Convention Bureau Partnerships
Having effective and strong partnerships with international and national organisations as well as local
stakeholders can bring many mutual benefits. Throughout 2015/16 we will continue to strengthen and build
on all our existing relationships as well as looking to forge new ones.
International
We will continue to work with VisitEngland’s overseas representatives to provide up-to-date information
for their international conference organisers. The VisitEngland overseas representatives provide our city
with excellent access and exposure to overseas conference organisers in key and emerging markets.
National
We will continue to be an active member of both the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) Destination
Group and the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) for the coming year. We will also
participate in the ‘gang network’ which enables networking with peer destination Ambassador programmes.
Local
We will meet biannually with individual property representatives to assess current needs, demand periods,
trends and future plans. These meetings will provide an opportunity to also inform partners of our activity
and increase the understanding of how they can help themselves to increase conference and meeting
business.
We will also hold quarterly Sales Manager Meetings to provide a networking forum for the varied senior
sales team venues representatives across the city.
Delegate Promotion
In 2015/16 we will work with conference organisers to ensure that delegates attending have the best
possible visitor experience and encourage optimal spend. To help achieve this we will:

Produce an updated ‘Delegate Deals’ offer card to be distributed to 35,000+ delegates throughout
the year. The card provides delegates in the city with a discount in a variety of VisitBrighton
Partner businesses.

Supply marketing collateral such as the official City Map to delegates and establish a direct ‘post
visit’ communication with delegates that have attended conferences in the city to encourage return
visits.
Conference PR & Marketing
In 2015/16 the Convention Bureau will maintain our in-house PR activity to deliver coverage in conference
and business media. The activity will be structured to help ensure that Brighton & Hove is included in
thematic features (i.e. UK Coastal Venues) in the key conference / business media titles. Further coverage
will be sought through the creation & distribution of press releases celebrating conference ‘wins’ and large
scale city-wide developments.
Our dedicated conference PR activity will be supported by an advertising programme in key conference /
business magazines throughout the year.
In 2015/16 we will also initiate a dedicated VisitBrighton Convention Bureau presence on Twitter.
Targets



Achieve five features in key conference & business media titles
Create & distribute 10 press releases
Place five adverts in key conference & business media titles
Visitor Services Plan 2015/16
The VisitBrighton Visitor Services team continues to deliver a high quality service to visitors to Brighton &
Hove both pre, and during, their visit.
Visitor Information Points
The service now operates 14 Visitor Information Points (VIPs) across the city to ensure that visitors have
easy access to quality information.
The VIP located at the Brighton Centre Box Office is also the location of the VisitBrighton Contact Centre
where pre-arrival enquiries by phone, post and email are handled. The Brighton Centre Box Office VIP can
also handle accommodation bookings, travel and attraction ticket sales.
VisitBrighton City Champions
The Visitor Service team also oversees the ‘City Champions’ scheme, through which volunteer residents
provide an excellent welcome and ‘mobile information service’ to visitors at key entry points and locations
in the city centre.
VisitBrighton Greeters
The VisitBrighton Greeters Scheme has developed over the last four years, with volunteer ‘Greeters’
offering over 150 ‘greets’ (informal tours of the city to individuals or small groups) in 2014.
Access for All
VisitEngland research shows that UK and overseas visitors with access needs currently spend over £3
billion on overnight tourism trips in England each year. Throughout 2014, the Visitor Services Team led on
a project co-ordinated by VisitEngland to help ensure that Brighton & Hove is seen as a destination for all,
including those with disabilities or access needs.
This work will continue in 2015/16 with updated access sheets, destination access statement and online
information. As part of the ongoing programme, VisitBrighton will work with six local businesses to
improve the accessibility of their business and ensure that the city is able to participate in a national
marketing campaign led by VisitEngland scheduled for autumn 2015.
Targets




Increase number of operational Visitor Information Points to 17
Raise number of City Champions to 20 and assist 20,000 visitors
Complete 180 ‘greets’
Successful inclusion in the Access for All campaign
Activity & Events Calendar
April 2015 to March 2016
The calendar below shows the key activity dates for VB Marketing & Conference Sales, along with the
major events taking place in Brighton & Hove throughout the coming year.


To find out more about marketing activity and leisure events, please email
marketing@visitbrighton.com
To find out more about a business event please email conferences@visitbrighton.com
Please note, whilst every effort has been made to ensure the following Brighton & Hove leisure and
business city event details are correct, events can be subject to change or cancellation. To check details for
a leisure event or find out more, click on ‘More info’ to go to the event website.
Details correct as of 1 April 2015. A full listing of concerts and events at the Brighton Centre can be found
at: www.brightoncentre.co.uk
Month
April
May
Date
Leisure/Business Event
Key: Leisure event
Business event
Convention Bureau event
VB Marketing campaign / event
To end May VB Marketing – ‘Festivals in Brighton’
campaign
3-4
Food & Drink Festival Easter Weekender
No. delegates
/website
More info
12
Brighton Marathon
More info
15-17
British Medical Laser Association, Brighton
hotel
300
19
London to Brighton Austin Run
More info
21-24
21st British HIV Association Annual
Conference, Brighton Centre
500
25
Convention Bureau Familiarisation Visit
26
London to Brighton Jaguar Run
More info
26-29
British Nuclear Medicine Society Annual
Conference, Brighton Centre
500
30-1 May
100
1-31
CASE Europe Social Media Conference,
Brighton hotel
Brighton Fringe
2-4
Foodies Festival, Hove Lawns
More info
2-24
Brighton Festival
More info
More info
June
July
2-6 Sept
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Brighton
Museum
More info
3
London to Brighton Historical Commercial
Vehicle Run
More info
10
MG Regency Run
More info
11-13
Search & Rescue Annual Conference, Brighton
hotel
300
Weekends
Artists Open Houses
More info
14-16
Great Escape (10th Anniversary)
More info
15-25
Charleston Festival, Firle
More info
17
London to Brighton Mini Rally
More info
17
Heroes v Villains Run
More info
18-21
PCS, Brighton Centre
1500
22-25 May
Elderflower Fields Festival, Nutley
More info
29-31
Food & Drink Festival Spring Harvest
More info
To end Aug
3-5
VB Marketing – ‘Get Back to Nature’
campaign
EDiNEB Conference, Brighton hotel
100
6-7
Wild Life Music Festival, Shoreham
More info
8
Naked Bike Ride
More info
14
Sussex Festival of Nature
More info
21
London to Brighton Bike Ride
More info
21
Fathers’ Day
25-5 July
Kipling Festival
More info
28
Capital to Coast Bike Ride
More info
28-1
VB Marketing – Germany Group Press
Trip
30–2 July
College of Occupational Therapists, Brighton
Centre
To Aug
VB Marketing – LGBT / Pride campaign
3-10
Unite Sector Conference, Brighton Centre
800
3-5
Love Supreme Jazz Festival, Glynde
More info
4-5
Paddle Round the Pier
More info
8-10
VBCVB @ UK Meetings Show, Olympia
600
10-12
August
11-12
Post ‘UK Meetings Show’ Familiarisation
Visit
Brighton Kite Festival
More info
11-12
London to Brighton Night Ride
More info
1-2
25th Anniversary of Pride
More info
15
Shakedown Festival
More info
17-20 Sept
Brighton’s Big Screen
More info
29-31
Brighton MOD Weekender
More info
29-31
Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival
More info
To end
Nov
1-28
VB Marketing – Rugby World Cup 2015
campaign
VB Marketing – Autumn / Winter
Festivals Campaign
Brighton Digital Festival
More info
5
Brighton National Speed Trials
More info
9-12
11-20
VB Marketing ‘Post’ StudyWorld
Familiarisation Visit
Japan Festival
More info
13
Ace Café Reunion
More info
14-16
TUC Annual Congress, Brighton Centre
2000
18-20
Rugby World Cup 2015 Fanzone, Madeira
Drive
More info
19-20
Rugby World Cup 2015, Brighton Community
Stadium
More info
19-20
Fiery Foods Festival
More info
24-27
Brighton Art Fair
More info
26-30
Labour Party Annual Conference, Brighton
Centre
8000
4
London to Brighton Land Rover Run
More info
6-7
Unison Retired, Brighton Centre
400
7-8 (TBC)
VB Marketing @ VIBE, London
8-10
Unison Police & Justice, Brighton Centre
450
9-24
Brighton & Hove Comedy Festival
More info
10
Color Run
More info
11
Brightona
More info
14
BDA Quiz Evening, Brighton restaurant
40
September
October
November
14-16
British Geriatric Society, Brighton Centre
400
23-8 Nov
Early Music Festival
More info
To end Dec VB Marketing – Winter / Christmas in
Brighton & Hove Campaign
1
London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
More info
13-15
Unison LGBT Annual Conference, Brighton
Centre
800
19-22
MADE Brighton Design & Craft Fair
More info
TBC
Convention Bureau Familiarisation Visit
TBC
CineCity
More info
TBC
Colour out of Space Festival
More info
TBC
Pavilion Ice Rink
More info
TBC
5-6
VBVCB @ Association Network –
Association Congress, Hilton Wembley
Food & Drink Christmas Market
More info
Weekends
Christmas Open Houses
More info
21
Burning the Clocks
More info
January
To mid Feb
February
TBC
VB Marketing – ‘Love Brighton’
campaign
Convention Bureau Familiarisation Visit
TBC
Brighton Science Festival
More info
TBC
Brighton Half Marathon
More info
TBC
VBCVB @ C&IT Association Forum,
London
Print of Official City Map 2016/17
December
March
End of
Month