New customers will visit a business because they have heard about the quality of its products or the attractiveness of the place where it is based. Working across 10 Derbyshire towns, the People & Places Partnership are looking to help combine these selling points.
People & Places are working with Eventful Places on behalf of Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire as part of a wider project on “Growing and Developing the Visitor Economy within Derbyshire.” This work brings together both product & place by presenting businesses with a portfolio of possibilities for place-based, business marketing.
Using the product & place portfolio
Businesses are initially being encouraged to help explore the possibilities for working together by completing a short online product & place survey. They can also download a more detailed portfolio of possibilities for linking product and place across the Peak Park and Derbyshire.
In the next stage, the People & Places Partnership is able to help businesses, business groups, town teams and other stakeholders in a town to work together in taking forward those ideas from the portfolio that are most popular locally.
Boosting market towns
The work is part of a wider European Union-funded project for ‘Growing and Developing the Visitor Economy within Derbyshire,’ that aims to boost the current visitor offer in each town and enhance the towns’ individual distinctiveness to make them a better place to visit and ultimately live.
The product and place strand of work is being targeted at the market towns of Ashbourne, Bakewell, Belper, Bolsover, Buxton, Glossop, Matlock, Matlock Bath, Swadlincote and Wirksworth.
Joined-up approach
The market towns are being supported to realise their potential and improve vibrancy through a variety of different ways alongside other worked focused on improving sustainability through food and drink marketing, cycle tourism and improved access for people with disabilities.
The work is being led by Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire in conjunction with Derbyshire County Council, Peak District National Park Authority, Derbyshire Dales District Council, High Peak Borough Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Bolsover Districy Council and South Derbyshire District Council with funding via the European Regional Growth Fund.
Help & resources
Businesses and other stakeholders can download the free portfolio of possibilities for linking product and place across the Peak Park and Derbyshire.
Interested businesses should complete the short online product & place survey and can contact services@people-places.net for further information about available help and support.
Business can reserve a place at a special free on 27th February Forum showcasing how Peak District and Derbyshire market towns’ businesses are working to promote product and place.
For a wider understanding of how to address the issues facing small towns, download a copy of the handbook on revitalising town centres created by People & Places for Local Government Association.
