SEAFRONT

Promotion

We are attracting, delivering, facilitating, and partnering with others on events to drive footfall, increase spending, and raise perceptions and awareness of our seafront.

Hosting a diverse mix of events will enable the Seafront BID to maximise footfall to the seafront year-round and ensure it becomes a destination for all.

By choosing regular events over a single big hit, businesses can enjoy sustained growth, deeper connections, and a more vibrant local economy.

Animating the seafront to improve public spaces supports local businesses in creating a vibrant, engaging environment that attracts visitors and enhances its reputation as a key destination.

Publicity around seasonal events, festivals, and activities draws crowds and generates excitement, and seafront businesses can create packages and promotions tied to these key events.

We have proved that bringing public spaces to life with music and performances adds to the streets’ vibrancy and memorability, generating both direct sales and national and global PR.

Attractive, easy-to-read signage and information points will allow residents and visitors to connect to the seafront and its businesses.

We partner with nearby businesses to offer discounts, packages, or loyalty programs, enabling visitors to explore multiple businesses, venues and locations along the seafront and look at introducing seasonal pop-up shops, kiosks, and activities to showcase local businesses and artisans.

Creating more iconic photo opportunities will also encourage visitors to share more of their experiences on social media.

We have had remarkable success with key initiatives such as the Sunderland Gift Card, Restaurant Week, Local Heroes Market, Sunderland Offers promotional campaign and our activity guides.

These are all ready to be fully activated and promoted at the seafront. Some seafront businesses already benefit commercially from these promotions, and we would actively encourage more businesses to get involved to increase the rewards for everyone.

For each initiative, we would look at enhancing the promotions and introducing unique seafront elements like a specific blogger’s Safari Supper.

We will focus on developing targeted campaigns to showcase the seafront and its businesses, attractions, and events to regional, national, and even international audiences.

We have worked hard to create the BID’s digital presence and will use these channels to raise the profile of what Sunderland seafront offers residents and visitors.

We are open to new ways of promotion to stay relevant and on-trend, and by doing so, we will create new opportunities for businesses to promote themselves. We encourage more businesses to share content, maximise crosspromotion and spread positive PR.

We want all businesses to benefit from promotional opportunities generated in the Sunderland, and we will look to build links between retailers, food and drink, hotels, and other sectors.