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VisitWiltshire Members Newsletter Issue 40, May 2011

I realise it is the start of a very busy time for your businesses, but please take a moment, if you can, to complete the two surveys included in this newsletter.  By participating in the How's Business survey you will enable us to feed back more statistical information to you as well as assisting us in our business planning, and the Superfast Broadband survey will help the Council to prioritise their Digital Inclusion programme, which will have long term benefits for many of you.

MARKETING AND NETWORKING UPDATE

Advertising for May

As those of you who attended our presentations in Salisbury and Lackham recently will have heard, our advertising this year is closely targeted at specific segments of the population, identified as a result of in-depth socio-economic and socio-cultural Mosaic research by a company called Experian. VisitWiltshire's advertising and promotions campaign continues this month with a number of initiatives aimed at both staying and day visitors.

On the staying visitor front for May we are continuing our work with Google Adwords and Targeted Network Display advertising. To this we have added  adverts on the Smooth FM website, in support of the first of our radio advertisements which will air later this month. And, of course, our bus streetliner campaign across Greater London, as highlighted in the previous newsletter, is now up and running.

On the day visitor front we have taken a full page advertisement in the summer edition First Great Western's Escape magazine. This is a quarterly publication, with each edition being displayed on trains across the network for 3 months and generating a readership of 1,500,000 per issue. In addition, day visitors are being targeted via Google Adwords and Facebook advertising.

Results from the first two months of our online advertising are extremely encouraging, with click through rates ranging from 0.23% to 0.02%, against an industry average of 0.01%.

Assessments
For many of you, now is the time for the assessor to pay you a visit!  If you do not already hold a Gold or Silver Award, or a Breakfast Award, do ask your assessor what you could do to get these.  They are a useful marketing tool and indicate to prospective guests that you offer something that is a little bit special.

Networking

When we hold courses and forums the part most people find particularly useful is the opportunity to network and forge working partnerships with other members.  You do not need to wait for these events to do this!  Search on the VisitWiltshire website for suitable partners, for example attractions and activities if you are an accommodation provider, and vice versa, and give them a call to see if they would be interested in working on a reciprocal marketing arrangement with you.  Such arrangements can really benefit both parties. Do let us know if you have a successful partnership up and running.

Goodbye and Good Luck to Bryn Jones 
Bryn Jones, VisitWiltshire's Marketing & PR Manager is to leave this week. Bryn has given us a message for the newsletter. "You may know that as part of a management review and budget cuts Wiltshire Council had sought applications for 'voluntary' redundancy from a substantial number of managers.  Unfortunately my post was deleted as part of this process, and despite my wish to remain in a job that I have often thought as a dream post, I have to leave VisitWiltshire this week. I take with me a great deal of experience and memories of working, firstly with Salisbury District Council as their Tourism Manager, and for the past two years as VisitWiltshire's Marketing and Public Relations Manager. In that time I've learnt a lot about Wiltshire and have sought to promote this magnificent county to the outside world - I've no doubt that more visitors have discovered this beautiful part of England as a result, and will continue to do so after I have gone on to a new role elsewhere. I hope those of you that are members have appreciated the benefit of a now established destination management organisation with extremely hard-working and professional staff, a website that is a powerful marketing tool for the county, a press liaison function that brings thousands of pounds of coverage each month, and being at the forefront of social networking and other innovative marketing initiatives. For those of you that I've met personally over the past four years it was a pleasure to work with you, and to you all I wish you and your business well in the future." Bryn Jones, Marketing & PR Manager, VisitWiltshire

I am sure you join with the VisitWiltshire Team in wishing Bryn all the very best for the future.

Superfast broadband in Wiltshire  - we need your input
Wiltshire Council is spearheading a drive to bring superfast broadband to communities across the county. The council is investing £16 million so more residents and businesses can have access to super fast broadband. The council is also bidding for a government grant and additional funding from the telecoms industry with the hope of generating more than £30m towards getting Wiltshire ahead in the digital revolution.  The council has set a target of giving 85% of premises access to super fast broadband by 2015 - and that target could possibly rise to 95%. To make sure the council targets its investment to the areas which need it most; people across the county are being asked to fill in a survey. All the information gathered will help the council as it works with the telecoms industry to improve access to broadband across Wiltshire.  Separate surveys aimed at businesses and residents are available online at:  http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityandliving/digitalinclusion/digitalinclusionbroadbandsurvey.htm The survey can also be obtained by calling 0300 456 0100. The survey will run from 26^th April to 3^rd June.

How's Business Survey The South West Tourism Alliance are now collecting data for the April 'How's Business?' survey. Please visit the link below to participate:http://www.tswrc.co.uk/survey/hb/hbapr2011.htm The deadline for completion is the 15^th May.

Does Wiltshire have Britain's Most Romantic Street?

The Google Street View Awards are a celebration of Britain's best streets, to be voted for in a nationwide poll supported by VisitBritain, Lonely Planet, Fashion Editor of Vogue, Consumer Editor of The Sun, Deputy Editor of GQ, Deputy Editor of Dazed & Confused, Fashion Editor of Grazia, Founders of the Mr & Mrs Smith Guides, TV presenter and founder of MySingleFriend Sarah Beeny and the Travel Editor of Metro.  The Street in Castle Combe has been nominated in the Google Street View Awards 2011 as the Most Romantic Street in the country and now needs the votes to prove it!Voting closes on Sunday 22^nd May. To vote, go to http://maps.google.co.uk/beststreets New Members
We are very pleased to welcome the following new members to VisitWiltshire: Paddock House, Elwyn's Cottage, The Old Coach House, 19 Dowse Road,  Spirthill Trail and Tidworth Golf Club.

WHAT'S ON - a guide to just some of the events around the county in the next few weeks.  Please visit the website to check details on these events and to find out about the many other things happening around Wiltshire, http://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/site/whats-on

May Food Fair - Wilton Windmill, Nr Marlborough 14^th May http://www.wiltonwindmill.co.uk/Windmill%20Calendar.html

Maesteg and District Male Voice Choir, Melksham 21^st Mayhttp://www.melkshamlions.org.uk/events.php

Salisbury Arts Festival20^th May-4^th Junehttp://www.fishertonmill.co.uk/

Jazz Brunch at The Gallery Cafe, Fisherton Mill, Salisbury15^th Mayhttp://www.fishertonmill.co.uk/

Canal Walk for Life, Devizes21^st Mayhttp://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/site/whats-on/walk-for-life-p1217343

Toy & Train Collectors Fair, Swindon22^nd Mayhttp://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/site/whats-on/toy-and-train-collectors-fair-p694633

Bowood Rhododendron Walks, CalneUntil early Junehttp://www.bowood-house.co.uk/rhododendrons.html

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Please let us know if your business has something to celebrate and we will share it with all our members. We also welcome your comments and ideas on the format of the newsletter.  Please send your contributions to  theresahopwood@visitwiltshire.co.uk

For the latest news and information on things to do, restaurants and accommodation in Wiltshire and the surrounding area go to www.visitwiltshire.co.uk

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