Member Article

Seasonal events calendar a triumph once again

Every corner of the Bradford district is celebrating after seeing a significant increase in footfall, thanks to the return of the festive events programme.

Sparkling Bradford, now in its second year, was established by key partners The Broadway Bradford, Bradford Council, Made in Bradford, Visit Bradford, The University of Bradford and the Bradford Business Improvement District (BID).

Celebrating its third successful campaign which ran from November to December, the initiative promoted an exceptional range of indoor and outdoor events across Bradford, Keighley, Ilkley, Bingley and Haworth. The festive campaign saw thousands of people gather at numerous events, including the festive light switch on at The Broadway and a chance to meet Santa at The Kirkgate Centre and the Living Advent Calendar in Saltaire.

Ian Ward, general manager of The Broadway and the chair of Bradford BID, said: “We’re thrilled with the incredibly positive results from this winter’s campaign. There has been a noticeable increase in footfall across the district’s streets and it’s been fantastic to see so many people getting involved. Over past months, the Broadway has bucked the national trend and footfall has remained consistent over the Christmas period.

“There has also been a phenomenal response on social media throughout the campaign. We’ve encouraged people to use the #SparklingBradford hashtag and directed people to the website which incorporated all the events. As a result, we’ve increased overall website traffic by a staggering 1,600% compared to last year.”

As part of the programme, giant Christmas cards were installed across the city centre for this season’s Sparkling Bradford trail, which encouraged visitors to solve a festive anagram. Megan Taylor won the competition and received £200 in vouchers for The Broadway. Visitors also submitted selfies on social media via #SparklingBradfordSelfie, with a weekly winner being picked to receive a prize.

Six attractions across the city centre opened their doors to visitors for the trail. Speaking of the competition, Fiona Daniel, business development manager at the Midland Hotel, said: “It was fantastic to be part of the Christmas trail this year; it created a real buzz of excitement at the hotel. The trail is a great way to showcase different organisations in Bradford and we’re thrilled at how much everyone enjoyed completing it.”

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “It’s no surprise that Sparkling Bradford has been a success again! It is remarkable to see the positive impact this campaign has had, not only on footfall but also putting the district firmly on the map as a fun, diverse and exciting destination for people of all ages.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Approach PR .