· VisitSomerset/VisitExmoor/Exmoor National Park sharing what’s new and how they can help your business
· The England/Somerset and South West Coast Path and opportunities to work with them
· Businesses that are succeeding in marketing to walkers sharing their own practical tips
· Industry experts offering useful advice on how to attract walkers, create experiences and the latest trends
· Journalists sharing insights on what makes a great story and how to pitch it
· Specialists sharing tips on how to get the best photography to make your business stand out from the crowd
· Organisational and Clinical Psychologist and Wellbeing and Happiness consultant on how boosting your happy hormones on the England Coast Path can boost the wellbeing of businesses their staff and visitors alike.
You will also have time to meet and chat through ideas with other like-minded tourism businesses.
Everyone who attends will get these three additional benefits:
1. A workbook designed to develop this area of your business
2. An opportunity to join the VESP programme of FREE business support. Under this scheme businesses will be matched with an industry expert with a range of skills to identify your business goals, opportunities, challenges and create a bespoke package of support
3. Be in with a chance of winning a year’s membership at Visit Somerset at Silver level worth £425.00.
There are six exciting free workshops taking place soon, with limited places available on each, so make sure you book you places early to avoid missing out.
Tuesday 12 October 2021 from 11am - 1pm (repeated on 4 November)
An introduction to the benefits you can get from the England Coast Path in Somerset/Exmoor
We will cover:
· Latest trends to help focus your marketing
· How to get more business out of season to increase your profitability
· Give visitors a new reason to visit and stay longer
· Develop your business to encourage more repeat visitors
· Entice high spending walkers and attract new audiences
· Exmoor National Park will touch on relevant results and trends from the Exmoor Visitor Surveys (inc. 2021), a few success stories from the Coleridge Way and other support and materials available from the team.
Speakers
Nell Barrington - Barrington Associates. Nell has worked with over a hundred businesses along the Coast Path helping them to develop their products to attract new business. She is also walking the Coast Path with her trusty hound Luna to raise money for charity.
Sarah Gunn works with businesses along the South West Coast Path through the Way Maker scheme to champion the role they play in the South West Coast Path experience, help them to connect to the charity’s audience of supporters and encourage them to help collectively care for the Path as a major tourism and environmental asset.
Isobel Pring is England Coast Path Officer, Somerset County Council. Isobel has a Masters in Coastal Resource Management from Newcastle University and spent over 10 years living overseas and working in coral reef conservation and the ecological assessment of coastal environments. On returning to the UK she moved back to Somerset, where she grew up, and joined the Somerset Rights of Way Team in 2020 to focus on the England Coast Path. In her spare time she volunteers with Somerset Wildlife Trust surveying the shores of Somerset’s coast as part of the National Shoresearch programme
Katrina Munro, supports tourism businesses in her role as Sustainable Economy Officer for Exmoor National Park Authority
Visit Somerset/VisitExmoor
Book
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-the-england-coast-path-in-somerset-can-benefit-your-business-tickets-170119460887
Thursday 21 October 2021 from 11am - 1pm
How to create exciting new experiences for walkers on the England Coast Path and how it can extend your season
· Learn how offering or promoting experiences on the England Coast path can increase your business in the quiet season
· Hear the latest trends on what visitors want from their holiday experience
· Exmoor has pioneered the development of an experiential approach to tourism and will share the theory behind this and the lessons learnt to date
· Find out why 'selling a story' is important and how Beyonk can help on both the micro and macro level, aiding individual businesses with great booking systems and distribution through their partners, and then helping tell the story of a region through collating great experiences
· Industry experts will share how they created their unique experiences, what they have learnt and how it helps to extend the season.
Speakers
Nell Barrington - Barrington Associates. Nell has worked with over a hundred businesses along the Coast Path helping them to develop their products to attract new business. She is also walking the Coast Path with her trusty hound Luna to raise money for charity.
Sarah Gunn works with businesses along the South West Coast Path through the Way Maker scheme to champion the role they play in the South West Coast Path experience, help them to connect to the charity’s audience of supporters and encourage them to help collectively care for the Path as a major tourism and environmental asset.
Dan James - Rural Enterprise Manager, Exmoor National Park. Dan has over 20 years’ experience working with rural businesses within protected landscapes. He was the lead Tourism Officer for UK National Parks for the last 6 years , during which time the National Parks received the VisitEngland Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award and jointly developed the National Park Experience Collection, drawing on research conducted on Exmoor.
Ian Pearson - Old Cider House. After giving up a career as a City lawyer, Ian moved to the Quantocks 20 years ago to live the rural idyll and opened a guesthouse. Since then, Ian has run his own walking holiday company, set up the UK’s smallest commercial brewery and has written the Companion Guide to the Coleridge Way. Ian lives with his partner, Lynne, and a rather boisterous new Labrador puppy – Jasper.
Jenny Wild - Wild About Exmoor. Malcolm and Jenny spent a long weekend in Luxborough in 2005, fell in love with the pubs, the walks and the friendliness of Exmoor, and spent the next nine years visiting and exploring this magical place. They finally bought their little farmhouse in 2014, and now enjoy providing “stargazing” walks with a meal at our farmhouse, and guided walks with a theme to help visitors to make the very best of their time on Exmoor.
Ross Williams - Head of Operations, Beyonk. Beyonk is a booking ecosystem providing powerful but user-friendly booking systems to a range of attractions and experience providers. Beyonk further enables you to share your spare spaces to their exclusive distribution network of leading tourist boards, parks, train operators and more.
Book
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-create-exciting-experiences-for-walkers-on-the-england-coast-path-tickets-176295042217
Thursday 4 November 2021 from 2-4pm
An introduction to the benefits you can get from the England Coast Path in Somerset/Exmoor
We will cover:
· Latest trends to help focus your marketing
· How to get more business out of season to increase your profitability
· Give visitors a new reason to visit and stay longer
· Develop your business to encourage more repeat visitors
· Entice high spending walkers and attract new audiences.
· Exmoor National Park will touch on relevant results and trends from the Exmoor Visitor Surveys (inc. 2021), a few success stories from the Coleridge Way and other support and materials available from the team.
Speakers
Nell Barrington - Barrington Associates. Nell has worked with over a hundred businesses along the Coast Path helping them to develop their products to attract new business. She is also walking the Coast Path with her trusty hound Luna to raise money for charity.
Sarah Gunn works with businesses along the South West Coast Path through the Way Maker scheme to champion the role they play in the South West Coast Path experience, help them to connect to the charity’s audience of supporters and encourage them to help collectively care for the Path as a major tourism and environmental asset.
Isobel Pring - England Coast Path Officer, Somerset County Council. Isobel has a Masters in Coastal Resource Management from Newcastle University and spent over 10 years living overseas and working in coral reef conservation and the ecological assessment of coastal environments. On returning to the UK she moved back to Somerset, where she grew up, and joined the Somerset Rights of Way Team in 2020 to focus on the England Coast Path. In her spare time she volunteers with Somerset Wildlife Trust surveying the shores of Somerset’s coast as part of the National Shoresearch programme
Katrina Munro, supports tourism businesses in her role as Sustainable Economy Officer for Exmoor National Park Authority
Visit Somerset/VisitExmoor
Book
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-the-england-coast-path-in-somerset-can-benefit-your-business-tickets-170119490977
Tuesday 9 November 2021 from 2-4pm
Boost your happy hormones on the England Coast Path and find out why the England Coast path is beneficial to you, your staff and your visitors and how this can lead to increased business
· We will look at the latest trends in health and walking and how your proximity to the England Coast Path can increase your staff and visitors wellbeing
· Join us in learning about the neuroscience of happiness and how to train your brain to be more positive, optimistic and happy
· Explore techniques that will help boost the wellbeing of businesses, their staff and visitors
· We will look at Positive Psychology on the England Coast Path - Using the PERMA model to explore how we can increase positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment (aka PERMA!) by spending time outdoors, walking the paths. Businesses and visitors can all reap the benefits of making the most of our wonderful coastline and all the joys it has to offer.
· This will be a practical session with lots of time for questions with Dr Vikki Barnes
Speakers
Nell Barrington - Barrington Associates. Nell has worked with over a hundred businesses along the Coast Path helping them to develop their products to attract new business. She is also walking the Coast Path with her trusty hound Luna to raise money for charity.
Dr Vikki Barnes is a Doctor of clinical psychology, happiness and wellbeing consultant, positive psychologist, international speaker, author, humanitarian, adventurer and believer in change for good. Vikki has a Doctorate in Clinical and Community Psychology, a Masters in Neuropsychology and a BSc in Psychology and Social Studies. She has over 10 years of NHS service, providing mental health interventions and education to patients and staff and led a national wellbeing programme with Virgin. Vikki was asked to work in the British Virgin Islands with Sir Richard Branson, to set up a mental health service for survivors following hurricane Irma. She worked with the community as well as health professionals, developing much needed provision and continues to support this remotely. In 2019, Vikki founded
Positive Wellbeing, a business that focuses on proactive and preventative strategies for forward thinking organisations, enabling them to create long lasting, successful cultures by putting the health of people first. A member of the Wellbeing Economy, Vikki promotes positive leadership and a movement towards a better world, by blending the wellbeing of people with wellbeing of the planet. Her new book
Free Happiness: the art and science of positivity is used within organisations to improve people experience and culture.
Book
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boost-happy-hormones-on-the-england-coast-path-to-benefit-staff-visitors-tickets-176334801137
Thursday 18 November from 2-4pm
What are the best stories to share to ensure that you get media coverage about your business on the England Coast Path in Somerset/Exmoor and how to write them
Hear from journalists and businesses who will be sharing their tips on how to write the perfect newsworthy story that will attract visitors to your business and raise your profile. This is your chance to find out everything you always wanted to know about how to craft the perfect story for the media, so get your questions ready for our panel of experts.
Speakers
Giles Adams is Editor of What’s on Somerset, Chair of Visit Somerset, has written recent tourism publications such as Visit Minehead and Visit Taunton and most recently provided PR for the 10 Parishes Festival
Nell Barrington - Barrington Associates. Nell has worked with over a hundred businesses along the Coast Path helping them to develop their products to attract new business. She is also walking the Coast Path with her trusty hound Luna to raise money for charity.
Jess Chaffey is a journalist who writes for multiple publications across Somerset, including the County Gazette, Chard and Ilminster News, Bridgwater Mercury and is the editor of Somerset Living Magazine.
Martin Hesp has been a journalist for more than 40 years travelling the world in search of stories
Ian Pearson - Old Cider House. After giving up a career as a City lawyer, Ian moved to the Quantocks 20 years ago to live the rural idyll and opened a guesthouse. Since then, Ian has run his own walking holiday company, set up the UK’s smallest commercial brewery and has written the Companion Guide to the Coleridge Way. Ian lives with his partner, Lynne, and a rather boisterous new Labrador puppy – Jasper.
Book
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-write-the-perfect-newsworthy-story-to-attract-visitors-tickets-176506324167
Thursday 25 November 2021 from 11am - 1pm
How to get the best photography of the England Coast Path and your business to wow visitors and ensure you stand out from the crowd - on your smartphone
Using your smartphone well to take great photos to help promote your business is far more achievable than many people think. This is a practical hands on session that will take you from wonky to wonderful photos. You will find out about the general principles of professional photography, the benefits of good lighting, how to set up photos and top editing tips.
This event will empower you to take more photos and use them with impact on your online and social platforms. It will also coach you on how to use photography to connect effectively with existing and future customers. This will be a practical hands on session so have your phones at the ready.
Speakers
Nell Barrington - Barrington Associates. Nell has worked with over a hundred businesses along the Coast Path helping them to develop their products to attract new business. She is also walking the Coast Path with her trusty hound Luna to raise money for charity.
Becky Craven has 20 years of marketing experience working with well known companies including Virgin Holidays, Sleeps12, AirBnB, Unique Homes Stays, Local Councils, Timberland, Clarks plus 1000’s of entrepreneurs. She been running her own photography business since 2006 and has developed a successful career in photography marketing after completing an MA Photography at Falmouth.
Book
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-get-the-best-photos-of-the-england-coast-path-and-your-business-tickets-176489012387
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These workshops will be held online to save you the cost and time of travelling and are open for tourism and hospitality businesses within 20 miles of the Coast Path in Somerset/Exmoor (which runs from Brean to Combe Martin).
The numbers will be limited to make sure they are as interactive as possible, so make sure you
book now to secure your place. We look forward to seeing you and if you have any questions please get in touch.
This workshop is one of an exciting series of free business support webinars with more planned this year click here for more information.