Visitor Economy Minutes 19 September 2023
Visitor Economy Minutes 19 September 2023
Meeting details
Minutes of Visitor and Cultural Economy Task Group
On Tuesday 19th September 2023, 14:30-16:00
Online only
Attendees and apologies
Attendees
|
Initials |
Name |
Organisation and Role |
|
JBa |
Julie Barker |
Task Group CHAIR, Independent Consultant |
|
DA |
Debby Anderson |
Hastings Voluntary Action, Hastings and Rother Food Network |
|
KB |
Kimberley Bulgin |
East Sussex County Council (ESCC), Culture and Tourism Project Officer |
|
CE |
Christina Ewbank |
Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, Chief Executive |
|
JB |
John Bownas |
Hastings Business Improvement District (BID) Manager |
|
LM-R |
Lisa Maint-Robinson |
Department for Work & Pensions, JCP Employment Advisor |
|
KP |
Katy Parris |
East Sussex College Group, Account Manager |
|
MP |
Melanie Powell |
Rother District Council, Economic Development Officer |
|
SS |
Sally Staples |
ESCC, Team Manager, Culture and Tourism |
|
JS |
Jack Scott |
ESCC, Enterprise Coordinator, Special Educational Needs (SEND) |
|
CB |
Caroline Bragg |
East Sussex County Council, Employability and Skills Strategy Manager |
|
HB |
Hannah Brookshaw |
East Sussex County Council, Partnerships and Projects Manager |
|
Apologies |
||
|
SH |
Sarah Hinks |
Culture Shift |
Actions arising from this meeting
Actions arising from this meeting, 19th September 2023
|
ACTION |
LEAD(S) |
DUE BY OR STATUS |
|
Action 1: Meeting to be arranged with Eastbourne Hospitality Association to progress outstanding action relating to promoting work experience to members. |
CB/Eastbourne Hospitality Association |
By end October |
|
Action 2: DA and HB to have an offline conversation on the food network activities. |
HB/DA |
By End of September |
|
Action 3: Results of RDC skills gap audit to be included on agenda spring 2024. |
MP |
Spring 2024 |
|
Action 4: SS will update on the Visit England restructure and its impact on the next agenda |
SS |
January meeting |
|
Action 5: Develop priority action plan |
CB/HB |
January meeting |
1) Welcome
JBa – invited introductions from attendees as there were some new attendees to the group.
2) Review of previous minutes and actions
Review of previous minutes with no amendments, apart from noting the change of the date of this meeting.
Action 3 from the previous meeting: Meet with sector employers on the work experience offer provided and co-ordinate offers to be taken forward separately with Eastbourne Hospitality Association.
All other actions from the previous minutes are being marked as on going.
Action 1: Meeting to be arranged with Eastbourne Hospitality Association to progress outstanding action relating to promoting work experience to members.
3) Eastbourne Alive/Turner Prize
SS –Sally Staples presented a powerpoint on the Turner Prize and the opportunities for the visitor economy – Eastbourne Alive and Towner Eastbourne. (shared with the group via email post meeting).
Benefits for Eastbourne
- Visitor Footfall
- National and International
- Media Attention
- Shifting Perceptions
- Highlighting the local Creative Sector
- Boosting Out-of-Season Visitor Economy.
Turner Prize opens 28 September 2023 and runs until 14 April 2023, estimate this will generate an extra 2/300,000 visitors to the town, as well as national and international marketing and visibility.
Eastbourne Alive is a support programme designed to support the Turner Prize and capitalise its impact for Eastbourne, includes public art and marketing/promoting initiatives.
CE - thanked partners involved in securing the funding for Eastbourne Alive and ensuring that Eastbourne, its communities and visitors are aware of the Turner prize and what it has to offer.
JB - asked if hoteliers/accommodation providers are aware of the Turner prize and the increase in footfall/bookings this will generate? SS confirmed that they were.
Eastbourne ALIVE is working closely with Ruth Melville Research team looking at the economic impact of the Turner prize 2023 to Eastbourne.
This will run from 27 September 2023 to March/April.
4. Recruitment and Festive season forecasts – member updates
CE – Eastbourne Chamber are running a performing arts project in Langley shopping centre with Brighton fringe funded via Levelling up fund. Focussed on 4 of the most deprived wards in the borough. They want to engage those young people who haven’t secured 5 GCSE passes but are unsure of the best approach to do this - committed to listening to young people’s stories, publish anonymously around town and via social media, enable young people to be heard
CB – the Careers Hub can support with this and facilitate links to Youth Employability Service and College. CE & CB to take conversation offline to progress.
DA – explained about the Hastings and Rother Food Network project funded by public health. 3 priority areas of focus:
- Food related education
- Food and health
- Food and local businesses (recruitment and retention issues)
Looking at a 1066 hospitality and catering taskforce and taking this to the Hastings Chamber of Commerce meeting at the end of the month.
CB – suggested an offline conversation to consider how this group can be the conduit to support this, rather than setting up a new group.
JB - Hastings Business Improvement District (BID) members have had a tricky summer, poor weather and cost of living issues have impacted on spend and footfall. Seeing an increase in commercial unit vacancies where businesses have closed. Anti-social behaviour, particular in the town centre is also an ongoing and growing issue.
CE – Eastbourne poor weather had an impact, short burst of good weather partially mitigated this, many businesses are ‘hanging on’. 4 hotels are currently being used to house 300 asylum seekers (50/60 under 18’s).
MP – Visit 1066 marketing group undertake some evaluation from their members:
- Overseas visitors’ numbers almost back to pre-covid levels.
- Weather has impacted on length of stay.
- Staycation holiday have reduced now overseas travel is unrestricted.
- Rother District Council (RDC) undertaking a skills gap audit with the results due spring 2024 – will share the results with this group.
DA - noted that young people often have a poor experience in visitor economy jobs (first job experience), combined with PR issues with the sector equal recruitment challenges.
LM-R – currently gauging interest for a hospitality pre-employment course via JCP and employers.
SS – noted that the group need to be clear on their focus – employability and skills and not to stray into other areas of issue for the sector.
CB – where are we in terms of skills shortage – this time last year businesses at risk of closure due to high volume of vacancies; now risk of closure due to costs – are the vacancies and skills shortages still there. Do we need to look at data, ask DWP to update on the picture?
JB confirmed vacancies and skills shortages still an issue.
Action 2: DA and HB to have an offline conversation on the food network activities.
Action 3: Results of RDC skills gap audit to be included on agenda spring 2024.
Action 4: SS will update on the Visit England restructure and its impact.
5. Careers Hub update
JS – shared a powerpoint highlighting the different offers and ways in which employers can engage with schools and colleges. Details of ican careers events happening in November for SEND young people.
CB – The careers hub has been running a pilot called Steps to Success. Aimed at persistently absent year 10 pupils. Includes 1:1 career coaching, linking personal goals to career goals, bespoke work experience placement, and looking into post 16 education.
6. Priorities for the task group in 2023/24
CB and HB will work together alongside the chair to develop the priorities action plan and share at the next meeting.
7. AOB/Date of next meeting
Next meeting will be January 2024 – exact date to be agreed.