Agenda item

To receive the report of the Executive Director of Innovation and Growth (IG).

The Committee noted the report of the Executive Director of Innovation & Growth, noting in particular that projects set against the £836,000 reprofile amount have been successfully delivered (except for the Cultural Planning Framework which will be finalised in November 2023), noting also that the key priority programmes for 2023/24 and 2024/25 delivery have been set.

Members noted that Destination City was primarily to do with driving footfall to encourage spend, with Culture as a significant element of that (together with the leisure sector). On the Destination City brand, Members commented that there was merit in broadening the scope of the Destination City offering to encompass the entire City offering, including the City’s significant assets, beyond the cultural offering to drive footfall - targeting visitors and City workers.  

A Member commented that micro-businesses were expected to be involved in the strategy.

In response to a comment on the need for an analysis of footfall and expenditure ahead of setting priorities, the meeting heard that KPIs and metrics had been circulated earlier in the year, and that figures on Bartholomew Fair would be circulated later in 2023 as a way of informing priorities and strategies. Programmes had been set out, and projects and events were agile and could be adjusted to reflect resource allocations informed by the outcomes of previous events.

The Committee congratulated the Destination City executive on their dedication and hard work in delivering Bartholomew Fair within such a restricted timeframe.