This one hour event gathers experts from a Business Improvement District, Destination Marketing Organisation and District Council. They discussed how they present their unique local heritage to boost leisure and tourism – and the implications of digital technologies on their destinations. This ranges from place-specific issues, practical resource implications, the role of local communities and social media, as well as lessons learned for the benefit of other destination teams.
The Out of the Archives series explores how organisations can use their heritage and cultural assets to create digital experiences for visitors and local communities. This time we focussed on how this can support the visitor economy and economic regeneration.
These presentations primarily speak to those working in the public sector who have responsibility for tourism, economic development, heritage, culture, museums and archives, with a real focus on practical lessons.
Speaker biographies
Nick Lancaster, Economic Development Officer, East Cambridgeshire District Council
Nick is passionate about leveraging technology to enhance visitor experiences and drive sustainable growth. He spearheaded the implementation of a digital signage network in Ely, tackling longstanding wayfinding challenges and facilitating a more connected city. Nick believes in the power of digital signage to revolutionize visitor experiences and unlock a city’s full potential, and champions innovative solutions for economic prosperity.
Allison Herbert, Chief Executive, Bath BID
Allison joined Bath BID in June 2017 and became the Chief Executive in December of that year. She has extensive public and private sector experience in events, economic development and project management. Whilst at the BID, Allison has created several new projects including Welcome to Bath, the BID Welcome Ambassadors, the Bath Business Conference, the Town Traders, the Bath BID Safe and Secure Business Crime Reduction partnership, the ReBalance Bath Wellbeing Festival and the Bath Gift Card.
Matt Routledge, Sales and Events Officer, Visit Ely
Matt studied Heritage and Interpretation at Leicester University, and has worked in Heritage and Tourism for just short of a decade. As part of his work at Visit Ely, a Cambridgeshire DMO, Matt led the Visit Ely digital signage and wayfinding app project.
Additional resources
Additional resources
Interview with Visit Ely‘s Matt Routledge about their digital projects.
Visit Ely app – for Apple and Android
Bath Digital Festival – Cities Showcase
Watch in full or read key points from Episode 1 in this series. This talk features more information of the Wiltshire Heritage Trails, as mentioned in this event’s chat.