It’s time to reflect on another year at Destination Chesterfield
Do you reflect enough on what you have achieved and take time to celebrate your successes?
We discussed this question at our Destination Chesterfield Strategy Day.
As a place marketing partnership, we focus on promoting Chesterfield and telling the place story with our Chesterfield Champions and other partners.
This blog celebrates some of Destination Chesterfield’s achievements in 2023.
Working together to shape our direction
In January, we held our annual consultation session with our Chesterfield Champions. They wanted us to continue our activity to attract investment to the town and promote Chesterfield as a place to visit and spend leisure time.
In my view, the strength of the Destination Chesterfield Partnership comes from collaboration and a shared approach to promoting and developing our town. We give partners a chance to have a say on what we deliver, get involved if they want to, and influence policy for the borough.
Skills for the future
In February, we organised, for Chesterfield Borough Council, the Employability and Skills Conference at the Winding Wheel, focusing on businesses working with schools to develop talent for the future.
Future talent has been a focus for Destination Chesterfield’s Manufacturing and Property and Construction Groups this year. Local businesses committed to supporting initiatives such as Made in Chesterfield and the successfully piloted Careers Made in Chesterfield programme with Chesterfield Borough Council and Parkside School.
A vision for Chesterfield
The Celebrate Chesterfield Business event, attended by 300 delegates, relaunched the Chesterfield Story and showcased the new Chesterfield Borough Council Growth Strategy.
We asked partners to commit to their vision for Chesterfield in 2030 and collectively support the promotion of the town.
Team Chesterfield hit the road
A delegation from Destination Chesterfield, Chesterfield Borough Council and Chesterfield Champions attended UKReiif in Leeds in May.
The event is the largest Property and Infrastructure event in the country.
Destination Chesterfield coordinated activities which included showcasing major sites and opportunities at panel discussions, launching the new investment prospectus, a media campaign to support activity and arranging meetings with potential investors, developers and funders.
Bringing the town centre to life
June saw the launch of Peddler Market Chesterfield by Peddler Events and Chesterfield Borough Council. The Destination Chesterfield team supported the marketing and organised the launch event.
The first event was a success for the traders and attracted footfall to the town centre.
Following the success of the launch event, Destination Chesterfield has teamed up with Peddler Events to create Peddler Connect, an informal business networking event open to all businesses and will take place at future Peddler Market Chesterfield events.
As requested by some of our Chesterfield Champions in January, the event offers networking opportunities but supports our objectives of attracting people to the town centre.
An eventful summer
In January, Champions asked for more events and festivals in Chesterfield. Over the summer, it was great to see Eat in the Park and the Chesterfield Children’s Festival alongside the return of existing favourites such as the BRM Solicitors Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, Chesterfield Pride and the Chesterfield Medieval Fun Day.
Throughout the summer months, Destination Chesterfield managed the Summer in Chesterfield Campaign. The campaign was seen over 1.6 million times by target audiences. The Love Chesterfield Survey identified that 38% of people who saw the campaign said it influenced them to support local retailers.
The office is dead, long live the office!
In August, the Chesterfield Office Campaign ended. Launched in 2022, it showcased office space available in Chesterfield for businesses looking to start up and grow.
It has been great to see the success of One Waterside Place, which is now fully let, and the range of businesses that have chosen the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre.
A place to visit
Destination Chesterfield secured funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to develop and deliver a Short-break campaign for Chesterfield.
Research has been commissioned and is currently being carried out with both former visitors and non-visitors to shape a marketing campaign which will launch in 2024.
Why Chesterfield Why Now?
We delivered the Chesterfield Investment Summit in October. The event showcased Why Chesterfield Why Now. We heard from investors, developers and businesses who highlighted our strategic location, affordability and supportive local authority and business community as to why they chose Chesterfield.
The feedback on this event was positive regarding the content, the people attending the event and the business conversations that took place at or because of the event.
Christmas in Chesterfield
The Christmas in Chesterfield Campaign promotes the town over the festive period, encouraging residents to support local and attracting people within an hour of Chesterfield to enjoy our town.
The business community is leading the way
Destination Chesterfield is led by an independent board of directors from the private and public sectors. The Destination Chesterfield Review by Thinking Places recommended an update of the governance and a refresh of board membership.
Championing Chesterfield
Did you know we work with over 220 businesses and organisations that are Chesterfield Champions?
Throughout 2023, the number of businesses committing to work collectively to promote Chesterfield has grown again.
Every month, the team update partners through events and marketing activity.
They are also working with Champions to gather content for campaigns and celebrate the success of Chesterfield businesses through our news content.
Teamwork makes the dream work
I am immensely proud of what Destination Chesterfield delivers and the hard work the team put in to bring together a range of campaigns and activities to meet the objectives of our strategy and ultimately support Chesterfield’s growth ambitions.
Thank you to our board members, Chesterfield Champions and delivery partners for supporting us in raising the profile of and changing perceptions of the borough of Chesterfield.
Next year I am looking forward to launching the new Destination Chesterfield Strategy 2024 – 2027.
Join us at the Celebrate Chesterfield Business Event on the 20th March to discover more and get involved in delivering it!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
