In the HullBID Ballot

Transcription

1 In the HullBID Ballot

2 OTE YES FOR PROSPERITY Within the next few weeks, as HullBID levy payers, we will all be receiving a ballot form in the post. In fact, in my role at St Stephens I will receive several papers. We then have to decide as business owners and managers whether we are happy to support another five years of HullBID and vote accordingly. Wearing my Shopping Centre hat I have to represent the views of my landlord and 54 of our occupiers. Please be assured we are in no doubt HullBID has been great for this city for the last 10 years! Helping local businesses through a major high street recession and working with us to manage huge changes brought about through both political and technological advances. Put aside all the spin and media conjecture, Hull city centre is in both a much better place now than it was 10 years ago and, more importantly, ready to embrace the positives the next five years will bring. We need HullBID to make sure we all share in this prosperity. I must also now ask you, as HullBID chairman, to please make sure you don t forget about that ballot form! The key to making sure we give HullBID the remit to support local businesses for the next five years is to actually VOTE. This will ensure Kathryn and her great team are there to promote and support our city centre businesses through until Jim Harris, HullBID Chair and Manager of St Stephen s Shopping Centre. REPAYING YOUR TRUST HullBID has been privileged to serve our members since We know that the businesses that contribute towards HullBID have put us in a privileged position of trust and we don t take that lightly. We have one clear, articulate vision to repay that trust by delivering a real, measurable difference, a five year plan constructed around direct feedback from our members who live and breathe city centre trading. As we approach our second renewal ballot, it s time to reflect on the positive difference HullBID has made a reduction in crime; the city is measurably cleaner; our events have generated footfall and increased revenue, and we have brought the city centre community closer together by providing a platform for local business-people to meet and network. The success of HullBID has been widely recognised by other cities seeking to achieve their own BID particularly Sunderland and Leeds. Both were successful at ballot whilst similarly Sheffield and York also achieved a BID in This increases our need to be more competitive to ensure we continue to attract new businesses and visitors to the city. The BID was established at a time when communication was scant and the city centre was becoming unattractive to trade from. Our pledge to offer an enhanced service over and above the statutory services, to generate footfall and to act as the conduit between businesses and city stakeholders has come to fruition but there is more to do. Perhaps now, as we approach 2017, it is more important than ever that HullBID continues. Kathryn Shillito, HullBID City Centre Manager. HullBID not only brings the business community together, they also provide a great support network. We are fortunate to have them in Hull. Having branches in other areas of the country that don t have a BID we can really see a difference with the benefits that they bring. Leanne Keating, Managing Partner of Bridge McFarland Solicitors in Hull. 2 Vote Yes Prospectus 2016

3 OTE YES TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK The only way to ensure that HullBID is able to continue the job of working with our members and partners to deliver ongoing improvements for city centre businesses is to vote yes in the ballot. If you don t vote you don t count. VOTE YES TO... One-to-one advice from an independent, dedicated business support service. Fighting crime together. A representative voice to challenge on matters of importance. Being part of a city centre business community. More dedicated PCSOs in the city centre and a continued reduction in crime. Keeping our city centre clean, well-maintained and graffitifree. Staging vibrant events our members can participate in at no cost. Ensuring BID businesses benefit from City of Culture HullBID works closely with developers like ourselves to ensure a safe, attractive and pleasant work and play environment. The festivals and other activities are attracting more people and BID plays a big part in the success of these. City centre businesses employ a lot of the people who work and spend money and time in the city. BID recognises this and gives employers and employees a voice. Andrew Allenby, Managing Director, Venture Business Parks Ltd/Allenby Commercial Construction Ltd. Vote Yes Prospectus

4 BY NUMBERS For the equivalent of just one per cent of the rateable value of your business premises, HullBID has delivered an impressive return on investment to our membership of around 780 businesses. We have succeeded in adding to our resources by securing sponsorship and other funding, and we have allocated the money in line with the priorities identified by our member businesses. As a result the city centre is safer and cleaner crime figures are down and we continue to remove graffiti and other mess. It is also more vibrant. HullBID is organising more events which are high quality and free to attend, and they are helping to increase footfall. The next five years will see... 2,300,000 generated from the levy alone. 1,000,000 anticipated additional income via funding, sponsorship and grants plus in-kind support. 420,000 invested into events to directly support BID members and City of Culture activity. 192,000 spent to help keep the city cleaner and graffiti-free. 20,000 worth of radio scheme handsets and consumables distributed at no cost. Winners at the HullBID Awards. We have nothing but praise to give to HullBID. Under the excellent leadership of Kathryn Shillito we have always been treated with courtesy, efficiency and promptness which, at certain times, was absolutely essential. HullBID has been extremely successful in renewing the Old Town of Hull and we were delighted to be the winner of their Pavement Pride Award HullBID makes us feel proud as we are also proud of HullBID! Terry Moore, Partner, Burstalls Solicitors. 4 Vote Yes Prospectus 2016

5 SAFETY & SECURITY Times are tough in the public sector and as the Government continues to reduce public spending Humberside Police is just one of the organisations which has to tighten its belt. Cuts create challenges and one of HullBID s most important partnerships is with the force and the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner. The success of that alliance is demonstrated by some impressive results a reduction in four categories of crime in the city centre between April 2009 & March Mark Andrews and Raich Orr, HullBID Support Officers SHOP THEFT DOWN 26% THEFT FROM THE PERSON DROPPED BY 67% CRIMINAL DAMAGE FELL BY 65% THEFT FROM VEHICLES REDUCED BY 71% One of the key tools behind that achievement is the HullBID radio system, which provides more than 200 handsets to link businesses directly with Humberside Police, Civic 1 and the BID Support Officers. The service will be further enhanced thanks to a donation from another key partner. Organisers of the Hull City Retail Crime Partnership, which ran a radio system until 2010, have donated 22,000 to BID and Humberside Police. Half of that money will go towards the BID radio system. HullBID is really important to me and my role and my responsibility to make sure the residents of Hull are kept as safe as possible. The fight against crime can only be won by a big team and BID helps to manage that team and pull together key people and key organisations to help the city flourish economically and be safe. Safe communities need a flourishing economy and HullBID marries that together. Without Purple Flag we might not have got City of Culture. People don t always realise how important that is. Matthew Grove, Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner. Vote Yes Prospectus

6 EVENING ECONOMY The city centre evening economy is making great progress. Nobody is under any illusions about the volume of work which still needs to be done but it is clear to all that the quality and variety of food, drink and leisure in the city centre now is much greater than just a few years ago. The pub scene mixes the modern with the traditional and has been boosted by significant investment from new operators. The restaurant offer has hit new heights and there is more to come, particularly in the Marina area and in Paragon Square. HullBID s role is to work closely with all the businesses in this sector, including landlords and managing agents, and we do that by leading an evening economy group which brings together all the pubs, clubs, restaurants, café bars and leisure destinations along with the police and licensing to share best practice on safety and security and on joint initiatives to make sure the city centre is seen as the place to be in Hull. Hull Trinity Festival. An example of what can be achieved is Hull Trinity Festival, which now attracts thousands of people into the Old Town to see big-name national bands and the best of the local music scene. Hull Trinity Festival was a really good event... we hope it keeps going on. Robert Jackson, owner, Trinity Bar Old Town businesses reported a marked increase in revenue over the weekend of the Trinity Festival 2014 increase in revenue* 50-75% 11% % 15% 1-25% increase 41% 2015 increase in revenue* % 11% 50-75% 28% 1-25% increase 33% 25-50% 33% 25-50% 28% *Compared to previous week. Source: Post-event questionnaire with 28 businesses HullBID is always there for us and does so much for us. They work to keep the city safe and tidy, the festivals and markets are really good and the evening economy meetings keep us informed about what is going on. HullBID doesn t get as much credit as it should. Lisa Fowler, Kingston Hotel, Trinity House Lane. 6 Vote Yes Prospectus 2016

7 CLEANING & MAINTENANCE From day one HullBID has been committed to working to ensure the city centre is a pleasant environment for workers, shoppers and visitors. Sadly there is no indication that the cleaning and maintenance workload is likely to reduce, or that any other organisation is able to take on the responsibility. HullBID s Maintenance and Cleaning Operative Martin Foster dealt with around 300 jobs during 2015, many of them particularly unpleasant. Martin s role is to take on the tasks that are not part of Hull City Council s remit. The most obvious one is removal of graffiti, but there are other menaces hidden in the alleys, alcoves and doorways around the city centre. Martin is hard at work early in the morning, before most businesses have opened. He patrols the city centre, cleaning up the mess left by unwelcome overnight visitors and even collecting discarded needles for safe disposal. Martin works in partnership with Support Officers Mark Andrews and Raich Orr, and the three of them play a key role in keeping the city clean. OVER 4,000 GRAFFITI TAGS REMOVED AND OVER 3,000 CLEANING/ PAINTING JOBS DONE Getting rid of graffiti. Kathryn Shillito gave a great speech at our official re-opening and helped us to make lots of new contacts in the city s business community. This support has been ongoing throughout the year, with updates and invites to key city events. In addition, the focus on cleaning up the surrounding area has made our new look, new feel branch feel even more special Denise Woodall, Hull Branch Manager, Leeds Building Society. Vote Yes Prospectus

8 MARKETING & EVENTS HullBID events have gone from strength to strength during the last five years, and the benefits to our members extend way beyond increased footfall. There are instant returns on the day, as demonstrated by the empty pie and pastry shelves of first-time Yum! Festival exhibitor Johnston s. There is the raised awareness among the thousands of people who flock to the Old Town for Edwardian Easter and Victorian Christmas, and who subsequently return to patronise the newly-discovered shops, bars and eateries. There are seeds sown for future business development through meeting new contacts at our increasingly popular networking events. Arguably the highlight in a packed calendar of top quality free events is the HullBID awards night, which is open to all businesses in all sectors and last year attracted more than 500 entries from people eager to celebrate and share their success stories. Almost all of these events are organised in-house, enabling us to keep costs down, maximise sponsorship which in the current year will exceed 30,000 and ensure as much investment as possible goes into bringing together businesses and their customers. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive and the programme is recognised as providing a solid foundation for the City of Culture plans. Influential visitors to the Yum! Festival We are not building 2017 in a desert. There is already a wonderful array of festivals and events supported by HullBID which we will build on in the City of Culture and they will be here after City of Culture is over. Rosie Millard, Chair, Hull UK City of Culture Vote Yes Prospectus 2016

9 BUILDING KEY PARTNERSHIPS Partnerships are crucial when it comes to protecting and promoting the interests of businesses in the city centre, and HullBID is extremely effective at developing those links. Our relationships with Hull City Council and Humberside Police are well established and we have a strong track record for helping businesses to open doors, cut through red tape and get things done. We also bring councillors and public officers out of the corridors of power and into the business community to meet our members and deal with issues face-to-face. No other organisation is able to exercise this level of access and influence, particularly on behalf of small businesses in the city centre. As City of Culture year approaches, we have a place on the 2017 marketing co-ordination group. This enables us to be fully informed of the plans for Hull and allows us to help shape them accordingly, so that the entire business community can get involved and benefit from what will be a massive draw for the city. We are also helping businesses cope with the unavoidable disruption resulting from the public realm preparations for 2017 and we will help them share the rewards which follow. We continue our work as a Healthy High Streets Partner, securing expertise and resource from some of the UK s biggest retailers to help our city centre realise its potential. Melanie Toogood, HullBID Business Liaison Officer with public realm contractor Eurovia BID is absolutely crucial, making sure we all come together as a group of business leaders and are working towards our one common goal, attracting more footfall into the city and competing with the cities and towns that are surrounding us. Healthy High Streets brings business leadership to ensure that we are looking at increasing footfall and pride in the city, reducing vacant units and helping city centre businesses. Terry Lees, Manager, M&S in Hull, a Healthy High Streets partner. Vote Yes Prospectus

10 BIDS & THE BENEFITS A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined geographical area where partners join forces to create a better place in which to work, reside and visit. They bring together people from business and from public services to work to improve their area. BIDs do not replace or subsidise existing public bodies and services; they enhance them. Baseline service level agreements are set and a BID provides specific improvements utilising funds raised by member businesses. BIDs are not for profit. Resources are used to fund the work of a small management team, the rest is used to deliver projects that meet the priorities of the businesses that pay the levy. BID levy money is ring-fenced for use only in the BID area, unlike business rates which are paid in to, and distributed, by government. Since HullBID was established in 2006 it has worked to a business agenda and delivered significant, measurable improvements particularly encompassing safety and security and cleaning and maintenance. HullBID has organised events and activities which increase footfall and promote member businesses. Collaboration with other stakeholder initiatives attracts more people into the city centre, generating more trade for large and small businesses. HullBID has made a big difference to the city centre. I am really grateful for that, and 2016 would be the worst time to stop that work. Alan Johnson, MP for Hull West and Hessle, which covers the HullBID area Vote Yes Prospectus 2016 The HullBID district

11 HOW THE LEVY WORKS If businesses vote to continue with HullBID the new term will begin on the 1 November 2016.The levy will remain at one per cent of rateable value for the duration of the term. HullBID will not seek any increase in line with inflation at any stage during the five-year term. The levy will be collected on behalf of HullBID by Civica Hull City Council. Payments will be based on the rateable values for Where a property s rateable valuation changes, the effective date for a change in the levy amount will be 1 April following the change, regardless of whether the value increases or decreases. Businesses will only be liable to pay the levy if they have a rateable value of 5,000 or more. Businesses below that level will share the general benefits of HullBID s services and will be able to opt in to receive individual support if they wish. Applying that threshold, the BID area will cover 1,148 premises that are liable to pay business rates. These are known as hereditaments, and they accommodate approximately 780 actual BID businesses. Where businesses may occupy or own multiple hereditaments, the charge is applicable to each hereditament. Owners/landlords of unoccupied premises will still be required to pay the levy. Properties eligible for charitable relief will pay the equivalent of 0.2% of the rateable value of the business premise. Businesses occupying new premises will be liable to pay the levy based on the rateable value at the time of occupation. The effective date for the levy will be the date the hereditament is entered into the non-domestic rating list. Tenants of shopping centres are liable to pay the HullBID levy and will receive a ballot paper and it is their responsibility, not that of the shopping centre, to cast the vote. The indicative costs of the BID levy would be: Rateable Value of Property Annual BID Weekly Cost Daily Cost 5, , , , , ,000 1, ,000 2, I work in the city centre and I spend a lot of time here and I think it is well worth paying what is a small fee to be involved in the BID and to have a voice through them. I have had a lot more out of it than I was expecting with jet-washing the area outside, painting the frontage and removing graffiti. They even helped us find a new window cleaner when ours went AWOL! Gillian Long, Cock of the Walk bespoke tailors. Vote Yes Prospectus

12 HULLBID FINANCES The HullBID levy is administrated and collected on our behalf by Civica Hull City Council with funds paid over to BID in quarterly instalments. If applicable, a reconciliation payment may be made to HullBID approximately May of each year accumulated from levy payments that have come in late. Civica s collection costs are charged to HullBID bi-annually. HullBID annual accounts are produced by Sadofsky s (who also carry out an annual audit) and can be viewed on the HullBID website at INDICATIVE BUDGET INDICATIVE FIVE YEAR BUDGET - 1 NOVEMBER 2016 TO 31 OCTOBER 2021 (not exhaustive) HULLBID FINANCIAL YEAR RUNS 1 OCT SEPT. Year 1 (2016/17) Year 2 (2017/18) Year 3 (2018/19) Year 4 (2019/20) Year 5 (2020/21) One per cent levy income 460, , , , ,000 External funding/sponsorship 25,000 35,000 30,000 30,000 35,000 Safety and Security HullBID Support Officers 45,000 47,000 49,000 51,000 52,500 Policing (additional hours) 15,000 15,500 16,000 16,500 17,000 Radio system 5,000 7,000 5,500 5,500 5,500 CCTV 1,800 2,000 2,000 2,500 2,500 Events and Marketing Communications (Newsletter, PR, photography, website) 20,000 21,000 22,000 23,000 24,000 Hull Fashion Week* 26,000 27,000 27,500 28,000 29,000 Yum! Food Festival* 26,000 27,000 27,500 28,000 29,000 Victorian Xmas/Edwardian Easter(Collaboration with Heritage Learning) 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,500 Heritage Open Days (Civic Society) 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Pride in Hull 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 BID Members Network Events and Social Events* 8,000 9,000 8,000 8,500 8,500 Christmas Campaign 25,000 26,000 26,500 27,000 27,500 Ad hoc Events (City of Culture Year) - 15, Cleaning and Maintenance Rapid Response cleaning 36,000 38,000 37,000 38,000 38,500 Lighting (Christmas) 7,000 7,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 Gazebos/maintenance of 1,500 2,000 2,000 2,500 2,000 Empty unit dressing 2,000 5,000 2,000 2,500 2,000 Evening Economy Hull Trinity Festival* 27,000 36,000 30,000 32,000 32,000 HullBID Annual Awards* 11,000 12,000 13,000 14,000 15,000 Purple Flag marketing 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Access/ Signage/ Footfall inc. counters Footfall Counters 18,500 19,000 19,500 20,000 20,500 City of Culture Trail** 15,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 1,000 Administration Chamber Management, Rent, Utilities 34,000 34,500 35,000 35,500 36,000 Levy Collection (Civica Hull CC) 30,000 30,500 31,000 31,500 32,000 BID Staffing 84,700 85,500 90,000 90,500 91,000 Sundries/Professional costs 7,000 7,500 8,000 8,500 9,000 Contingency 30,000 30,000 39,000 30,500 28,000 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 485, , , , ,000 The above schedule summarises the anticipated income/expenditure over the next five years but is subject to change. The levy is apportioned according to the priorities of HullBID members. Investment initiatives are often the result of consultation between HullBID and our members which cannot be anticipated at this stage. *Wholly or part sponsored events. ** Our investment towards City of Culture activity for the 2016/2017 year will focus on creating a culture trail Vote Yes Prospectus 2016

13 HullBID Board Members THE BOARD & TEAM The HullBID Board comprises a variety of representatives from both large and small companies from a range of sectors who give their time and expertise without any remuneration. The Board is dominated by private firms with representation from Humberside Police to help HullBID provide greater protection for city centre businesses and their customers, and from Hull City Council to ensure we have direct input on any city centre projects that affect the business community. I urge all BID businesses to back the BID in the ballot. It has done a superb job of improving the city and it is imperative that we continue that work. Victoria Jackson MBE, HullBID Board Director and former Chair. The Team Jim Harris Chair Centre Manager St. Stephens Shopping Centre Dr Ian Kelly Chief Executive Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce Lee Appleton Centre Manager Prospect Centre Councillor Steven Bayes Portfolio Holder for Visitor Destination Hull City Council Julie Buffey Owner Roisin Dubh David Cooke General Manager Mercure Hull Royal Hotel Guy Falkingham Managing Director Yorkshire Brewing Company David Hatfield Station Manager North Humber and North Yorkshire First TransPennine Express Victoria Jackson MBE Chair Kingston Recruitment Ltd Tim Powell Partner Scotts Property LLP Jon Pywell Assistant City Manager, City Lead (UK City of Culture) Hull City Council Mike Rice Chairman Hugh Rice Jewellers Claire Suggitt Centre Manager Princes Quay George Tambaros Managing Director A1 Developments Hull HullBID City Centre Manager Kathryn Shillito leads a small team which covers a large and busy BID area and regularly wins plaudits from the city centre business community. Catherine Goble Marketing and Events Coordinator (full time) Catherine s experience in media and marketing enables HullBID to organise many of its special events and activities in-house, ensuring that as much investment and sponsorship as possible goes towards making the projects successful. Mark Andrews Senior Support Officer (full time) Raich Orr - Support Officer (full time) The Support Officers are HullBID s eyes and ears on the streets of our city centre. Safety and security is an important part of their workload, and they liaise directly with Humberside Police and other partners to help protect businesses and the general public from crime and anti-social behaviour, notably by using the HullBID radio system. Melanie Toogood Business Liaison Officer (part time) Melanie visits a cross-section of businesses during her three-day working week, providing information about HullBID whilst sharing news about issues that affect city businesses. She offers sound advice... from planning to licensing and liaises regularly, on behalf of businesses, with Hull City Council to try and resolve concerns. Francesca Sharp PA (part time) Francesca crams a lot into her three days a week in the HullBID office. She looks after all aspects of HullBID s admin, generally making sure everything runs smoothly. Martin Foster Cleaning and Maintenance Operative (full time) Martin s working day begins early in the morning. He responds quickly whenever businesses alert HullBID to the need for cleaning work, resolving any issues before they become a major inconvenience. Vote Yes Prospectus

14 THE HULLBID PROMISE The HullBID Board and management team promise to spend funds generated from the levy in accordance with BID member priorities. All our spending will be measured to ensure wise investments are made. Our core objectives: Two dedicated, full-time BID Support Officers to patrol daily and to help direct Humberside Police resources to trouble spots in the city centre whilst pulling together retail security teams and Civic 1 to share data and information on offenders. A comprehensive marketing and events calendar that will enable BID members to participate at no cost or at the least benefit from the increased footfall each event will bring. A dedicated cleaning and maintenance operative to remove graffiti and gum and unpleasant human waste; carry out periodic clearance in areas prone to litter gathering and to undertake ad-hoc gardening/ painting works. Support for the evening economy businesses including an annual music festival that will support the many pubs and bars. In addition to our core objectives, we will introduce some new initiatives: We will co-finance a dedicated City of Culture activity that will see visitors meandering their way around the city centre, taking in places of historical value, landmarks and retail shopping. Any new BID member will be offered personal PR and marketing support. In partnership with visual merchandising company Made You Look we will host two workshops annually to offer advice on making the most of retail space. We will collaborate with Hull City Council and commercial property managing agents to develop a retail strategy and associated literature for Brand Hull that incorporates the evening economy. We will partner with Humberside Police to organise an annual Crime Prevention Day, with an associated media campaign to highlight the support available. We will collaborate with BID members from the professional services sector to host specialist seminars which will offer our members free advice including employment law updates and health and safety guidance. Hull BID are our very own comfort blanket! It s great to know they are there supporting us! Jayne Yates, The Yorkshire Linen Co. Networking with Alan Johnson MP at Trinity House 14 Vote Yes Prospectus 2016

15 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The HullBID renewal ballot will take place between February and March this year. For a BID to be approved and for businesses to contribute funds equivalent to 1% of the rateable value of their premise the ballot needs to deliver on two counts... a majority of those businesses voting in favour whilst the rateable value of those voting in favour must exceed the rateable value of those who voted against the BID. A YES vote will mean that HullBID continues to support businesses of all sizes and in all sectors throughout the BID area by working and investing to improve safety and security and cleaning and maintenance and by organising our increasingly successful events and activities from Fashion Week and the BID Awards to Yum and Hull Trinity Festival. We will add to our popular networking events and we will ensure businesses have a voice in dealing with Hull City Council, Humberside Police and other decision-makers. We will also ensure businesses share the benefits of our City of Culture year in 2017 and beyond. If there is not a majority in favour of continuing the work then HullBID will close later this year and all those services and activities will stop. Neither Hull City Council nor Humberside Police have the resources to absorb HullBID s workload, and there is no other organisation which has the capacity to deliver our events programme. It is vital that you use your vote and that you vote in favour if you want Hull city centre to continue to improve. The ballot pack will provide full details on how to complete the papers, how to return them, how to replace lost papers and how to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. For information about the ballot process please contact Kevin Priestley; tel / kevin.priestley@hullcc.gov.uk For information about HullBID please contact Kathryn Shillito; tel , kathryn@hullbid.co.uk Hull Fashion Week Finale - Hull City Hall View the video of a year in the life of HullBID at BALLOT TIMETABLE Thursday 18 February Deadline for despatch of ballot papers Monday 7 March Deadline for appointing a proxy (to vote on your behalf) Friday 11 March Earliest date that unreceived papers can be replaced Saturday 12 March Deadline for cancelling a proxy Monday 14 March Deadline for replacement of spoilt papers Thursday 17 March Close of ballot (5pm) Friday 18 March Result announced at With 2017 fast approaching it is even more important to the success of tourism in the city that local businesses work together to do our part in helping to keep the city, safe, clean and a great venue for events. Colin Brown, Chief Executive, The Deep. Vote Yes Prospectus

16 I m looking forward to stepping up our work with city centre businesses and retailers. Partnership working is crucial to the vision we share with many in the local business community: to see more visitors to the city; and to make Hull a better place to live and work in the run-up to 2017 and beyond. It s greatly reassuring to see independent recommendations for Hull as a direct result of our City of Culture status. Rough Guides, for example, citing Hull as one of the top 10 cities to visit in the world in 2016 is a massive vote of confidence in everyone who is working to help Hull realise its potential. At Hull 2017, we re already working with our partner organisations to make sure the city reaps tangible benefits on the back of this endorsement. I have no doubt that many more will follow. Martin Green, CEO and Director of Hull UK City of Culture 2017 Hull Business Improvement District Beverley Road Hull HU3 1YE Telephone: info@hullbid.co.uk Website: A Company guaranteed and registered in England No VAT No