Bill MossTown Centre Manager

• Twelve years retail with John Lewis Partnership

• Three years retail with House of Fraser• Twenty years with Kent Messenger Group• Ten years as Town Centre Manager

Maidstone…the facts• Kent’s County Town• Biggest shopping centre in Kent..125m sq

ft• Biggest night economy in Kent…420,000

sq ft• Biggest retail spend (ex Bluewater) in Kent

Maidstone…the facts• 2011 footfall increase of 2.45%• Empty shop rate of 10%• 667 “face to face“ town centre businesses • 1,500 people employed in night economy• Night economy spend of £65m pa• 3,500 meals served in the town centre on a typical

Saturday

About town centre management

• Started in 1992 as a council appointment• 1998 TCM became a Limited Company• Chairman and Board. Town Centre Manager reports to the

board• Sub Groups: Business Forum, Marketing Group, Night

Economy Forum, Stakeholders Group, Independent Traders• Active Members of LSP, CDRP and Fairtrade Group

We try to punch above our weight

Marketing• Make your organisation appear bigger

than it is

• Become invaluable in your own area

• Be the first name on the invite list

• Be available to people

• Give opinions-don’t be afraid

Marketing• Adopt a personal high profile• Try to be in your local paper every week• Go to as many groups and comittees as

possible• Speak at Rotary, WI’s, Chamber of

Commerce etc• Become well known - become invaluable

MarketingGet your message across by using all or

some of the following• Local media- newspapers, radio, TV, Facebook, Twitter

(@MaidstoneTCM)• Events in your town or local area• Face to face …go and see people• Newsletter• Your own publications• Website…but don’t expect lots of visitors!

Marketing• Be available for quotes• Get to know local journalists• Always say YES to requests for interviews (take

training courses if necessary)• Give local press tip-offs and stories• Trust your local people---they will want to come

back

Marketing• Treat journalists and sales people differently• Don’t always insist on speaking with “the editor”.

They have lots of other things to do.• Don’t rely on press releases.

Never underestimate the power of a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit

Image

Image

Image

Image

Marketing• Create a corporate image and keep to it

Professionalism

Professionalism

Professionalism