South Oxfordshire District Council and the Vale of White Horse District Councils’ annual business breakfast

WelcomeCouncillor Matthew Barber, Vale of White Horse District Council

The local government world is changing....and it will impact on businesses

David BuckleChief Executive, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils

Economic development activities 2011/12

Suzanne Malcolm

Shared Economic Development Manager

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Aims

• to strengthen and support the current

strong base of local business

• to encourage an appropriately skilled

workforce and local job opportunities,

prioritising high value employment

• to promoting the area as an attractive

place to do businesses

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Key successes 2011/12

• enterprise zone status for Science Vale

• signed development agreements for major regeneration schemes in Didcot and Abingdon

• secured £40,000 funding for neighbourhood planning pilots in Thame and Woodcote

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Supporting vibrant market towns

• SEEDA small rural towns projects – over £800,000 spent in Faringdon, Thame, Wallingford and Wantage

• Wallingford won AMT award for partnership and strategic working

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Supporting vibrant market towns

• development and delivery of annual action plans for each town

• reviewed roles of market town co-ordinators in South towns

• annual footfall survey & vacant retail units survey

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Supporting vibrant market towns

• supported events and festivals

• launched “52 Things to Do” book

• developed visitmidsomer.com

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Vibrant local economy

• committed £1.1 million of LEADER funding to support rural communities

• annual networking events

• maximising benefits to businesses from Olympics

• monthly “Vision” e-newsletter/ vacant property registers

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Vibrant local economy

• Launched loyalty card schemes in Thame and Wantage/Grove

• creation of “Let’s do Business” inward investment factsheets

• lobbying for improved broadband

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Plans for 2012/13

• joint tourism website

• economic development framework and action plan

• piloting free Wi-Fi scheme in Wantage

• comprehensive redevelopment of website pages & exploring use of social media

• re-development of Abingdon town centre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIjGMCUwpgA

Is your security as good as you think it is?

Malcolm Wills and Alison SmithCrime Prevention and Reduction Advisers, Thames Valley Police

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Ian Parkes

2012 Business Lead for the South East

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177 & 211 days to go 25 Wednesdays

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It’s now all about Games time

What will the South East be like?

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ARE BUSINESSES READY?

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OPPORTUNITY

PREPARE

CELEBRATE

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OPPORTUNITY

•Supply•Torch•Tourism•Trade

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Supply chain opportunities

COMPETEFOR.COM• Over 1,100 Olympic and CompeteFor contracts

won in the South East• Worth an estimated £2bn+• 49% of all LOCOG Tier 1 contractors are small

businesses employing less than 50 people• Still circa £10m LOCOG contracts to be

awarded• BUT the deadlines are very, very tight – less

than a week• CompeteFor has new buyers – CrossRail,

Olympic Legacy Company, Met Police

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Torch Relay

• Arrives in the UK mid May

• 95% of the population within 1 hours journey

• 9 overnight stops in South East from 9th July to 20th July

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Visitors and tourism

• Tourism and hospitality sector forecast to be the biggest winner

• Peak days – 750,000 extra people

• Previous host nations experience the peak in visitors after the Games

• 20,000 unaccredited media people looking for stories

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International trade

• This the year to go international

• British Business embassy during Games time

• British Business Club• Major events Directory• Make it in Britain• “Great Campaign”

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And another thing….

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PREPARE14 week period: 2 June to 9 September

• Queen’s Jubilee• Euro 2012• Henley Regatta• Cowes Week• Wimbledon tennis championships• Local carnivals and festivals• Torch relay• Olympics opening and closing ceremonies• Paralympic Torch relay• Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies

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Transport

• Are we ready?

• 60% of businesses think they will not be affected in any way be the Olympics and Paralympics

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Transport

• Staff travel and absence• Supplies• Deliveries• Business travel• Customer travel Businesses and tourism

destinations need to plan NOWlondon2012.com

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Staffing

•Staff travel•Staff absences•Casual staff – may be hard

to find

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Students

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Helping businesses prepare

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CELEBRATE

• Use the Torch and the Games to inspire and motivate staff

• Get involved in the wider community celebrations

• Be proud – take your share of the credit for what British business has achieved

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Local Leaders

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Local Leaders

• “You may organise activities for colleagues and host these within your place of work, but if you work for a business or other commercial entity the activities should not be promoted externally (for example to clients and customers). Nor should your employer do any PR about the activities, as this could create an association between your employer and the Games”

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Key note speech

Stuart Miller- Bybox

"3 conundrums, 4 questions, 1

answer"

Q & A session with the panel of speakers

Chaired by Councillor Matthew Barber

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Close and networking opportunity