Alongside the Centre Manager, we liaised with town representatives, local organisations, charities, church groups, tenants and media to ensure a programme of activities that were complementary and in addition to activities organised by the Town, were carried out at Saxon Square during the Christmas period.
We worked with the Town Centre Manager, Paul Riley, to ensure that Saxon Square was central to all the town's festivities. From hosting community activities in the marquee during the Christmas Festival on Saturday 6th December; community fundraising events throughout November and December to organising a free Grotto and Christmas competition, the theme was consistently and coherently communicated, that Saxon Square Shopping Centre is the heart of the Christchurch community.
Saxon Square tenants also agreed to participate in late night shopping evenings in conjunction with other traders in the town and at the Bargates Centre on Friday 28th November, Friday 5th, 12th, 19th December and the free parking was also extended during the Christchurch Christmas Festival on Saturday 6th December and from the 15th-24th December. This was communicated in press releases, advertising and on the website.
We also liaised with local church, Christchurch Baptist Church and tenants to create a special Grotto for Father Christmas to welcome local families in the final few days before Christmas. The Centre Manager was able to allocate an empty unit for the Grotto, the Church supplied the decorations, Father Christmas and staff and the Consultancy coordinated the publicity for the event, press releases, website, advertising and leaflets. We also arranged for temporary window vinyls to be installed on the unit to inform families where they could find the Grotto and to add to the festive atmosphere.
In addition to Father Christmas in his Grotto, we liaised with tenants to collect contributions towards a prize package for one lucky family visiting the Grotto. Leaflets were produced to enable families to enter the prize draw and to collect valuable data for future marketing.
All of this proves that you don't have to spend a fortune to have a great Christmas. A fact that was picked up by the respected trade magazine 'Shopping Centre' in a special feature.