How the England Coast Path in Somerset can benefit your business

Join one of these free interactive workshops to find out why the England Coast Path in Somerset and Exmoor is great for your business, in so many ways

If you run a tourism and hospitality business within 20 miles of the England Coast Path/South West Coast Path in Somerset or Exmoor (from Brean to Combe Martin) and want to find out how you can use it to your advantage these workshops are for you.

There are six in total each one with a different topic - you can read about them below. Simply click on the appropriate date, which will take you to the eventbrite page, then register to book your ticket.

Everyone who attends will get these three additional benefits:

1. A workbook designed to develop this area of your business.
2. An opportunity to join the VESP programme of FREE business support. Under this scheme businesses will be matched with an industry expert with a range of skills to identify your business goals, opportunities, challenges and create a bespoke package of support.
3. If you book onto the session, be in with a chance of winning a year’s membership at Visit Somerset at Silver level worth £425.00.

You will also have time to meet and chat through ideas with other like-minded tourism businesses.

The workshops will be held on zoom to save you the cost and time of travelling and are open to tourism and hospitality businesses based within 20 miles of the Coast Path from Brean to Combe Martin.

The numbers will be limited to make sure each session is as interactive as possible so make sure you book now to secure your place.

Tuesday 12 October 2021 from 11am - 1pm (repeated on 4 November)

An introduction to the benefits you can get from the England Coast Path in Somerset/Exmoor

We will cover:

• Latest trends to help focus your marketing

• How to get more business out of season to increase your profitability

• Give visitors a new reason to visit and stay longer

• Develop your business to encourage more repeat visitors

• Entice high spending walkers and attract new audiences

• Exmoor National Park will touch on relevant results and trends from the Exmoor Visitor Surveys (inc. 2021), a few success stories from the Coleridge Way and other support and materials available from the team.

Thursday 21 October 2021 from 11am - 1pm

How to create exciting new experiences for walkers on the England Coast Path and how it can extend your season

• Learn how offering or promoting experiences on the England Coast path can increase your business in the quiet season

• Hear the latest trends on what visitors want from their holiday experience

• Exmoor has pioneered the development of an experiential approach to tourism and will share the theory behind this and the lessons learnt to date

• Find out why 'selling a story' is important and how Beyonk can help on both the micro and macro level, aiding individual businesses with great booking systems and distribution through their partners, and then helping tell the story of a region through collating great experiences

• Industry experts will share how they created their unique experiences, what they have learnt and how it helps to extend the season.

Thursday 4 November 2021 from 2-4pm

An introduction to the benefits you can get from the England Coast Path in Somerset/Exmoor

We will cover:

• Latest trends to help focus your marketing

• How to get more business out of season to increase your profitability

• Give visitors a new reason to visit and stay longer

• Develop your business to encourage more repeat visitors

• Entice high spending walkers and attract new audiences.

• Exmoor National Park will touch on relevant results and trends from the Exmoor Visitor Surveys (inc. 2021), a few success stories from the Coleridge Way and other support and materials available from the team.

Tuesday 9 November 2021 from 2-4pm

Boost your happy hormones on the England Coast Path and find out why the England Coast path is beneficial to you, your staff and your visitors and how this can lead to increased business

• We will look at the latest trends in health and walking and how your proximity to the England Coast Path can increase your staff and visitors wellbeing

• Join us in learning about the neuroscience of happiness and how to train your brain to be more positive, optimistic and happy

• Explore techniques that will help boost the wellbeing of businesses, their staff and visitors

• We will look at Positive Psychology on the England Coast Path - Using the PERMA model to explore how we can increase positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment (aka PERMA!) by spending time outdoors, walking the paths. Businesses and visitors can all reap the benefits of making the most of our wonderful coastline and all the joys it has to offer.

• This will led by Dr Vikki Barnes and will be a practical session with lots of time for questions. Vikki is a Doctor of clinical psychology, happiness and wellbeing consultant, positive psychologist, international speaker, author, humanitarian, adventurer and believer in change for good.

Thursday 18 November from 2-4pm

What are the best stories to share to ensure that you get media coverage about your business on the England Coast Path in Somerset/Exmoor and how to write them

Hear from journalists and businesses who will be sharing their tips on how to write the perfect newsworthy story that will attract visitors to your business and raise your profile. This is your chance to find out everything you always wanted to know about how to craft the perfect story for the media, so get your questions ready for our panel of experts.

Speakers

Giles Adams is Editor of What’s on Somerset, Chair of Visit Somerset, has written recent tourism publications such as Visit Minehead and Visit Taunton and most recently provided PR for the 10 Parishes Festival

Nell Barrington - Barrington Associates. Nell has worked with over a hundred businesses along the Coast Path helping them to develop their products to attract new business. She is also walking the Coast Path with her trusty hound Luna to raise money for charity.

Jess Chaffey is a journalist who writes for multiple publications across Somerset, including the County Gazette, Chard and Ilminster News, Bridgwater Mercury and is the editor of Somerset Living Magazine.

Martin Hesp has been a journalist for more than 40 years travelling the world in search of stories

Ian Pearson - Old Cider House

Thursday 25 November 2021 from 11am - 1pm

How to get the best photography of the England Coast Path and your business to wow visitors and ensure you stand out from the crowd - on your smartphone

Using your smartphone well to take great photos to help promote your business is far more achievable than many people think. This is a practical hands on session that will take you from wonky to wonderful photos. You will find out about the general principles of professional photography, the benefits of good lighting, how to set up photos and top editing tips.

This event will empower you to take more photos and use them with impact on your online and social platforms. It will also coach you on how to use photography to connect effectively with existing and future customers. This will be a practical hands on session so have your phones at the ready.

This session will be led by Becky Craven who has 20 years of marketing experience working with well known companies including Virgin Holidays, Sleeps12, AirBnB, Unique Homes Stays, Local Councils, Timberland, Clarks plus 1000’s of entrepreneurs. She been running her own photography business since 2006 and has developed a successful career in photography marketing.

If you have any questions please get in touch.