Newport Now encouraging city centre visitors

Encouraging more people to visit, and spend their money in, the city centre is one of the key tasks for the Newport Now Buisness Improvement District, says the BID manager Kevin Ward.

Our Welcome to Newport group, made up of BID members and other partners, organises and funds a calendar of events.

So far this year, the BID has organised Record Store Day, brought the Champions League Trophy into the city centre, staged a Festival of Classics car rally, and provided funding for the Big Splash Festival to ensure performances took place in Commercial Street and other parts of the city’s traditional retail area.

Over the August bank holiday weekend, we will be bringing an urban beach into the city centre complete with 50 deck chairs and a variety of other seaside fun and games. Full details on this will be released next week and the BID is delighted to be working with our media partner the South Wales Argus on this project.

The BID will be one of the sponsors of the Tiny Rebel Food and Drink Festival in October, with the popular chef demonstrations and Teen Chef competition taking place in the newly-created Newport Now Zone in and around the market.

And on Saturday, November 18, we’ll be staging another spectacular Christmas lights switch-on, complete with fireworks and top musical entertainment. Last year’s event attracted thousands of people into the city centre at a crucial time of year for retailers and we’re planning to make this year even bigger and better.

For more details on the BID and its activities, contact Kevin at the Newport Now office at kevin@kevinwardmedia.com or call him on 07824 472543.