Bristol City Centre BID celebrates a coveted award win and national recognition at British BID’s National BID Awards, for the delivery of Bristol Light Festival 2022.
The highly acclaimed awards showcase BID projects from across the UK, with particular emphasis on the positive impact of each project and what it achieves for businesses in the BID area. In a category with exceptional competition, Bristol Light Festival shone through as the winner of the ‘Special Recognition’ award, chosen for its creativity, significant economic impact, social and cultural benefits to the city and how it showcased Bristol at its best.
The festival was a marker for brighter times ahead, as the first major event in the city post-pandemic, welcoming visitors back into the city centre to wander and explore the city’s streets enjoying and supporting Bristol’s wonderful retail, hospitality, and night-time economy along the way. The 2022 event was delivered against an economic and social landscape never experienced before and needed to consider and address the post-pandemic anxieties whilst creating an event that felt positive and joyful.
Key achievements of the event included:
• 170,000 visitors across its duration, to see the 14 installations that created a trail through the city
• Local businesses benefited from £3.4m additional revenue across the event
• The festival provided over 200 jobs to local industry professionals, and volunteering and mentoring sessions for young adults from the city
• All installations were powered from the grid using existing power sources as well as energy-efficient lighting
• Half of those that visited travelled by public transport or walked
Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID said:
“I am absolutely thrilled that the Bristol City Centre BID team and Bristol Light Festival has been recognised on a national scale, it is an event that we are very proud of and one that embodies everything that Bristol represents. This award is testament to the hard work of the BID team, our partners and event team that bring it to life.
“Bristol Light Festival demonstrates the importance of free to attend events to support city centre businesses and encourage people to spend leisure time in the city, and as our flagship event, it provided an economic boost for businesses when they need it most.
“The festival also created hundreds of jobs for event professionals, artists and creatives severely impacted by the pandemic and drove footfall to levy paying businesses, whist showcasing Bristol as the vibrant, playful and creative city that we know and love. Planning is underway for Bristol Light Festival 2023 so watch this space!”
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