Heart of London Business Alliance

Yesterday morning, we heard some powerful testimonies from Richard Townsend, Liz Hutchinson, Chris Gilbert, Adam Wiles and of course our Chief Executive Ros Morgan, on the potential that a business improvement district can bring to an area.    If our ballot is successful in establishing a new Business Improvement District for St James’s in March 2025, from Day One, businesses would see: - 24/7 security  - Enhanced street cleansing  - Promotion of academies, galleries & architectural heritage in the area  - Access to business-critical data & insights   - Promotional campaigns to attract targeted audiences     Details about our longer-term vision for St James's will be available in our delivery plan published later this month.    #ballot2025 #StJames #BID #BusinessImprovementDistrict

Heart of London’s consumer initiative Discover Leicester Square has announced the latest addition to their Scenes in the Square trail with a statue of British actor Daniel Kaluuya, paying homage to his performance as Chris Washington in the modern cinematic masterpiece Get Out, where he captivated audiences in the unforgettable “Sunken Place” scene. Earning his first Oscar® nomination for his remarkable role in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Daniel has been voted by 5,000 British film fans as the star they’d most like to see celebrated in Leicester Square. The statue will take to position next week, joining the trail amongst iconic figures like Mary Poppins, Harry Potter and Batman. https://lnkd.in/ezVmkPAJ   

This morning, Westminster City Council launched the next iteration of their Fairer Economy plan.     Recognising the power of Westminster’s 19 BIDs, which generate £25m a year, Cllr Barraclough: “One of our priority areas is to ensure the West End remains a hub of economic growth”     We look forward to the publication of the council’s upcoming Westminster After Dark plan, which supports the West End #EveningAndNightTimeEconomy.     Stella Abani MBE also announced a new platform that aims to link businesses with charities, to streamline businesses’ CSR programmes.        #FairerWestminster  

Welcome to our new Board member - Billy Differ. Billy has worked with Sir Cameron Mackintosh for almost 30 years in various guises. Currently, he is the Chief Operating Officer for all eight Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Ltd. in the West End of London. He also sits on various charity boards in the UK. He comments ‘I have watched HOLBA grow from its inception to the invaluable business ally it has become today’ #WestEnd #HOLBA

Join us and Safer Business Network for Raising Awareness Of Gangs and Exploitation Training (RAGE) on Thursday 26 September at the Prince Of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, London. This training session will provide valuable insights into how criminal groups and gangs operate within communities and offer strategies on how to identify and support those who may be vulnerable. Join us to enhance your knowledge and contribute to making our communities safer. The registration link with the full agenda is in the comments. #RageTraining #HOLBA #SaferLondon

HOLBA was a headline partner at this year’s NLA London Real Estate Forum opening night at the National Portrait Gallery. This year's conference also coincides with the 20-year anniversary since the first BID in London was formed.   Now we have 18 BIDs in Westminster, 76 in London, and 341 operating across the UK. An estimated £125 million is due to be collected from BIDs in Westminster over the next five years. We look forward to speaking with our members and stakeholders at #LREF2024 about how we can harness this investment and effect real change. Keep an eye out for the Heart of London team. Ros Morgan Mark Williams Angela J Reed Dean Wade Antonia Stratford Emmanuel Aina Matthew Sims

The next Sustainable City Charter event covering Climate Adaption and Resilience will take place on Wednesday 25 September, supported by the London Property Alliance (CPA & WPA) and Westminster City Council. The Charter is a free, voluntary, business-led pledge and we encourage all our members to sign up to receive resources and training to help address the climate emergency. HOLBA's new net-zero strategy (launching soon) is aligned with the aims of the Sustainable City Charter.  Sign up here - https://lnkd.in/eicjPyjq - #HOLBA #NetZero #WestEnd #SustainableCityCharter

Timothy Barnes has been re-elected as a Councillor for the West End Ward. We look forward to working constructively with him and his two ward colleagues going forward on our key policy priorities for the Heart of London area which includes a new licensing regime for pedicabs, restoring tax-free shopping, and exploring a special designation for our iconic destination. #WestEnd #HOLBA #WestminsterCityCouncil

#LeicesterSquare and #PiccadillyCircus have once again been awarded the Purple Flag accreditation and remain the longest-serving Purple Flag area in the world.     This prestigious award recognises the area’s blend of entertainment, dining, culture and commitment to achieving #NetZero.   The accreditation was achieved through support from our partners Veolia, Safer Business Network, MY LOCAL BOBBY, Metropolitan Police and Westminster City Council. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e-eir_iN #PurpleFlag #PiccadillyCircus #LeicesterSquare #London

Our Marketing Breakfast event was a great success, with a fantastic turnout! We were thrilled to see marketers from across London join us at the W Hotels London for this inspiring and insightful morning!💡 A special thank you to our guest speaker, Gurenda Bilbao from Google, for sharing valuable insights and best practices on Google Business. ✨ We would also like to thank our HOLBA team Kirsty Tullett-Jones, Emma O., Colleen Considine, Abigail D, and Matt Harris for their engaging presentations on our destination activations and their impacts across the West End. The team also provided practical advice on how businesses can leverage our Heart of London Club app - https://lnkd.in/emPZdqwk - to promote their services and reach new audiences and valuable data on visitor footfall and spending patterns in the West End. 📊 Be sure to visit our website here: https://lnkd.in/e5izWEaA to stay updated on future events and sign up for our data and insights reports here: https://lnkd.in/ericWWRm to stay informed! 🔗 #WestEnd #Marketing #DataInsight #HOLBA