Introducing our new Commercial Director

LDS Tourism Services is delighted to announce the appointment of Jennifer Prime in a newly created role of Commercial Director.

Jenny first joined the Company in 2007, and in her previous position as Business Manager, developed a deep understanding of customer engagement while proving herself adept at problem-solving and decision-making.

She brings with her a passion and determination to achieve the highest possible standards. Speaking of her appointment, she said: “I’m extremely excited about the future and I’m very much looking forward to the challenge of taking the business forward into its next phase of growth.”

Prior to joining LDS, Jenny had a background in accounting and also worked for Cheshire Constabulary.

LDS’s Managing Director, Diana Bardell-Hedley, said: “We are thrilled that Jenny has committed her future to the Company and we know that her continued expertise will be invaluable in moving the organisation forward.

Jenny’s immediate responsibilities will include supporting the team to deliver a first class service, identifying new market opportunities and generally attaining the full potential of the Company. She can be contacted at jenny@ldsts.co.uk.

Check out our new website

A great many exciting changes have been taking place at LDS Tourism Services over the past 12 months – not least our newly designed website, which went live on 1^st September. 

Created by tantrumedia, an innovative, Wirral-based multi-media B2B company, we now have an aesthetically pleasing site with plenty of scope for further development. 

Potential clients can read about LDS and discover why we are still at the top of our game after 22 years in business; our various services are described in detail; and a news page allows customers to stay abreast of all the latest developments. 

Tourist Information Centres (TICs) can request brochures via our newly updated online ordering facility, which displays pictures of all the available leaflets and guides prior to selection.  

Signing up for this free service is really easy: simply click the shopping basket icon at the base of the page, register your details (remembering to select a memorable password) and you will receive a confirmation e-mail. However, please don't panic if you run into difficulties as assistance is at hand in the shape of Tim – an IT whiz and the designer of our web site. He can be reached by phoning 0800 012 2486 and shouting 'help'!

If you have any queries or comments, please feel free to use our contact form, or alternatively, drop us a line at lds@ldsts.co.uk.

New info point opens at Delamere Forest

Chester Services Partnership’s new Visitor Information Point at Delamere Forest Café is now officially open to the public!

Set in the heart of the Cheshire Plains, Delamere Forest is highly popular with walkers, cyclists, wildlife enthusiasts and folk who enjoy the great outdoors. The café, which is located in the Forestry Commission Visitor  Centre, serves a wide range of freshly made food and drink. It currently enjoys a footfall of 750,000.

Comprising several local authorities and top tourist attractions, CSP controls a total of six elite VIPs in Cheshire and the North Wales Borderlands (including Chester Railway Station, Broughton Retail Park and Cheshire Oaks) – and has plans to increase its portfolio in the near future.

As a founding member of the group from its inception in the 1990s, LDS Tourism Services handles the promotional print for the partners and has exclusive rights to sell space in all the sites.

If you would like further information about displaying your leaflets and brochures in this or any of CSP’s information points, please drop us a line at lds@ldsts.co.uk.

Images: Delamere Forest Visitor Information Point, ©LDS Tourism Services Ltd 2013

QR that leaflet!

You need only glance at a poster or flick through a magazine these days to spot one of those funny little black and white boxes looking something like a fragmentary crossword puzzle. They are called QR codes.

Originally designed for the Japanese automotive industry, the QR (or Quick Response) code is a type of two-dimensional barcode that can be read using a smartphone or dedicated reading device. When the image is scanned, a person is immediately directed to a webpage or application, which then provides more in-depth information about a service, product, offer or place.

QR and promotional print

Leaflets and brochures make ideal platforms for QR marketing. Postage is horrendously expensive nowadays and direct email is viewed by most people as irritating spam, so an interactive link on your promotional literature could save a great deal of wasted time, effort and money.

With a QR code you will be able to measure the success of your printed marketing materials by tracking the scan rates. You can easily add a different code to each pamphlet and you will receive real-time feedback from potential visitors. Additionally, you will know which particular message has generated the most attention.

It is also possible to capture contact information for use at a later date.

Creating your own QR code

A smartphone user first installs a free app with a QR code scanner that can read the matrix barcode and convert it to a URL (uniform resource locator), directing their browser to a website or digital advert.

You will need to ensure that your website or special landing page is optimised to work on a mobile phone. It is quite simple to do this using one of many online services such as mobiSiteGalore.

The most successful QR codes are those which offer vouchers, discounts, competitions or a compelling call to action. They add pizzazz to your printed materials and enhance your ability to measure response. Indeed, you could say that leaflets and QR codes provide the perfect synthesis of print and modern internet marketing. 

Image: LDSTS QR Code, created by ©Kaywa 2013

Check out our TIP at Blakemere Craft Centre

Last year we kitted out a brand new Tourist Information Point (TIP) at Blakemere - a unique shopping hub set in and around a pictographic Edwardian stable block and cobbled courtyard in Sandiway, Cheshire.

Open seven days a week (from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), this charming attraction is home to a range of craft shops selling handcrafted items and distinctive gifts; the Antiques & Collectables Emporium; Supagolf at Blakemere; Cheshire Waterlife & Falconry; a working brewery; Children’s Indoor Playbarn and a superb family restaurant and coffee shop serving some of the finest homemade food in Cheshire. Visitors can also enjoy regular events and craft activities such as pottery or making greeting cards.

The TIP is exclusive to clients of LDS Tourism Services, so if you would like your leaflets or brochures displayed in this busy site, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further details.

You will find Blakemere’s new leaflet in LDSTS’ holders throughout the region.

Image: Blakemere TIP, ©LDS Tourism Services 2012

Display your leaflets in Waitrose

We are delighted to announce that LDS Tourism Services is to supply Waitrose stores with complementary literature stands.

Our partner company in South Wales has negotiated an exclusive contract to display printed materials in Waitrose outlets throughout the UK. We will be responsible for selling and restocking pockets within our usual service area.

There are stores throughout England, Scotland and Wales, but over the next five years, the retailer plans to open at least ten new shops in the North West. The company aims to spend £100 million on new sites throughout the region, including a second Chester branch at Boughton Retail Centre. Much to the delight of Anglesey residents, a new Waitrose store also opened in Menai Bridge last March, taking over the old Co-Op premises. 

Since Wallace Waite, Arthur Rose and David Taylor opened their first small grocery shop at 263 Acton Hill, West London in 1904, Waitrose has become one of the UK’s leading food retailers – combining the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop. 

Our stands will contain literature on community based events, sports, arts, theatre and tourism. The artwork on the holder will incorporate Waitrose’s logo alongside our own (or that of the local distribution company – depending on the area). However, no third party unauthorized literature will be allowed, so please contact us if you would like your promotional print displayed in any local or national Waitrose store.

LDS Tourism sign exclusive contract for M6 Motorway Services

Sandbach Motorway Services

A great many beneficial changes are taking place this winter as we continue to provide our clients with superior display locations at the best possible rates.

Every year we modify our services to suit current visitor trends and exchange poorly performing sites for more popular ones. For this reason, we have once again signed an exclusive contract to display promotional print in RoachChef’s Sandbach Motorway Service Area, located on the M6 between Junctions 16 and 17.

Just two miles from Cheshire’s ancient market town of Sandbach, and with separate facilities available in both directions, this popular rest area is on the main arterial route to and from the North West – making it the ideal stop-off point for travellers visiting Manchester, Liverpool, the Lake District, Yorkshire and as far north as Scotland.

As ‘staycations’ become the norm, the great British public are increasingly on the move at weekends and during Bank Holidays and school breaks, which means that our prominently displayed holders are ideally placed to grab the attention of motorists and coach parties when they pull off the carriageway for refreshments and a toilet break.

However, time is of the essence if you would like to display your promotional print in either of these busy sites during the festive season. Please contact us immediately to plan your Christmas and New Year leaflet campaigns.

Look out for further announcements regarding exclusive display sites in the coming weeks and feel free to get in touch with us at any time.

Tourist info point opens at Chester Station

Chester Railway Stations’s Visitor Information Point has finally opened to the public.

Managed and financed by Chester Services Partnership (CSP) – in conjunction with the Railway Heritage Trust – the new VIP provides travellers with a sheltered and visually pleasant area to browse tourist information and discover up and coming events.

As one of the founding members of CSP and the exclusive leaflet distribution company for the Partnership, LDSTS will henceforth service this site on a regular basis. You can see the latest pictures on Facebook or Flickr.

Chester Services Partnership now has a portfolio of five key sites, each with a substantial footfall – CTR alone welcomes 2 million visitors per annum. They are:

Ø  Broughton Shopping Park (8 million footfall p/a) 

Ø  Cheshire Oaks Visitor Information Centre (7 million footfall p/a) 

Ø  Chester Motorway Services (footfall estimated at 1.5 million p/a)

Ø  Chester Railway Station (2 million footfall p/a) 

Ø  Grosvenor Shopping Centre (opening shortly, 10 million footfall p/a)

If you would like your promotional print displayed in any one (or all) of these busy venues, please contact us for further details. 

Image: © LDS Tourism Services Limited 2011

Autumn Update

Chester City Centre at Christmas

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night are over for another year, our stands are festooned with festive leaflets and brochures.

Following a very busy season, we are finally working our way through a long list of jobs to be completed before the New Year, including the installation of new holders in high footfall establishments, preparations for our clients’ forthcoming promotional campaigns and the addition of those all-important final touches to our many plans and projects for 2011.

We were thrilled to learn that Knowsley Safari Park – a long standing client of LDS Tourism Services - won Eden’s inaugural Top Wildlife Attraction of the Year award for 2010. Competing against eight other major British attractions (including the fabulous Blue Planet Aquarium), the popular Merseyside animal park on Lord Derby’s estate took an amazing 41% of the overall votes. Many congratulations to David Ross and his team from all at LDSTS!

It has been quite some time since we last updated you on our Brochure Marketing group, so we are pleased to report that there are currently 723 members on LinkedIn and 752 followers on Twitter - ranging from designers and printers to government officials and tourism chiefs. It is now also possible to join our group on Facebook.

How important are the arts?

Some fascinating statistics were revealed in VisitBritain’s International Passenger Survey questionnaire. Figures showed that among the 30 million inbound visits in 2009, 7.7 million included trips to museums and 4.2 million to art galleries. Britain's major museums and galleries earned the country £1 billion in revenue from overseas tourists last year - the French alone accounting for 960,000 visits. Surely this is an indication that investment in culture and the arts is essential to the UK’s economic recovery.

If this issue concerns you, go along to the I Value the Arts website and pledge your support by signing their petition – there were 15,239 names when I last checked.

Please do let us know your thoughts and predictions with regard to funding for the arts in Britain. Indeed, we would appreciate your opinions on whether or not the Coalition Government is doing enough for the UK tourism industry as a whole. Drop us a line or feel free to post here.

Image: ©Visit Chester & Cheshire, 2010

Stampede Expected Through Chester

Chester is without doubt one of the best places to be this summer.

Earlier today we took delivery of the Rhino Mania trail guides – an exciting and colourful art exhibition happening in the City from 5th July to 12th September.

To join in the fun you should grab a map and go in search of 62 uniquely decorated rhino sculptures positioned in and around Chester. The enormous fiberglass animals have all been individually named and hand-painted by top artists - so they should be easy to find - and there will be an additional 120 mini rhinos dotted around the trail created by local school children.

Rhinos are one of the most endangered creatures on earth, so in addition to celebrating the City’s cultural identity the event will raise money for the Black Rhino Field Conservation Project in Kenya and Tanzania. Official Rhino Mania merchandise, including a souvenir guide and six ceramic rhinos, will be available from Chester Zoo, Chester Tourist Information Centre and Browns of Chester – Debenhams.

And that’s not all…

Diana and I went along with other family members to Ladies Evening at Chester Races last Friday. We had a marvellous time in the glorious sunshine and twice backed a winning horse, which more than covered our costs for the evening. There are a number of forthcoming events to look forward to at the Racetrack, such as Ladies and Gents Evening on 9th July and Family Funday on 1st August. I thoroughly recommend you go along for the experience and to have a little flutter on the gee gees.

Over the coming weeks you should also look out for Chester’s Summer Music Festival (30th June – 14th July), Cholmondeley Castle’s Pageant of Power (17-18th July) and Tatton Park’s Picnic Concerts (31st July).

To find out about these and oodles of other events taking place in the region throughout July, pick up the latest issue of What’s On in Chester & Cheshire, which is appearing in hotels, tourist attractions, camp sites, pubs, restaurants, TICs and LDSTS TIPs as you read this article.

 

Image: Chester Races, © Visit Chester & Cheshire

Whatever the Weather

As usual, Team LDSTS is bustling about the countryside, distributing the latest leaflets and brochures to venues across the region. New promotional publications arrive every day from all corners of our service area, and we are frantically delivering the latest issue of What’s On in Chester & Cheshire over the Bank Holiday weekend.

On the Grapevine

The weather may be fairly unpredictable at present – although the recent hot spell saw crowds flocking to outdoor attractions, camp sites and the coast - but the uncertainty caused by clouds of volcanic ash, threats of strike action and a number of other issues effecting foreign travel have at least helped boost the great British ‘staycation’.

Tourism in North Wales may well have been given a lift after its beaches received a record number of Blue Flags this year. The scheme, which rates the quality of clean water, litter-free shores, good facilities and safety standards, has awarded this status to Benllech, Church Bay, Rhydwyn, Llanddona, Llanddwyn, Porth Dafarch, Trearddur, Holyhead Marina, Llandudno North Shore, Llandudno West Shore, Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr, Prestatyn, Criccieth-Traeth y Promenad, Dinas Dinlle, Pwllheli-Marian-y-De, Pwllheli Marina and Caernarfon Marina.

We were delighted to learn that The Lowry Hotel in Manchester - one of our TIP hosts – has won second-place Silver in the Large Hotel of the Year category at the EnjoyEngland Awards for Excellence 2010.

National Museums Liverpool has also been shortlisted for the first Marketing Society Northern Awards (in the tourism and leisure category), which will take place at Manchester’s Hilton Hotel on 30th June. We wish them lots of luck.

“Right Decision” to Move Away From Corporate Travel Locations

Booking Services International (BSI), the procurement specialist in corporate and public sector accommodation, meetings and event management, has warned that there will be “challenging times” ahead for the UK’s corporate travel sector.

As the new coalition government imposes £6.2 billion in public spending cuts – which will include discretionary areas such as travel costs and consultancy – hotels are being urged to adopt a few simple strategies to minimise the impact. BSI suggests they “broaden their demand and customer bases by actively seeking new business channels and clients”.

It is almost two years since LDS Tourism Services started moving away from venues with expensive rentals that relied heavily on the custom of business travellers.

Our Manager, Jennifer Prime, says: “We became aware that the leaflet pick-up rate had decreased quite significantly in a certain type of establishment, so we resolved to be proactive and make changes before the full force of the recession hit the local tourist industry.

“We made the right decision and our clients have benefitted from the placement of TIPs [Tourist Information Points] in more popular locations. But we continue to move with the times, so if the corporate travel market picks up, we’ll be on the case. We don’t let the grass grow under our feet at LDS Tourism!”

In the meantime, companies like BSI are advising their clients to “base the selection of accommodation on criteria (based on duty of care/value) rather than ‘named’ hotels”. They believe that by this simple act, “the public sector can take control of price and quality”.

Image: Sand dunes on Prestatyn beach, ©Britainonview 2010

The All New LDSTS Blog

You will probably notice a few changes around here since your last visit, not least to our title, which has become Swift Flyer. Clients and business associates will likely recognise the name from our Company newsletter, which has been landing on their doormats regularly since the early 1990s.

We became aware that the content of this blog was evolving and the focus had shifted from purely brochures and leaflets to include a great many topics, ranging from tourism trends and attraction reviews to industry reports and stories about the day-to-day running of LDS Tourism Services.

To better reflect the changes continually taking place at LDSTS, we decided to drop our old newsletter and replace it with an occasional bulletin - which will include the most popular pieces from this blog - for the benefit of those who prefer the feel of paper between their fingers.

We would very much like to involve you in deciding what sort of content to publish here in the future and would appreciate input of all kinds. Perhaps you would like to share your ideas and opinions with like-minded folk involved in the local or national tourist industry. Maybe you’re a business owner in North Wales, Shropshire or the North West requiring a spot of publicity or you may simply be longing to tell others about a particularly fun day out you had in the region with family and friends.

We’re wide open to suggestions, so if you feel like becoming a Guest Blogger for Swift Flyer, please feel free to submit your reviews, photographs, stories and opinion pieces. In return, your name, service, product, website or anything else will be prominently displayed for all to read.

We would also be delighted to receive input from people involved with brochures and leaflets in any way, shape or form, including designers, printers, writers, photographers and distributors.

Drop us a line if you have any suggestions for future topics.

Image: ©Britainonview / Joanna Henderson

Snacking & Shopping: Tourism & Retraining in 2010

Cheshire Oaks' Visitor Information Centre

As long-standing members of the Chester Partnership (not to mention sole distributors for the group), we received an invitation to attend the official opening of the Visitor Information Centre at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet on 4th March. Jenny and Hayley went along to the event and were delighted to spot many familiar faces along with a few new ones. They were also fascinated to learn of CORA (Cheshire Oaks Retail Academy) - the brand new centre for retail training at the Wirral-based shopping village - which was being launched in concert with the TIC.

In addition to servicing this new information centre, we have installed two LDSTS Tourist Information Points (TIPs) at the Customer Information Desk inside Cheshire Oaks' busy Foodcourt. Please contact us if you would like your leaflets or brochures displayed there.

If you are considering a career in the retail industry, it is certainly worth checking out the Cheshire Oaks Retail Academy website to find out about the unique training programmes on offer.

We came across an interesting article published on the TravelMole website last month. According to a report by Dinah Hatch: “Brits are taking more holiday ‘snacks’ and less vacation three course meals.” She revealed that a YouGov poll had shown that people are “more likely” to go on a short break in the UK in 2010 than last year. She also said that Hoseasons’ chief executive, Richard Carrick, had stated that his Company’s short break holiday bookings were already up by 25% and their 2009 Christmas breaks had “soared by 68%”.

Could British holidaymakers be falling back in love their homeland or is it merely a passing trend caused only by the financial downturn? Please drop us a line sharing your opinions and personal experiences. The most interesting replies will be published on this blog.

Cheshire Oaks' Visitor Information Centre

Images © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2010

The Changing Habits of Holidaymakers

May I take this opportunity to wish all our clients, readers and business associates a very happy and prosperous 2010!

There are currently mixed messages reaching members of the local tourism and hospitality industries. While a recent poll of 3,000 consumers by the travel site simonseeks.com found that the UK is still hailed as being the best-value holiday destination, the newly published ITB World Travel Trends Report showed that travel activity declined most in the UK (followed by Russia and Sweden) in the calendar year following the worldwide economic and financial crisis.

It would seem that last-minute bookings are at a record high and, according to Dr. Martin Buck at ITB organiser Messe Berlin, travellers are becoming an “increasingly indeterminable factor for holiday destinations, airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agencies”. He goes on to say that “together with demographic shifts, changing lifestyles and technological progress, the recession is changing travel behaviour”.

We have certainly been aware of these changes for quite some time and have been able to modify our services accordingly by dropping several poorly performing (and overly expensive) sites last year in favour of better quality outlets - enabling LDS Tourism Services to offer superior display locations at very reasonable rates.

Despite these difficult times, we are doing a great deal to support our clients. As ever, we are able to offer both regional and national distribution; customers can opt to use our popular Network or General Distribution services; they may choose to be included in our high-footfall Exclusive establishments or perhaps decide to pick and choose from all three. In addition, we supply a range of complimentary brochure holders to tourism operators in North Wales, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Lancashire and Shropshire.

If you would like a quotation for leaflet/brochure distribution or social media marketing, simply drop us a line or ring 01244 671859 and we will create a unique and reasonably priced campaign to suit your particular requirements.

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Image: View down onto the beach, Llandudno ©Britainonview

A Successful Summer for LDS Tourism and Clients

As ever at this time of year, we are hectically busy preparing for the schools to close – in fact, some have already broken up for the summer. There are also lots of new leaflets and brochures available, including (but certainly not limited to): Manchester Events, Chirk Castle, Echo Arena What's On Summer 09, Brimstage Maize Maze and the Cywain Centre Bala.

We are delighted to report that 2009 is proving immensely rewarding for many of our clients, too.

Go Ape High Wire Forest Adventure won the Responsible Tourism category in the TravelMole 2009 Web Awards. The Delamere Forest based attraction beat three other companies to take the top spot and were presented with their prize at a ceremony held in Canada House, London. Many congratulations to Go Ape from all at LDS Tourism Services.

We are sending out a collective pat on the back to several other of our prize-winning customers, including: Tatton Park (Large Attraction of the Year, Visit Chester & Cheshire Awards), Blue Planet Aquarium (Best Tourism Website of the Year, Visit Chester & Cheshire Awards), The Museum of Science & Industry (Tourism Experience of the Year for Costumed performers at MoSI, Manchester Tourism Awards) and WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre (Visitor Attraction of the Year, Lancashire & Blackpool Tourism Awards). Well done all!

There was great excitement at Blue Planet Aquarium recently when a baby shark was discovered by a diver in the enormous Caribbean Reef display. The 15cm bamboo shark was found under a rock by Terry Cookson during a routine maintenance dive. He spotted the tiny shark moving around and carefully brought him to the surface. The little nipper has now been nicknamed Rocky!

We have discovered some interesting statistics from Travel Navigator, a new national independent UK holiday survey by Arkenford. Based on questioning 2,000 adults a month about their travel plans and their booking intentions over the next three months, the latest results have revealed that people are downsizing and becoming increasingly independent when it comes to holidays this year. It would seem that more than 90% of them have booked their accommodation in advance and over 50% of these bookings have been made online and bought directly from the provider. Seventy-three percent said they would cut their spending on holidays this year. However, short breaks are set to benefit, with 20% planning to book more short breaks at home than in 2008.

It would seem to us that while a great many people have chosen to holiday at home this year, it is quite clear they want affordable breaks and are cutting back on the amount they spend. Therefore, tourism operators or resorts that decide to raise prices to cash in on the domestic bonanza are likely to find that visitors stay away.

Is your business benefitting from the current ‘Brits Stay Home’ boom? Have you noticed an increase in the number of local people visiting your attraction or establishment? Please share your thoughts and observations with us by posting a message here or by sending us an e-mail.

Main picture: Martin Mere Wetland Centre, © Jonathon Monk, 2005

UK Tourism Boosted by Sun & Slump!

Tourism operators in North Wales and North West England can take plenty of positives from the first major British holiday of the year. Blue skies and the current economic climate combined to give many attractions an excellent kick-start to the season – with most parts of the UK enjoying long periods of fine, dry weather over the Easter break. In addition to this, domestic rail bookings over Easter were up by more than 40% year-on-year with almost 45,000 people booking advance tickets for the Bank Holiday.

According to The Caravan Club, which owns and operates 200 sites across mainland Britain, bookings for 2009 are “already up by 40%”. Its network of parks across Wales was at 90% occupancy for the Easter holidays and the club’s spokesperson, Fiona Bewers, told BBC Online that the current trend seemed to be for “new families [to take] up caravanning as a fun option”.

The results of a new study by VisitEngland were released at the Best of Britain and Ireland trade show last month. They showed that “90% of the population is cutting back on its overall spend but the importance of holidays means that they are ‘more protected’ than other areas of expenditure.” The domestic tourism body also went on to reveal that one in five people who went abroad on holiday last year would consider switching to the UK in 2009 to save money.

Also of interest was a newly published study by Key Note, which has shown that foreign activity holidays are far more likely to be affected by the recession than other types of breaks. The market intelligence provider says that it is likely some travellers will economise by taking holidays in the UK rather than abroad this year and in 2010. A poll of 1,000 consumers for the report revealed that walking - including trekking – had emerged as the most popular activity with 14% of respondents indicating that they had taken a holiday of this kind in the UK. Nine per cent said that they had been on a multi-activity holiday in the UK, compared with six per cent who had taken this type of holiday abroad.

At LDS, we are busier than ever, with new clients joining us every week. If you would like to know more about our many cost-effective and frequently exclusive services, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further details.

Brochure Bonanza 09

Leaflets are pouring into our warehouse and sub-depots at an incredible rate. It’s marvellous to see all the colourful new designs for 2009 and it’s a great relief to once again receive literature from long-standing clients during these difficult times. We’re also delighted to have a selection of brand new brochures, including Word of Mouth, an impressive, monthly, regional guide to North Wales. Issue 1 is currently available from our TIPs (Tourist Information Points) and many TICs within the LDSTS service area.

We’ve been extremely busy during the winter months meeting with clients; adding to our popular collection of Network Service sites and setting-up exclusive TIPs in Broughton Retail Park and Crown Point Denton Shopping Park. In addition to these, we have a number of brand new exclusive display contracts in the pipeline. Watch this space for the latest updates on these and other matters relating to LDS and the tourism industry in general.

Hayley and Jenny have just returned from Cardiff after giving a presentation to Cadw - the Welsh equivalent of English Heritage or Historic Scotland. We will be representing this government body at the Great Days Out Fair in Bolton on 7th February, so if you’re anywhere near Bolton Arena on that day, please feel free to nip in for a chat.

What Makes A ‘Perfect’ Leaflet?

We put the question: “What makes a successful leaflet or brochure?” to members of LinkedIn - an online network of more than 30 million experienced business people from around the world.

"Leaflets should encourage people to visit your attraction, region or event. To be successful, the leaflet should have the right look and contain appropriate information. What, in your experience, encourages people to pick up a brochure and take it home to share with others? Is there a 'perfect' leaflet design?"

We submitted the question just under a month ago and were delighted by the sheer number and variety of responses from marketing experts, graphic designers, tourism industry insiders and others with a professional interest in promotional print.

Paul Scanlon, the Chairman and owner of CDP Print Management, raises a number of practical issues. He points out that leaflets and brochures are “two separate marketing tools, both… zero rated for VAT purposes”. He also warns businesses to “beware” of “environmental issues in design and production”.

“Simple, Clear and Memorable!” These three words make up the dictum of graphic designer, Don Wright. Whereas, “Entice, Educate, Enthuse, Entertain, Excite” is the mantra of marketing consultant, Neil Logan. The Owner and Professional Abstract Stone Sculptor of WSG Gallery, Carl Wright, says that one should always “look at who is displaying brochures and what other brochures are going shoulder to shoulder with [your own]”.

Boyd Butler, the Consultant Development Director at KAM Sports International, believes you should “ask your visitors what they want to see in a brochure” and also ensure that your leaflets are “distributed in the right place”. Very true, Boyd – and of course, this is why we play such an important role with the finished product.

Our favourite response, however, is from Nick Booker, Director of the visitor attraction and leisure consultancy, Attract Marketing Ltd. He very sensibly points out that leaflets should be the “right size to fit in [the] stands”. While this may seem obvious, it’s surprising how often we are presented with oddly shaped and sized leaflets, which are either too tall or too wide to fit into any of our standard holders without being bent over or folded in two. He also highlights issues such as adding the name of the attraction “at the top so can be seen in stands” and getting the branding right.

Nick’s answer is well worth reading in its entirety, as are the many other excellent suggestions. The question has now been closed at LinkedIn but you are very welcome to continue posting your thoughts here.