Up and running for six months, the Colmore Business District held its first event for marketing and PR professionals working in the heart of the city’s business district. Yes, Core is based in Brindleyplace but with client Drivers Jonas based within the Business Improvement District and its head of office, Gary Cardin, the BID’s chairman, I got the chance to go along and see how the BID work is progressing.

Opus, provided the opportunity for those working in the area to meet the BID team

The event, held at one of Core’s favourite city centre venues, Opus, provided the opportunity for those working in the area to meet the BID team, see how the BID has progressed since it launched in April and find out how they could promote the BID through their own companies.

So what has the Colmore BID achieved so far?  Well, six months in it has appointed Solihull and Shirley town centre manager Michele Wilby as District Manager, alongside a board of directors from within the BID’s business community, and visible change is already starting to happen.  On my stroll to the event it was clear that the street cleaning initiative has already begun in earnest, with not a speck of chewing gum or cigarette butt in sight as I headed down Cornwall Street.

Those familiar with the old saying that Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice, can also now claim that we’ve got more flowers than Jersey, thanks to the BID.  Stepping off the train at Snow Hill even the sleepiest of commuters cannot fail to notice the eight foot high floral displays which now form a warm and colourful welcome to the BID area.

It’s a strategy that has proven highly successful to Broad Street

With area wardens also soon to be introduced, it appears that the Colmore BID’s early work is very much the vein of how the Broad Street BID began four years ago, with improvements to the external environment top of the agenda.  It’s a strategy that has proven highly successful to Broad Street, indeed Core has just completed the marketing material proposing a further five years of BID activity in the Broad Street area, which is currently undergoing a ballot by local businesses.

The Colmore Business District has big plans for the future and as the only purely business BID in the country will be focussed strongly on creating a clear commercial agenda for the area.  The resourceful team has already secured a promotional hut at the German Market in the run up to Christmas, from which to share with merry visitors the many bars, restaurants and businesses, just a short walk away and many other exciting initiatives are in the pipeline.

It was great to see how enthusiastic the Colmore BID team is towards the task ahead and, with the growing support of businesses within the area, the initiative has the potential to firmly put the BID on the map as a prime destination for doing business.