Information Bulletin
Promote Shetland
Efforts to provide a service to manage Shetland’s promotional work will take a step forward this week as the Council invites contact from parties interested in managing and coordinating the new Promote Shetland service.
A two year Council contract to provide the service required is being advertised this week for the first time with a closing date for initial calls of interest on 12th June. The formal tendering process will allow the contract for the service to commence on or around 1st September this year.
The main activity Promote Shetland will be involved in initially is visitor promotion. This will involve arranging contracted services for the likes of media advertising, arranging familiarisation trips for visiting journalists and developing promotional materials such as DVD’s and printed literature. The service will also support initiatives which contribute to improving the quality of the visitor experience in Shetland and will become involved in a much wider marketing role for Shetland across different sectors as it develops.
At its meeting of 18 February 2009, the Council agreed to an annual cost of £453,392 for the set up and operation of the service which includes an estimated £100,000 for the purchase of marketing services from VisitScotland. Previously, the Council provided funding directly to VisitScotland for the purposes of visitor promotion but through Promote Shetland will secure more management direction and control over how and where Shetland is promoted as a visitor destination.
Chairman of the Council’s Economic Development Unit Josie Simpson said
“We are now at a fairly exciting point in this initiative. The Council took the decision that the Promote Shetland service should be provided via a third party contract so we are asking those with the necessary track-record, skills and passion in marketing to come forward with proposals based on managing and developing a range of promotional opportunities for Shetland.
The scope of this contract will clearly allow for some creative partnerships to be forged and we therefore look forward to seeing what innovative proposals come forward. Shetland has had a good track record in marketing in recent years and we are obviously keen to see this continue. Whilst marketing Shetland is everyone’s responsibility it is essential that we secure a high calibre Promote Shetland service to contribute greatly to this.”
Contact:
For further information on this press release please contact Neil Henderson, Principal Officer – Marketing. 01595 744 960 neil.henderson@shetland.gov.uk