'Come to Telford' message in new campaign
[gallery] Telford is to be sold to the rest of the nation as a tourist attraction and a place to do business.
A new campaign, dubbed Destination Telford, will see the town advertised across the UK.
It will highlight attractions such as Telford Ice Rink, Ironbridge Gorge and the town's shopping and conference facilities.
The £150,000 campaign is set to get the go-ahead at a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet this week. Posters promoting Telford could be put up in high profile locations in cities across the country. Destination Telford will be used as an umbrella brand to promote town events and attractions.
With the £250 million investment into Southwater, a £4 million ice rink refurbishment and £18 million improvements to the road networks, the council believes the town already has much to shout about.
Councillor Charles Smith, cabinet member for economic development and skills, said: "It's absolutely essential that we demonstrate our confidence in the town and Destination Telford will help us realise its potential for growth.
"Building on the success of the ambitious Southwater programme and other initiatives, we must continue to seek out and win new investments.
"We need to ensure that we all go on the journey and collectively secure a bright future for the town."
Of the £150,000 earmarked, £50,000 would be for developing the town's cultural identity through festivals and events and £45,000 would be spent on print and online marketing of Telford.
Cabinet members will now be asked to support the project to bring together the council, businesses and local people to improve the town as a destination and to promote it to a wider audience.
If the programme gets the go-ahead on Thursday, Destination Telford would be launched next month.
As well as the direct benefits of more money being invested in the area by visitors, new housebuilders and employers, the council is likely to reap an increased cash boost through business rates and council tax.
The move was today welcomed by local business leaders.
Tom Gray, chief executive of the Southwater Event Group which owns The International Centre, said: "We have already seen a phenomenal increase in demand for our venue on the back of our latest programme of development, and there has been a great deal of interest in the Southwater Convention Quarter too, so efforts to promote the town are already starting to pay off.
"Any kind of partnership approach that raises Telford's profile as a business destination is obviously great news for us and for the local economy as a whole".
Destination Telford spokeswoman Charlotte Baker said: "We will be working together to create a batch of marketing literature to promote the essential business support and inward investment services the council offers."
She added: "Every time we go to a conference or our marketing officers go out they will have a whole raft of marketing information to hand out to promote 'the Telford package'.
"People know we have got Ironbridge, which is great and brings in a lot of people, and they know we have got a shopping centre, but they don't really know what else we have got."
A major part of the strategy is to involve local people in developing a cultural identity for the town so that residents can help promote the town to others.
Ms Baker said one of the first big events that could carry the Destination Telford branding was the Plastic Design & Moulding which will be at Telford International Centre in June.
She said: "This is a huge event which we have helped secure from London's Excel arena.
"There will be about 6,000 delegates in the town, expected to bring in almost £1.2m investment."
Other priority projects being developed include addressing the borough's 'gateway' entrances and visitor contact points to create a positive impression to visitors, businesses and potential investors.
