British Pub Week: boost footfall to your pub
British Pub Week chair Inez Ward is urging licensees to use the week to increase footfall and reach out to new customers.
From 30 October to 6 November licensees across the country will be holding events in support of British Pub Week. Starting and ending on a Saturday and spanning Halloween and Bonfire Night means there is plenty of scope for pubs to get involved. The week's organisers have emphasised that licensees should put on as much or as little as would suit their pub.
"I feel that licensees should utilise the opportunity of a national initiative such as British Pub Week to their own benefit and to the benefit of their customers," said Ward, also a Justice for Licensees campaigner.
"Licensees will benefit by, hopefully, an increase in footfall — something that I am sure many pubs would welcome — special offers, the support of a national campaign and email templates to encourage some free advertising through local press."
Further to his Early Day Motion in support of British Pub Week, pro-pub MP and Save the Pub Group chair Greg Mulholland will be encouraging all MPs to visit their local during the week.
"I would encourage all licensees to persuade their MP to not only visit their pub, but to play a part in the activities for British Pub Week," advised Ward.
She also urged licensees to invite their local media to cover any MP visits for "free advertising for the pub, positive publicity for MPs and a platform for British Pub Week next year". "Everybody is a winner," she added.
How to get involved
Useyourlocal.com has joined the Morning Advertiser, BII (British Institute of Innkeeping), Punch Taverns, Marston's, Enterprise Inns and Sky in backing the event, making it easy for licensees to publicise their plans.
Pubs can be searched for by postcode, town or name on the website, so licensees just have to find their pub and then click on "update pub details".
In the new window that opens, users should tick the British Pub Week and terms & conditions boxes and then submit the details. This will enable the organisers to distribute free PoS kits.
A free poster pack will be sent out to help participating pubs promote their events. The first 500 to register will receive a free Hobgoblin Halloween PoS kit.
More promotional material will be available nearer the time, as well as emails giving useful hints and tips to help licensees make the most of events throughout the week.
British Pub Week organisers are urging licensees taking part to spread the word through the provided PoS material, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and word of mouth.
"The British Pub Week website gives some ideas for activities," said Ward. "However, each pub is unique and I am sure that many will build their own unique week.
"Pubs play a vital role in the community and licensees must encourage as much community participation as possible — it's time to bring it home to the communities just what they risk losing."
Why get involved?
Licensee Dicky Bray, of the White Hart in Camborne, Cornwall, used last year's British Pub Week to push sales of breakfasts and roast dinners, but plans to ramp up his participation this year.
He has run the Punch pub since 2002 and recently won an award from the pubco for trading, after sales rose 13%.
"We put up British Pub Week posters last year and it did get more people in," said Bray, who already runs events at the pub every night, including darts, cards and a weekly pub quiz. "We've got to really push it this year."
Bray has arranged long-running darts and pool tournaments and will hold the finals during British Pub Week with plenty of people coming to watch.
"People have got to appreciate the British pub and the way it's run," said Bray. "People want to see their licensees. I make sure I speak to every person in my pub, seven days a week.
"They say seven pubs are closing a day — it is just a figure to people and I don't think anyone really realises the situation. I think by highlighting that the pub is still in existence, it says to people 'let's get back to the pub'.
"I think pubs can come back and British Pub Week can very much help that happen."
• For more information visit www.britishpubweek.co.uk.
