Keswick Tourism Association 2022 Forum
Entry is free and open to anyone, but please sign up for a ticket here.
Keswick Tourism Association 2022 Forum
Date – October 12th
Venue – The Pencil Factory
Join an amazing range of speakers for a day of information, inspiration and insight.
- Learn what key players in the local tourism economy have done this year and what they plan for 2023.
- Hear solutions to the joint challenges of staff shortages and cost increases.
- Be inspired by some of the amazing ways our environment is being improved.
- Learn about some of the great things visitors can see and do in the area.
- Get a tour of the world class new Pencil Factory event space.
Come for one 25-minute session or stay for the whole day.
| 10:55 – 11:00 |
| 11:00 – 11:30 |
Tourism strategy and visitor management
LDNPA, Tony Watson
Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh
30-minutes - presentation and discussion.
The Safer Lakes programme has once again seen pop-up car parks, shuttle buses, Visitor Support Volunteers and roving agency teams. How has the programme supported local communities, reduced problems and supported visitors?
Summer 2022 saw a wide range factors that had a major influence on the industry. Hot off the press we will hear the results of a major business performance survey and learn what businesses are saying on a wide range of issues including staffing and costs.
| 11:35 – 12:05 |
Hospitality
Fellpack, John Butterfield
Derwent Walker (and other Sykes businesses), Jamie and Jessica McKensie
30-minute presentations and discussion.
The people behind the top three restaurants in Keswick (as rated on TripAdvisor) share how they differentiate themselves, how they market themselves, how they keep staff and manage spiralling costs.
| 12:10 – 12:50 |
Big Events
Keswick Show, Haydn Spedding
Rugby Beer Festival, Nigel Hale
Keswick Town Council Events Team, Tony Lywood
Keswick Mountain Festival, Nicola Meadley
30-minute presentation and panel discussion
2022 has seen a packed programme of local events. Were numbers up or down? What has been learned from the successes and challenges of the season and what have these events planned for 2023?
| LUNCH (provided) 12:50 – 13:45 |
| 13:45 – 14:05 |
Whinlatter – Forestry England
Adrian Jones, Jonny Winter, Sally Burchall – Forestry England
20-minute presentation and questions.
With a wide range of walking and bike trails, an accessible tramper trail, new Go Ape course and soon-to-open stunning viewpoint, nature hide and engaging multi-user trail, there’s a lot going on at Whinlatter for new and returning visitors to enjoy. But Forestry England is about much more than recreation, with the team regularly balancing major harvesting and planting operations alongside managing the land for nature recovery, flood management and more.
Join the team to learn about the fantastic range of activities available for tourists and locals alike to enjoy alongside gaining an insight into how we manage the nation’s forests for people, wildlife and the climate.
| 14:05 – 14:35 |
Culture and Entertainment
Keswick Alhambra Cinema – Jonathon Moore
Theatre by the Lake – David Jane
30-minute presentation and questions.
2022 has seen the Alhambra, with its second screen and fabulous refurbishment run a packed programme of diverse films. They have been able to appeal to a much wider audience and have engaged local businesses with a number of innovations. What have they learned about who visitors are and what they want?
TTBTL has returned to running a full season once again: which plays were most popular and what kind of programme will we see in 2023?
| 14:40– 15:10 |
Nature Recovery and Nature Friendly Farming
National Trust, Becky Powell
Woodland Trust, Pete Leeson
30-minute presentation and questions.
Amazing nature-recovery projects are taking place in numerous places around Keswick: improving bio-diversity, capturing carbon and reducing flood risk.
- Bog restoration on Armboth
- River restoration in Borrowdale
- Tree planting
| 15:15 – 15:45 |
Outdoor Retailing
Cotswold Outdoor - Jon Raven
Alpkit - Ali Phillips
30-minute presentation and questions.
Keswick has more outdoor shops than any other town in the country but how has the sector faired this season? Jon with talk about staffing, stock and demographics. Alpkit are carving their own unique niche - offering kit repair, kit hire, yoga classes and a wide event program. Ali will talk about being part of the community.
| 15:45 – 16:30 |
Keswick Ministries
Murray Lawrie
15-minute presentation and 30-minute tour.
2022 saw the Keswick Convention held in the newly opened Pencil Factory. This fantastic venue is available through-out the year for a wide range of commercial and community hires. The facility is huge and has many different spaces which we will see as part of a short tour of the facilities.