Shaftesbury AR 2017 LR

STRATEGIC REPORT OVERVIEW CREATING DISTINCTIVE, LIVELY AND INTERESTING DESTINATIONS Shaftesbury Annual Report 2017
Promote
our destinations
Invest in
the public realm
Forensic
knowledge of
the West End
Driving sustained
occupier demand
and footfall
We work closely with our tenants to promote
our areas and their businesses to the West
End’s wide domestic and international
audience.
Our multi-channel marketing includes:
• widely-publicised initiatives such as
shopping, street food and music events.
• an active digital strategy, including dedicated
websites for our villages, and an extensive
social media presence.
• decorating our villages e.g. at Christmas
and for Chinese New Year.
We build on relationships with our existing
tenants who are not only a great source of new
ideas, but also have their own promotional
and digital strategies which bring further
footfall to our villages.
We invest considerable resources in promoting
our areas to potential retail, restaurant and
leisure operators. This includes active
engagement with trade press, research visits
to UK and international cities, and attendance
at trade events.
Creating safe and
welcoming areas
to drive footfall
We identify, promote and contribute to
public realm improvements in our villages to
ensure our streetscapes provide a safe and
welcoming environment for tenants, their
customers, and residents. In our experience,
this is an important catalyst for increasing
footfall.
Experience through
economic cycles
Our long-established team’s forensic
knowledge of the West End and experience of
management through economic cycles is key
to implementing our strategy.
Our executive directors have an average length
of service of nearly 24 years, and the senior
executive management team has eleven
years’ average service.
Additionally, we are supported by a broad range
of external advisors, who bring us both ideas
and their wide experience, gained from other
clients. Everybody involved with Shaftesbury
– staff and advisors – shares a passion and
enthusiasm for the West End and our locations.
Based in Carnaby, we are within fifteen
minutes’ walk of all our holdings. We maintain
regular contact with tenants, community groups,
neighbouring owners and other stakeholders,
and are able to respond quickly to
opportunities and issues as they arise.
As a long-term investor in our areas, we are
active in working with, and supporting, our local
community to address issues and challenges
of mutual interest and concern. Also, we work
closely with Westminster City Council and
the London Borough of Camden to achieve
our shared goal of a safe, lively and prosperous
West End.
See pages 68 to 70 for details of our directors and senior management team
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