Visitor Elves (Kelly Ballard)
Explore every episode of Visitor Elves
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 2022 | 14. Riding on the crest of a in-land wave experience, with Nick Hounsfield, Founder of The Wave | 00:30:26 | |
What happens when you are passionate about people’s health and wellbeing, you love surfing, and want to create something epic that combines the two? You create a humongous 200 meter in-land surf lake! In today’s episode I talk to Nick Hounsfield, founder and chief visionary officer of The Wave https://www.thewave.com, the first inland surfing destination near Cribbs Causeway, Bristol only five minutes from the M4/M5 interchange. Costing over £25 million to create, Nick talks about how he managed to convince investors to support the project, how it finally opened as the world went into lockdown, and how four years on, along with his partner Craig Stoddard and a great team, they have navigated three very difficult years (that included Nick losing his ability to speak through a stroke) to become a thriving business, receiving up to 175,000 visitors per year. Nick’s first career as an osteopath gave him his passion for caring for people’s health and wellbeing - he continues that passion today, driving the ‘blue health’ agenda for being in and around water. He has a burning desire to bring the benefits of his sport ‘surfing’ to as many people from different walks of life as he can and states that he will have failed if The Wave is something only enjoyed by the white, middle classes. Listen to his exciting plans for the future of The Wave, Bristol including the taking the whole thing off-grid through the investment in solar panels, plus, how he is working on another amazing site in North London. What a humble yet determined guy - Nick proves just what you can achieve if you really believe in something. Enjoy the episode. Find out more To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 12 Apr 2023 | 28. Find out how Stroud Brewery and Stonehouse Court Hotel are working together as part of VisitGloucestershire's Sustainability Champions to help each other and drive change | 00:59:07 | |
In today’s podcast I had the pleasure of chatting to two independent tourism organisations based in Gloucestershire who are leading the way in not only making their businesses as sustainable as possible, they are also on a journey to changing our thinking around how we spend our leisure time – including what we choose to eat and drink. This week I was talking to Greg Pilley, Managing Director of Stroud Brewery, Sarah Brewster owner of Stonehouse Court Hotel and Visit Gloucestershire's sustainability lead Hannah McDonnell. Greg and Sarah are both part of the Sustainability Champions network brought together by Visit Gloucestershire – one of the first Destination Management Organisations to make a commitment to Net Zero by 2050 as part of the Glasgow declaration for climate action. As travel returns to pre-COVID levels, and overtourism and greenwashing remain a concern, there’s never been a more critical time for businesses to consider their own environmental impact and what changes they can start to implement now.
We also discuss some interesting ideas around how a rural destination can support and promote its sustainability credentials and how businesses can do their bit to help visitors make more sustainable choices. Connect with this week’s guests on LinkedIn: Hannah McDonnell Greg Pilley Sarah Brewster Find out more: Sustainability Champions partnership To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 28 Jul 2024 | EP. 45 Making Bristol city centre a more sustainable and enjoyable place to visit with Tom Swithinbank from Bristol BIDs | 00:47:54 | |
Welcome to this week's podcast, where I’m going behind the scenes of Bristol City Centre and talking to Tom Swithinbank. In this episode, we talk about:
We also discuss the future of the historic Castle Park and the exciting plans to redevelop that rather colourful derelict building on the corner. Along with the plan to landscape the area next to Cabot Circus to strengthen the park's link to the shopping centre. I hope you enjoy the episode. Broadmead BID For more links to things and businesses discussed (podcast on website) To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 26 Feb 2024 | EP 37 Marketing Insight - How to work with influencers in 2024 with Claire Robinson, Weekend Candy | 00:29:01 | |
Today's episode is the first of my Marketing Insights series. Claire shares several tips on how to find the right people to work with and get the most out of the relationship, including:
Claire is an accredited travel writer and content creator, running the travel website Weekend Candy, which provides inspirational content and listings on where to stay and what to do in the UK. She has been doing this for many years and has an excellent reputation as a creator and inspirational influencer of her audience, with a reach of thousands across her channels. Enjoy the episode, and let me know your thoughts on Instagram. Find Claire here https://weekendcandy.com/ To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | 23. Podcast 1st birthday episode, with Annah Todman owner of Uncover Britain road trips, talking motorhome travel | 00:39:39 | |
It's been a whole year since I first launched the Elves of the Visitor Economy podcast! Whoop whoop! Happy birthday to me If you have an interest in accessing the camper van and motorhome market or you want to link into Annah and her recommendations as part of a tour, you might want to have a listen. A huge thank you to all my guests and an even bigger thank you to you and everyone else who has listened to the podcast this year. I hope you enjoy the episode. More information on Uncover Britain To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 14 Mar 2024 | EP 39 Easy tips for mastering your email marketing with Sarah Orchard - Marketing Insight | 00:33:45 | |
Today’s episode is all about email marketing and the simple things you can do to make it work more effectively to drive bookings. Joining me on the show is Sarah Orchard of Get Fully Booked. Sarah was also my very first guest on the podcast back in 2022. In that episode, she spoke about her luxury treehouse, Hudnalls Hideout, in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. In this episode, Sarah shares some excellent tips based on her years of experience successfully managing email campaigns for her own businesses and for her clients. For a full summary of her thoughts and tips, head to visitorelves.co.uk/insights, where I will summarise Sarah’s helpful tips in episode 39. Listen to Episode 1 where I chat with Sarah about Hudnalls Hideout, her luxury treehouse business, where she also shares marketing tips from her sell-out business.
https://www.instagram.com/getfullybooked/ To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 08 May 2024 | EP 42 Ticketing system frustrations? Make yours work more effectively for you with Sarah Bagg | 00:19:38 | |
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Bagg, founder of ReWork Consulting, about getting the best ticketing or booking system to support your business needs. As a marketer, I've worked with several solutions, and I've noticed that most of them lack the automated link from email to CRM system. As a result, it's challenging to execute smart marketing strategies without manual intervention. This can be frustrating and time-consuming. It restricts personalisation and generally feeds a lack of enthusiasm for email marketing. Since ticketing or booking systems are at the core of many businesses in the visitor economy, I wanted to speak with an expert in this area. Sarah is well-versed in operational systems supporting all departments and has many years of experience working in this area of the visitor economy, both on the client and supplier sides. Any investment in a new system is a huge undertaking. Sarah has some really useful advice for those thinking about it. She also has some suggestions for those who have already made the investment and have found their system lacking. Enjoy the episode! To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 03 Oct 2024 | EP 48 Unlocking the Secrets of Effective Content Marketing with Charlotte Laing, The Content Emporium | 00:51:05 | |
Welcome to today’s episode! I’m super excited to chat with Charlotte Laing, the amazing founder of The Content Emporium. Her agency is thriving, with a team of 46 talented people, and they’re doing fantastic work for clients, including 20 shopping centres across the UK. Who’s This Episode For? If you’re creating content for businesses, especially in the visitor economy (think shopping centres, town or city centres), this one’s for you. Charlotte’s sharing some great tips and insights to help you up your content game. What You’ll Learn 🤿 The Why Behind Content: We’re diving into why it’s more important than ever to invest in content creation and how businesses can make it work for them. 🔮 Looking Ahead to 2025: Charlotte shares her thoughts on the big content trends coming up and what you should be preparing for. 💡Tips You Can Use Right Now: Need a boost for your content strategy? Charlotte’s got some super practical advice to help you nail it for 2025. Grab your notebook, get comfy, and let’s get into it! For a summary, full transcription, and links mentioned in the episode, head to Visitor Elves. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 02 Feb 2022 | 1. Building and running a luxury glamping experience The Hudnalls Hideout Treehouse, Forest of Dean, with Sarah Orchard | 00:32:33 | |
In today's episode I was delighted to chat with Sarah Orchard, owner of award winning luxury treehouse The Hudnalls Hideout.
For more information about Elves of the Visitor Economy, visit: http://elvesofthevisitoreconomy.co.uk. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 19 Jun 2024 | 43: Vicki Jones talks about setting up her award-winning Glampsite and YouTube channel 'Tractors and Cream' in Somerset | 00:51:37 | |
In today’s podcast, I’m heading to the Somerset levels to chat with Vicki Jones, owner of the award-winning Tractors & Cream glampsite. Vicki and her husband Bryan worked in the hotel trade before they decided to upsticks and create their own hospitality business. After feeling the pain of putting up the yurts each year, they decided to invest in these fantastic architectural geodomes. Their beautiful site, with five domes and a large event dome, is extremely popular with families, hen parties, and even baby showers - all heading along for afternoon tea. Life and times at the site are documented regularly on YouTube, earning Tractors and Cream over 10,000 followers and a keen following of glampsite owners in the US, all looking to learn from Vicki and Bryan. In the podcast Vicki shares how she promotes her business and provides us with some really useful tips on how to market a glamping business. https://tractorsandcream.co.uk/ Facebook Enjoy the episode. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 16 Nov 2022 | 18. Making your hospitality business more sustainable with Mike Harris, sustainability expert and owner of Bar & Restaurant, The Strawberry Thief, Bristol | 01:00:30 | |
Today’s podcast features my conversation with Bristol bar and restaurant owner Mike Harris, The Strawberry Thief. After many years following a career as a sustainability specialist, including time with the Eden Project, he decided to go back to his hospitality roots. In 2016 he bought The Strawberry Thief, situated on Broad street near St Nicholas market, in the centre of Bristol. I talk to Mike about how he has applied his years of working in the business of sustainability to the Strawberry Thief, with some practical tips that will be useful for any organisation looking to meet their net zero targets. We chat about the importance of having great staff and incentivising them to really buy into the ethos of the business. We also touch on the whole alcohol-free movement. As someone who went a whole year no beer back in 2021, I love a real ale and the alcohol free versions are fantastic. It was humbling to chat to Mike who reflected on pursuing his dreams after his personal experience with cancer. Find out more about Mike and The Strawberry Thief: The Strawberry Thief on Instagram Mentioned in the podcast: Penny Brohn Cancer Care Centre To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 31 Jul 2024 | EP. 46 Lorraine Jarvie - General Manager of Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath, talks luxury hotel management and Bridgerton | 00:43:00 | |
In my final episode of Series 3, I have a special guest, the wonderful and oh-so-stylish Lorraine Jarvie, General Manager of the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath. This hotel has a five-star (red) rating and is one of the top 2% in the country. With 40 bedrooms and 140 staff (180 during busy periods), the Royal Crescent is not only one of the West's most impressive hotels, it is also one of the ultimate jobs in the UK for a hotel manager. In our conversation, we talk about:
It was such a pleasure chatting with Lorraine. My only issue was the sound quality of my microphone. I am so sorry. Please stick with it, as Lorraine is who you most want to hear from, and she shares some wonderful insights into life as a General Manager in a luxury hotel. Enjoy the episode. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 20 Jul 2022 | 13. How independent shop Prior is leading the charge in driving visitors to the high street | 00:57:32 | |
The face of retail and the high street is changing and those seeing success are passionate creative businesses that have a truly distinctive personality, like Prior Shop in Bristol. Our final episode of season one features the inspirational Beck Prior, founder of Prior Shop – 'High Street Shop of the Year' winner in the 2021 Holly & Co Independent Awards. In 2019, Beck turned her passion for high quality, sustainable design, into a thriving business. She is a craftsperson, maker and visionary leader doing great things for her local communities. And in her pursuit of driving sales of beautiful hand-made products, Beck is bringing to life the stories behind the 150 makers she now works with. Prior has two shops and a visitor experience that combines retail with the local creative culture that customers and visitors can get involved in. This is some of the magic that will bring positive change to the retailers and high streets of the future. Beck shares how her battle with Leukaemia prompted her to consider and follow her passions. She explains how she got where she is today and some of the tips she has picked up along the way. Beck talks through ideas to drive footfall into Bristol’s large shopping destination Cabot Circus, as well as the smaller out of town high street in Old Market. We also discuss the challenges of digital marketing and increasing online sales alongside a bricks and mortar presence, as well as managing social media accounts as a business evolves. We hope you are as inspired by Beck as much as we are! Find out more
Take our survey Take our short survey: https://forms.gle/mRMMbQUCzvob1QBFA Thank you! To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 04 Jan 2023 | 21. The rise of the Sri Lankan restaurant chain The Coconut Tree, with founder Rodrigo Rasthinthe | 00:43:10 | |
Imagine setting up a restaurant with five of your friends that is so successful that within six years you have got nine restaurants!! Welcome back to 2023, where my first episode of the year is with Rodrigo Rashinthe, Operations Director and one of five founders of The Coconut Tree chain of Sri Lankan restaurants. In 2016, Rodrigo and his friends began their restaurant journey, after buying a flat over a pub, in an out-of-town suburb of Cheltenham. Six years on and they are the proud owners of nine restaurants and have awards and accolades coming out of their ears. Join us as we talk about the journey to nine restaurants, the pandemic and their beautiful, and oh so engaging marketing. Apologies now if you’re listening to this whilst driving, or on your bike, we recorded this at the Clifton restaurant in the centre of Bristol city centre and there were several ambulances with sirens on flying past. Connect with Rodrigo Rashinthe on LinkedIn
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 17 Feb 2025 | EP 56 The Digital Marketing Secrets Behind Visit West’s Success | 01:19:21 | |
Behind the Screens – Digital Marketing Insights from Visit West Shonette Laffy and Laura Valentine.Join host Kelly Ballard as she chats with the dynamic digital marketing duo Shonette Laffy & Laura Valentine from Visit West, the team behind VisitBath, Visit Bristol, and Meet Bristol & Bath. With over 3 million website visits annually and a social reach of 9.5 million, they share: ✨ The evolution of digital marketing at Visit West 🌍 How dynamic content & AI enhance visitor experiences 📱 Social media strategy & the power of user-generated content 🌱 The impact of digital sustainability & practical tips for businesses 📝 Expert content planning strategies to stay ahead Plus, top tips for businesses to maximise their presence on a DMO (Destination Marketing Organisation) website and optimise their social media game. Visit West latest opportunities For a full summary of what was discussed and more links mentioned head to the Visitor Elves website. This episode is sponsored by Hello Starling. Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. They've worked with brands such as Bristol Zoo Project, Visit Shropshire, Visit Conwy, Visit Herefordshire and the National Tourism Office for Poland. If you want to be the centre of attention, visit hellostarling.com today. If you have enjoyed this podcast episode, please take a moment to give me a few stars on Apple podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people to find it. | |||
| 30 Mar 2022 | 5. What it takes to manage operations at Cheltenham BID with Belinda Hunt | 00:42:28 | |
In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking to Belinda Hunt, Operations Manager at Cheltenham BID (Business Improvement District). The regency spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire was made popular in the 18th and 19th centuries as a place the wealthy travelled to – for entertainment and to drink the spa water, said to provide ‘healing properties’. Today, Cheltenham is a cosmopolitan town with a population of 117,000, known for its horse racing, educational establishments and an enviable position next to the Cotswolds. The town’s stunning regency architecture provides a beautiful backdrop for a packed programme of some of the UK’s best festivals and events, such as the Cheltenham Literature Festival and Cheltenham Jazz Festival. It has an assortment of fabulous restaurants, cafes and bars, plus a shopping offer to die-for (ok, maybe that’s just for someone like me!). Cheltenham BID supports businesses in the heart of the town centre. And Belinda, who is originally from Zimbabwe, tells us about her job at Cheltenham BID and about the BID’s role in supporting local businesses. She talks about the need for collaboration and the type of events that drive footfall and sales for the retail and hospitality businesses of the town. We chat about the different businesses that grew and changed during the pandemic and how the likes of high street retailer John Lewis is doing a great job of supporting local businesses with its initiatives. It was lovely to find out more about Belinda, how she got to where she is today and what she likes to do outside of work. It was also wonderful to hear one of her amusing memories of Kevan Blackadder, friend and former director of Cheltenham BID, who sadly died in 2021. Apologies for the slightly dodgy sound quality and I hope you enjoy the episode.
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 27 Apr 2022 | 7. Talking hotels, Gloucestershire and the recruitment challenge with Steve Gardner-Collins – The Hatton Collection & Visit Gloucestershire | 00:50:50 | |
In this episode I chat to Steve Gardner-Collins, Sales Director of The Hatton Collection and Director of Visit Gloucestershire. Steve talks about The Hatton Collection's business portfolio, ranging from country hotels to pubs with rooms across the Cotswolds, Somerset and Jersey. Steve shares his insights and some of the challenges of working in hospitality over the past few years and how this was felt across the different business types and locations. We chat about the role of Visit Gloucestershire, now in its second year, and its place in amongst the Destination Marketing Organisations that already exist across the county. Steve talks through what he is doing to unite the visitor economy in Gloucestershire and his focus on critical issues such as the skills shortage and sustainability. I’m sure you will agree that Steve’s passion for the visitor economy and driving forward change is undeniable. For someone with so many hats, as well as having a young family, you wonder when he gets time to sleep! What is admirable is Steve’s desire to help and to make a difference. Enjoy the episode! Find out more
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 14 Nov 2024 | EP 51 🏛️ From Forgotten to Fabulous: The Gloucester Food Dock Story with co-owner Sarah Mansfield | 00:52:39 | |
In this episode, I'm back in Gloucester exploring the fascinating world of urban regeneration and historic building redevelopment with Sarah Mansfield Co-owner of L&R Group and visionary behind Gloucester Food Dock. We chatted about:
Go to the summary, links and businesses mentioned. Related Episodes: Episode 16 - Building and Nurturing Place Culture with Philip Walker, Gloucester City Council. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 29 Mar 2023 | 27. How Bath's historic venues have adapted through massive changes, with Rebecca West, Marketing Manager at the Roman Baths | 00:43:49 | |
Today’s chat is with Rebecca West, Marketing Manager responsible for one of the most visited pay-to-enter visitor attractions in the UK outside London - the Roman Baths. Rebecca’s official title is Heritage Marketing Manager working for Bath & North East Somerset Council, where she is not only responsible for the Roman Baths, she also promotes the Fashion Museum, Victoria Art Gallery and the brand new for 2022 World Heritage Centre - a free to enter experience that tells visitors why Bath is such an important UNESCO World Heritage site. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 05 Oct 2022 | 15. Breathing life into ‘places’ through events – with Kate & Hannah, Directors of multi-award winning theatrical events company Bakehouse Factory | 00:39:47 | |
If you work in promoting or bringing life to town and city centres, visitor attractions or have a dream of working for a creative organisation, you’re going to love today’s podcast. In this episode I’m joined by the wonderful Kate Statham and Hannah McGavin, Directors of Bristol-based and award-winning theatrical events company Bakehouse Factory. Their work takes them all over the country, working in shopping centres, town and city centres and different types of venues. The Bakehouse team brings these places alive with their magical theatrical performances and ‘wow’ factor installations. One of their most recent projects was to create an experience to mark and celebrate the closure of Bristol Zoo in Clifton (that’s sure to be an award-winner!). On the show, we talk about the type of work Bakehouse does and how they work with so many stakeholders in delivering town or city-wide messages. We also chat about how art and culture can bring places to life, telling stories through theatre and music. For those wanting to work in the creative events industry, Kate and Hannah share tips about how to approach a company like Bakehouse and how it takes a multitude of talent, from carpenters to professional actors, project managers and musicians, to create great events. There’s lots to take away from this episode – I hope you enjoy it. Find out more about Bakehouse:
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 16 Mar 2022 | 4. Inspirational management at We The Curious, Science centre Bristol with CEO Donna Speed | 00:34:28 | |
I’m delighted to share my conversation with Donna Speed, Chief Executive of Bristol science centre and educational charity, We The Curious. Located on the harbourside, We The Curious is one of the city's leading family attractions, operating at the heart of the community. Find out more about We The Curious and follow on social media:
Connect with Donna:
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 15 Mar 2023 | 26. Hear about this year's momentous Bristol 650 celebrations from Naomi Miller, Acting Director at Bristol Ideas | 00:39:46 | |
This week I've been chatting with the fascinating Naomi Miller, Acting Director at Bristol Ideas - organisers of inspiring talks and debates which shine a light a light on diverse issues in the city. Join me as I talk to Naomi about how Bristol Ideas is working with Visit West on this year's Bristol 650 celebrations, commemorating all things Bristol and telling the stories of its people, what they’ve done, where they’ve come from and where the city is going. Naomi is a passionate champion of diverse voices and stories in the city, and there's plenty of food for thought on how we get thought leaders and idea makers to engage with the public, and vice versa. Most memorable experience: Places to eat: Find Naomi at Twitter: @BristolIdeas If you enjoyed the episode please subscribe and review, it really helps other people to see it.
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 25 May 2022 | 9. Driving sales to a new concept hotel with Lindsey Williams, Mollie's Motel & Diner | 00:40:19 | |
In today’s episode, Kelly meets with Lindsey Williams, Head of Sales, at the brand new Mollie’s Motel & Diner. Located near Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, Mollie's opened last year, hot on the heels of Mollie’s Oxfordshire (which opened in 2019). The motel-diners are the brainchild of Nick Jones, creator of the luxury Soho House brand and this influence is evident across the whole venue. With luxuries like Dyson hairdryers and straighteners alongside Cowshed products, the touches of class are what you would expect in a high-end £250+ a night hotel. But with Mollie's rooms being less than half this price, they are providing other mid-range hotels with some serious competition.
Thinking about a career in hospitality? We hope you enjoy the episode. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 08 Jun 2022 | 10. Why podcasting is a great option for businesses in the visitor economy | 00:20:53 | |
Have you ever thought about launching your own podcast?
**************** To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 06 Jul 2022 | 12. Addressing sustainable travel and transport in rural destinations with Hannah McDonnell, Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership | 00:38:06 | |
In this episode, Kelly chats to responsible tourism advocate and director of Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership, Hannah McDonnell. Hannah is also Visit Gloucestershire’s lead on sustainability and social value.
Find out more about Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership: If you live near a train station in the UK and want to access Gloucestershire without a car, check out these walks and cycle routes in and around Stroud, Stonehouse, Lydney and Cheltenham: www.gloucestershirecommunityrail.org/leisure-trails. Find out more about Visit Gloucestershire: Contact Hannah:
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 13 Jan 2022 | Visitor Elves trailer | 00:01:23 | |
Welcome to the Visitor Elves podcast. A place where, I chat with amazing people in and around West of England, working behind the scenes in tourism, hospitality, culture and events, and everything in between. With our new ways of virtual working, I want to connect everyone back up on a deeper level, to help us learn from each other, and to know that we’re not alone in our challenges. My name is Kelly Ballard and I’m a specialist in marketing in the visitor economy. Over the years I've managed marketing strategies and plans for many destinations, attractions and hospitality businesses. I’ve worked with hundreds of people and organisations across Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset and I am always intrigued about what people do and their stories. The people who work in our industry are inspiring and I know that their stories will inspire you - so this podcast brings them out from behind the scenes. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 28 Mar 2024 | EP 40 - The state of the domestic group market in 2024, with Steve Reed Tourism | 00:28:21 | |
Today's Marketing Insights is all about the 'groups' market. For many years, the domestic group travel or coach tour industry has been an important part of the UK’s tourism industry. Groups have historically been guaranteed business for many tourism organisations, with up to 50 people on a coach coming often during week day and shoulder periods. However, because of the pandemic, hundreds of coach companies, many of them well established, went out of business. It's been devastating for them. So, the question I have as a marketer in the visitor economy is, should it be a market that we are still looking at trying to attract? If so, how have things changed and how do we market to these customers in 2024? I am joined on the show by group travel specialist Steve Reed from Steve Reed Tourism to talk to me about it. Enjoy the episode To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 17 Mar 2025 | EP 57 Carnival, Creativity, and Citizen-Led Change: An Inspiring Conversation with LaToyah McAllister-Jones, CEO of St Pauls Carnival and Trustee of Bristol Old Vic. | 00:49:10 | |
In episode 57, Kelly Ballard speaks with LaToyah McAllister-Jones, the Executive Director of St Paul's Carnival in Bristol. LaToyah shares the rich history and community impact of this celebrated cultural event, which has been running since 1968 and is one of the largest carnivals in the UK.LaToyah explains how St Paul's Carnival was founded to foster social cohesion within the Windrush generation community, providing a platform for African Caribbean people to share their stories and culture. Managing an event of this scale, with over 120,000 attendees in 2023, presents significant challenges. LaToyah discusses the complex balancing act of coordinating the diverse stakeholders, from local authorities to community artists, while preserving the carnival's grassroots spirit. Due to funding constraints, the 2025 carnival will be scaled down, but LaToyah is committed to continuing to celebrate African Caribbean arts and culture through smaller, community-focused events. She also shares her other leadership roles, including at Bristol Old Vic and the Lumen Space well-being retreat business she co-founded. Throughout the conversation, LaToyah's passion for social justice, community empowerment, and the transformative power of the arts shines through, offering listeners an inspiring glimpse into the world of this iconic cultural event. For all links and a full summary of the conversation head to the Visitor Elves website. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: This episode is sponsored by Hello Starling. Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. They've worked with brands such as Bristol Zoo Project, Visit Shropshire, Visit Conwy, Visit Herefordshire and the National Tourism Office for Poland. If you want to be the centre of attention, visit hellostarling.com today. If you have enjoyed this podcast episode, please take a moment to give me a few stars on Apple podcasts or Spotify, it helps to encourage more people to listen and learn from our stories. 🙏 | |||
| 17 Oct 2024 | EP49 Behind the Scenes of Wales' AA Hotel of the Year 2024: Success Strategies from The Parkgate Hotel’s Damien Martin | 00:46:01 | |
In this episode of I chatted with Damien Martin, General Manager of award-winning The Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff. Just a year after opening its doors in 2021, The Parkgate Hotel scooped the prestigious AA Hotel of the Year for Wales title. Damien gives us an inside look at the hotel’s success and shares what it takes to run a standout hospitality business. One of the hotel's big highlights is its restaurant, The Sorting Room, which has earned two AA Rosettes for its exceptional cuisine. Damien talks about how keeping things simple and consistent in everything has helped them create a dining experience that guests love. Cardiff is a city on the rise, and Damien explains how it compares to nearby places like Bristol. With major events, like international rugby matches and concerts at the nearby Principality Stadium, The Parkgate Hotel is ideally located to take advantage of the buzz and excitement. Damien also speaks about the power of collaboration. Being part of the larger Celtic Collection hospitality group means the Parkgate Hotel can access valuable support while staying committed to the local community. Damien is especially proud of their involvement in initiatives like Business in the Community, allowing them to give back to Cardiff meaningfully. When it comes to recruitment, The Parkgate Hotel and the Celtic Collection work closely with local colleges and universities to bring in fresh talent and focus on building a positive culture that encourages growth. Every year, 30-40 chefs come to train from the University of Birmingham. Finally, Damien shares his top five tips on how to build an award-winning hotel. His philosophy is one of constant improvement. His mindset? Never rest on your laurels—always aim to be better than the day before. Find links on the businesses we mention, a summary and a transcript here. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 11 Dec 2024 | Ep 53 Clare Reddington on skipping school, creativity and financial resilience at Bristol's Watershed. | 00:56:35 | |
Today I had the opportunity to chat with Clare Reddington, CEO of the Watershed in Bristol In a fascinating conversation, Clare shared how she and her team are navigating the challenges that many organisations in the visitor economy face with mounting financial pressures. We discuss the cultural cinema and events venue, which saw nearly half a million visitors last year. Established in 1982, Watershed is the UK's first media centre focusing on independent films and creative technology. Despite financial challenges, including a £75,000 National Insurance increase and rising energy costs, Watershed continues to innovate with new spaces and initiatives. We chat about:
For all links head to www.visitorelves.co.uk This episode is sponsored by Hello Starling. Hello Starling is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. They've worked with brands such as Bristol Zoo Project, Visit Shropshire, Visit Conwy, Visit Herefordshire and the National Tourism Office for Poland. If you want to be the centre of attention, visit hellostarling.com today. FREE DOWNLOAD FREE GUIDE - 6 Steps to Finding Your Ideal Customer Do you want to know who your ideal customer's are and how you can focus your time and money reaching them? Download my FREE guide now. If you have enjoyed this podcast episode, please take a moment to give me a few stars on Apple podcasts or Spotify, it helps to encourage more people to listen and learn from our stories. 🙏 | |||
| 29 Apr 2024 | EP 41 How working with the overseas travel trade could really help your business, with Jon Chamberlain and Mike Newman | 01:17:23 | |
In this podcast episode, we focus on increasing bookings from inbound travellers or overseas tourists through the travel trade. Jon has been working for 11 years to promote Bristol, Bath, and the surrounding areas as a European leisure destination. Mike helps destinations and businesses prepare their offers for the travel trade and represents them at shows worldwide. Many of us in the UK use travel agents like TUI or Jet2 for our holidays, and the rest of the world does the same. We discuss some of the questions that operators focused mainly on the domestic market may have. We cover topics including:
Moreover, we discuss the importance of viewing commission as profit, not cost, attending large European trade shows like ITB Berlin, and the success of the VisitWest's campaign, 'The England you know but better.' Lastly, our guests share their favourite places and things to do in the West. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn Connect with Jon on LinkedIn Visit West latest travel trade opportunities To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 01 Feb 2024 | Ep 35 The role of culture in Weston-super-Mare's Regeneration: conversation with Creative Director, Fiona Matthews of Super Culture 🌟 | 00:40:58 | |
Welcome to episode 35 of the Visitor Elves podcast. Today, I’m joined by Fiona Matthews, Creative Director of Super Culture, an organisation that creates cultural experiences in Weston-super-Mare. Super Culture creates large-scale events such as the annual light festival GLOW and Whirligig and works on initiatives involving the entire community. This episode will be useful for anyone interested in the arts, placemaking and destination marketing. It will also be useful to those at the top of the organisation responsible for setting the culture. Our conversation got me thinking about culture's key role in marketing a place. Fiona relayed a quote from the international artist Morag Myrescough, working on a project in Weston; she said, ‘Make happy those who are near, and those who are far will come’. Join me as I talk to Fiona about their work to put creativity and culture at the heart of Weston’s community and why culture is so important in uniting people and creating distinctiveness. Enjoy the episode. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 02 Mar 2022 | 3. Inside marketing WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire with Sammi Luxa, Sales & Marketing Manager | 00:44:29 | |
In today's episode I had the pleasure of chatting to Sammi Luxa – Sales & Marketing Manager for WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire.
For more information about Elves of the Visitor Economy, visit: http://elvesofthevisitoreconomy.co.uk. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 16 Feb 2022 | 2. Talking Bath, food and being a tour guide in this beautiful city with Mike James Owner of Savouring Bath, food tour company | 00:39:00 | |
It was an absolute pleasure chatting to Mike James at the end of 2021 for this conversation. As we all know, there is an increasing desire for experiences, where people want to immerse themselves in being hands-on, creative or indulging the senses. What better way to experience a culture than tasting its food and speaking to the passionate people who create it. Mike has been involved in the visitor economy, and the world of tour guiding for many years. I first met him when he was Chair of Cotswold Guides and running Cotswolds Ghost Tours. He is a fount of knowledge when it comes to managing and marketing tours and tour guiding. He’s also a passionate foodie and is on his way to becoming a certified Master of Cheese. Find out the value Mike places on his local Destination Marketing Organisation, as well as the exposure given to his business by third party distributors such as GetYourGuide and Tripadvisor. Plus how the VisitBritain online distribution platform TXGB, is helping make his booking processes more efficient. ** Congratulations to Mike who has been nominated for Tourism Superstar 2022 in the Visit England Awards for Excellence, in association with the Mirror. Vote for Mike before 22 March 2022. ** To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 30 Nov 2022 | 19. Running an independent, city centre guest house through challenging times with owner Carla Brooks, Brooks Guest House | 00:39:09 | |
For anyone involved in running an accommodation business in a city location over the past few years, times have been tough. Todays guest Carla Brooks Owner of the Brooks Guest Houses (in Bath and Bristol) shares some useful advice, having survived the recession of 2008. If you have ever wandered into St Nicholas Market in the centre of Bristol, and glanced up through the iron gates to the huge shiny objects glinting in the sun, that’ll be the air stream caravans on the roof of Brooks Guesthouse in Bristol. Carla shares her journey from corporate Marketing Director to owning a 22 bedroom hotel in the centre of Bath before purchasing her second guest house in Bristol. We chat about how the business has fared over the past few years, and she talks about how she feels the market will change based on her experience of surviving the market downturn in 2008. Carla has a unique view of operating a business in different cities in the West of England and the importance of DMO VisitWest to presenting the collective place that allows the area to compete on the international stage. Enjoy the episode!
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 22 Jun 2022 | 11. How to maximise business from the travel trade with Florence Wallace – VisitWiltshire & Great West Way (R) | 00:49:02 | |
In today’s podcast Kelly is joined by Florence Wallace, Head of Travel Trade at VisitWiltshire and Great West Way (R).
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 14 Feb 2024 | EP 36 Digital marketing insights and what's next for the UK's tourism industry with Jarrod Lopiccolo & Kate Sikora from digital agency Noble Performs | 00:57:14 | |
Digital marketing is constantly evolving, and it can be a challenge to keep up. I recently had a conversation with Jarrod Lopiccolo (CEO) and Kate Sikora (Managing Partner) from Noble Performs, a digital agency that specialises in travel and tourism marketing. With over 20 years of experience in the US, they established a UK agency in Bristol in 2019. Their clients include destinations like Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Cotswold Tourism, and St George's music venue in Bristol. In the visitor economy marketing industry, the US is often ahead of the UK. Therefore, talking to Noble was helpful in understanding what is coming down the line and what we need to plan for. During our conversation, we discussed the following topics:
Read the transcript and find links To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 15 Feb 2023 | 24. Meet Anselm Guise, the aristocratic trance music aficionado, turned owner of stunning country estate Elmore Court, near Gloucester. | 00:33:58 | |
Today’s podcast episode is with an aristocratic festival organiser, techno DJ and producer, who has combined his passion for entertainment with his love of the environment in his family home on the River Severn in Gloucestershire. Meet Anselm Guise, owner of Elmore Court the beautiful wedding venue and stately home just outside Gloucester. Find out how Anselm came to own Elmore Court and how over the past 10 years it has been developed from a 16th Century grand country residence into a successful wedding venue on an estate that has sustainability at its heart. Anselm is so inspiring as he shares how ten years on, he has defied all local scepticism and is going beyond the house renovations and is turning his passion for nature and sustainability into rewilding swathes of the Elmore estate. He's now spending his time working on ways to create a really sustainable, biodiverse site through regenerative farming and rewilding of the former wetlands. Talking of wetlands, looking out over the Severn Estuary will be his six luxury treehouses due to open in May 2023, all of which are being kitted out by some rather famous designers – who are also part of the family. Find out more about Anselm and Elmore Court at: https://www.elmorecourt.com https://www.instagram.com/elmorecourt/ https://www.instagram.com/rewildthings/ To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 08 Jul 2024 | EP 44 From Boomtown to Wake the Tiger - How this festival organiser created a successful visitor attraction in the heart of Bristol | 00:52:26 | |
In today's episode, my conversation with Graham MacVoy, Managing Director of the visitor attraction Wake the Tiger in Bristol, truly blew my mind. Wake the Tiger is the permanent 'baby' created by the team running the unique Boomtown festival. The pandemic has much to answer for, but it gave Graham and his directors the headspace to provide a more permanent base for their creative ideas, so the 'amazement park' Wake the Tiger was created and opened in 2022. I listened in awe in this episode as Graham revealed how his love of snowboarding led to his career running snowboarding events in Europe, which led to his owning a company that led operations at festivals such as Creamfields, BST Hyde Park, and Boomtown. Graham talked about how the Wake the Tiger was a huge punt of an idea which thankfully saw 190,000 in its first year of operations. Wake the Tiger has brought Boomtown's talent and creativity into a permanent space that blows people’s minds and challenges us to think differently and creatively to make a difference to our lives and our planet. He discusses everything from learning to run a visitor attraction to the importance of the arts and creativity in changing society. Graham is an inspiration, and his out-of-the-box thinking about how we should behave as human beings and what is important certainly left me questioning everything about life! He also talks about his love for his hometown of Dursley, Gloucestershire, on the Cotswold Way. I hope you enjoy the episode. Read the transcript here https://visitorelves.co.uk/podcast/ Learn more and follow Wake the Tiger: LinkedIn Company page To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 06 Dec 2023 | Ep 33 Setting out the ambition and plans for visitor economy of the VisitWest tourism region with Managing Director, Kathryn Davis | 00:54:14 | |
In this festive episode just before Christmas, we have a returning guest, the lovely Kathryn Davis, Managing Director of VisitWest, shedding light on the key aspects of the recently launched Destination Management Plan (DMP). The VisitWest regional area, including Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset, brings in a staggering £2 billion to the local economy each year from tourism. Proving once again the importance of our industry. In our conversation Kathryn shares:
I recorded the podcast on 2nd November 2023 a few weeks before the podcast was released so there are future references to openings such as the Bristol Beacon which have come and gone - nothing stands still in this industry! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous 2024! Further links https://www.visitwest.co.uk/about-us/destination-management-plan To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 05 Jan 2025 | EP 54 10-steps to creating your marketing strategy for your visitor attraction, experience or hospitality venue in 2025 | 00:42:32 | |
In today’s podcast, I’m going to walk you through ten steps for creating an effective marketing strategy that will help you achieve your goals in 2025 and beyond. A solid marketing strategy is crucial at any time, but 2025 is expected to be even more challenging, as rising costs may lead the public to cut back on spending for leisure luxuries. Businesses that anticipate market changes and maintain a forward-thinking approach while strategically navigating the present, are likely to perform better than those without a plan. I’ll guide you through the key points of the Visitor Elves Marketing Framework, which I implement with my clients. This framework consists of ten steps to crafting a powerful marketing strategy. My approach is grounded in years of successful experience, working with both commercial and not-for-profit organisations to drive ticket sales, bookings or increase footfall. If you are serious about creating a strategy, then you’ve got to give yourself time to do this. A marketing strategy is not a quick task; it requires a deep dive into the details. When I work with clients, we typically outline a 12-week plan to cover all aspects thoroughly, but doing this in-house, you can do this over a few days if you have your team close by. Have a listen to the podcast, then work your way through the sections in the download and plan in some workshop time. Taking this time out to plan will make a big difference to your business growth, confidence in your marketing, as well as your stress levels. For the summary and links mentioned head to: Visitor Elves website Why not download the comprehensive marketing strategy framework - 10 steps to crafting a winning Marketing Strategy for visitor attractions, experiences and hospitality businesses in 2025. This gives you all the questions and prompts to take you through to creating your own marketing strategy. If you have any questions, then head over to and find the post which will be live on the day the podcast comes out: This episode is sponsored by Hello Starling. Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. They've worked with brands such as Bristol Zoo Project, Visit Shropshire, Visit Conwy, Visit Herefordshire and the National Tourism Office for Poland. If you want to be the centre of attention, visit hellostarling.com today. If you have enjoyed this podcast episode, please take a moment to give me a few stars on Apple podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people to find it. | |||
| 08 May 2023 | 29. Marketing in the visitor economy with Kelly Ballard | 01:14:23 | |
In this final episode of Series 2, I am bringing you my story. I’m being interviewed by my Visitor Elf sidekick Shonette Laffy, Digital Marketing Manager of Visit West and fellow freelancer. Westonbirt Arboretum Other mentions in the show: Noble Performs Revo Kitchen, Weston-super-Mare To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 19 Oct 2022 | 16. Building and nurturing 'place' culture, with Philip Walker, Gloucester City Council | 00:51:04 | |
In today's episode, I chat with the man in charge of culture for the city of Gloucester, Philip Walker, Head of Cultural Services, Gloucester City Council. Culture is vitally important, it provides the vitality, sense of belonging and opportunity for us to come together and connect with things that light up our hearts. For tourists, culture is the distinction which sets a place apart from another and forms ‘the experience’. Imagine a Britain without our pubs, theatres, football, rugby, music, and beautiful historic buildings. Imagine being responsible for culture within a whole city!? My guest in today’s podcast, Phil Walker, has the responsibility of overseeing the culture of the city of Gloucester. His role is to ensure it thrives and is distinctive enough to drive inbound tourism – a big remit. Phil began his career in the visitor economy in Bristol, during that time he worked in several venues across the city including Arnolfini, Watershed and Bristol Museums. It’s not often I get to speak to someone who was involved in a massive Banksy exhibition. Do you remember the Banksy take over at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery? It was epic! Phil shares how he received that call from Banksy’s ‘people’ one day and how he almost lost his job! He's taken his amazing experience with him to Gloucester, a smaller and diverse city with similar heritage to Bristol, as a trading post based on a river. Phil and I talk about the plans for Gloucester and the importance of big events in driving footfall and bringing a city or destination together. We talk about how Gloucester is investing in its cultural sector to retain its creative talent, and the idea of giving people freedom to curate the city with their own ideas and events. We chat about why it’s important for a Council and those with power, to hand over control to young people and others involved in the creative industries, to not only give the place life and distinction but to create a sense of belonging and pride. There are some interesting insights into what it takes to drive a city’s culture. I hope you enjoy the episode. You can find Phil here: To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 07 Mar 2024 | EP 38 Behind the scenes at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Cotswolds with Simon Hough | 00:43:32 | |
If large open-air events or air shows are your thing, you'll love this episode. RIAT, which takes place in the Cotswolds every July, is the largest public engagement event for the RAF. This event has a massive £4m impact on the local economy each year and gives away £2m annually to support outreach in STEM subject learning across the country. Find out more about the Royal International Air Tattoo. Connect with Simon on LinkedIn To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 04 Oct 2023 | 30. How restaurant Urban Tandoor is smashing it on TikTok with Owner Sujith D’Almeida and TikTok Queen Nat Brereton | 00:58:55 | |
It's been a while but I'm excited to be back with my 30th episode featuring the team behind the Bristol restaurant absolutely smashing it on TikTok - Urban Tandoor. In today’s episode, I chatted with Sujith D’almeida Owner of Urban Tandoor, Bristol and TikTok queen Natalie Brereton from the agency Nonsensical. We chatted about:
Urban Tandoor is fast becoming a must-go destination restaurant in Bristol as a result of its success on social media. There is just so much to take away from this episode if you’re interested in what TikTok can do for your business. Enjoy the episode! For links to the guests, contacts and mentions go to www.visitorelves.co.uk To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 25 Oct 2023 | Ep 31 Noah's Ark Zoo Farm: An Accessible, VisitEngland Gold Award-Winning Visitor Attraction with Larry Bush | 00:50:38 | |
With one in five households having someone with an impairment or disability, it is crucial for businesses in the visitor economy to prioritise accessibility. Your consideration and awareness of this market can make or break a visitor's decision to choose your business. Supporting people with access needs has always been essential, but in recent years, more information has become available, and businesses in the visitor economy are responding more proactively than ever before. In this episode, I talk to Larry Bush, Director of Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset, one of the attractions that have been recognised for doing it particularly well, winning gold in the Visit England Award for Excellence for Accessibility and Inclusion. Noah's Ark Zoo Farm welcomes over 200,000 visitors per year, including 20,000 school children. This former family-owned dairy farm has now been turned into a charity, as the Bush family appreciates that this is more than just a family business. It is now a place for the future of wildlife education, conservation, and people. In this episode, we talk about
Links to Noahs Ark Farm, the businesses mentioned and the transcript. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 20 Sep 2024 | EP 47 Visit West Food & Drink Forum Sept 2024 | 00:24:52 | |
Welcome to Series 4 of The Visitor Elves Podcast! We’re back, and I couldn’t be more excited to kick off Series 4 of the Visitor Elves podcast. This series is packed with insightful guests, actionable tips, and real stories from those on the frontlines of tourism, hospitality, and experiences. Expect new episodes around every two weeks, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already! Starting Strong with a Visit West Collaboration I’m thrilled to launch this season with a special collaboration episode featuring Visit West—the Destination Management Organisation for Bristol, Bath, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. If you’re short on time or can’t attend industry events, this episode is perfect for catching up on what’s happening. In today’s episode, we’ve got speakers from the Food and Drink Forum that took place on 18th September, sharing ideas and opportunities that can benefit businesses across the board. Heloise Balme from Bristol Food Network, introducing their sustainability guide for hospitality as part of the Bristol Good Food 2030 programme. Louisa Jackley-Davis from Virgin Experience Days, showing how you can promote your business. Jon Chamberlain from Visit West, discussing group dining opportunities with the travel trade. Natalie Clayton from AA Media, presenting the new and free Visitor Ready assessment scheme. Dan Newman Managing Director of Hospitality Rewards, the first benefits platform for UK hospitality workers. Stay tuned, and as always—enjoy the episode! To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 31 Oct 2024 | EP 50 – Increase your corporate bookings in 2025 with Helen Applin Head of Business Events, Visit West | 00:43:57 | |
Are you looking to grow your corporate bookings in 2025? In this episode, Kelly chats with Helen Applin, Head of Business Events at Visit West, about the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) market opportunities in the Bristol, Bath, and North Somerset area. Many businesses miss out on opportunities simply because they’re unaware of the resources the convention bureau, Meet Bristol and Bath, provides. Listen to this episode to discover how you can maximise this market and how Visit West can help you. Useful links: - Gold Membership at Visit West To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 17 Jan 2024 | Ep 34 ⚽️ Sports tourism in Bristol and the exciting plans for Bristol's Ashton Gate Stadium, home of Bristol City Football Club and Bristol Bears with CEO Mark Kelly. | 00:53:59 | |
Welcome back to the first Visitor Elves episode of 2024. I hope you had a good Christmas season and your plans for 2024 are shaping up.
Enjoy the episode! To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 02 Nov 2022 | 17. Top tips for generating national PR with Fiona Reece travel PR expert | 00:40:30 | |
In today’s episode I am joined by the superb national travel PR specialist Fiona Reece, owner of Travel Tonic PR. · Coming up with interesting new ways (or hooks) to present stories · How to understand what might be of interest to a journalist or an influencer · What might make a compelling headline and how that can influence the customer experience Fiona began her career working for large international hotel chains before setting up her own agency. She has worked with huge profile clients such as Tourism Australia, New Zealand and Namibia. She has also worked with many regional clients including boutique hotel Tudor Farm House, and destination marketing organisations VisitDeanWye and VisitHerefordshire. If you are involved in marketing, and PR is something you do, or want to do, for your organisation, then you’ll love this episode. Enjoy! Find out more and contact Fiona at To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 28 Jan 2025 | EP 55 The changing face of Bristol’s city centre, students and Bristol Light Festival | 01:04:07 | |
Join Kelly Ballard as she chats with Vicky Lee, Director of Bristol City Centre BID, about the inner workings of managing Bristol’s vibrant city centre.From potential changes in the structure of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), to behind-the-scenes insights into the Bristol Light Festival 2025, this episode is packed with exciting updates and discussion about creating a more welcoming and dynamic city. Vicky shares her expertise on how BIDs work, the large area covered by Bristol City Centre BID, and upcoming projects to transform public spaces. 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Unifying the Bristol BIDs
The Bristol Light Festival
Transforming the City Centre
Vicky’s Journey and Passion for Bristol
🎧 Tune in to hear how Bristol is evolving and the exciting changes on the horizon for its city centre! | |||
| 18 Jan 2023 | 22. Growing a successful digital following for destinations with travel blogger turned in-house digital marketer Lisa Kowalkowski, Marketing Cheltenham | 00:54:03 | |
If you are interested in growing an engaged digital following, you work for, or with a destination marketing organisation, then I’m sure you’ll find this week’s episode interesting. I’m talking digital marketing with travel blogger turned in-house digital destination marketer for Marketing Cheltenham, Lisa Kowalkowski. Lisa took her story telling and digital expertise to Marketing Cheltenham in 2019 and has been instrumental in growing a significant digital audience for VisitCheltenham ever since. Cheltenham is a beautiful Georgian spa town in Gloucestershire with a population of around 117,000. It is home to one of the most famous racecourses in the world, has a food scene that is booming and an event programme that is the envy of many destinations, Today Lisa and the team at Marketing Cheltenham work with hundreds of businesses across the town, operating as a marketing agency for Cheltenham BID, as well as many others in the area. Lisa has a unique perspective, understanding the important role of influencer and content marketing for reaching residents, day visitors as well as staying visitors. We chatted about: · The benefits of being a travel blogger to promoting a destination · The content plan for VisitCheltenham that drives visitors year-round · Using Instagram stories and Facebook groups to great effect · The importance of SEO · Why it pays for a business to be proactive with the local DMO Back in 2017 I set up Marketing Cheltenham which is managed by the forward-thinking Cheltenham Borough Council. If you want to find out more about how Cheltenham transformed its working practices and created an engaged audience and stakeholder group, take a look at the case study here. Enjoy the episode! Kelly x
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 14 Dec 2022 | 20. Westonbirt Arboretum and the developments that have created a truly inspirational outdoor visitor attraction, with Sophie Nash, Programme Manager | 00:38:48 | |
In today’s podcast I chat with Sophie Nash, Programme Manager of ‘Westonbirt’. Located in the Cotswolds in the County of Gloucestershire, the Arboretum is one of the most visited pay-to-enter attractions in South West England, and is ranked amongst some of the great gardens of the world. Over the past 10 years, Westonbirt has seen considerable development taking its visitors from 300,000 to around 600,000. Westonbirt is close to my heart as I worked there for many years as Marketing Manager. We chat about where Westonbirt it is today and discuss some of the developments that have created a step change in getting closer to its mission, as well as getting closer to creating the elusive year-round visitor footfall. Sophie shares some of her suggestions for what’s important to the success of a development project, from engaging staff, to managing member and visitor expectations. She talks about the future for Westonbirt including discussion about the recently purchased land which could develop the visitor experience further. As my last podcast episode for 2022, I’d like to wish you a lovely Christmas and a healthy, happy 2023. Thanks so much for listening Enjoy the episode
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 11 May 2022 | 8. What happening in the region including Bath and Bristol with Head of Tourism Kathryn Davis – Visit West | 00:58:29 | |
In today’s episode, I chat with Kathryn Davis, Director of Tourism, Visit West and non-Exec Board member of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and UKinbound. Kathryn is a fount of all knowledge when it comes to tourism, leisure and hospitality in the west, having worked in the industry for more than 25 years. In 2018, Kathryn was presented with the award for Outstanding Achievement in Tourism at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards. In our chat, Kathryn shares how the Destination Marketing Organisations, Bath Tourism Plus and Destination Bristol were amalgamated to form Visit West and how it works today. She talks about some of the benefits of bringing the two cities together along with North and North East Somerset, and how the work they are doing is proving so popular that they are seeing a record intake of businesses joining their membership. We also discuss:
Enjoy the episode! Find out more To connect with Kathryn, you can find her on:
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 27 Nov 2024 | Ep 52 Unpacking Ski Travel: How Online Ski Company Heidi is Redefining the Slopes, with CEO Marcus Blunt | 00:47:06 | |
In a recent chat, Kelly caught up with Marcus Blunt, co-founder and CEO of Heidi, an online ski travel company based in Bristol that’s been making waves in the industry since launching in 2018. This year, they even made it onto The Times 100 list of fastest-growing companies in the UK.Marcus and his brother Alexander started Heidi to fix the headaches they faced when booking ski holidays, wanting to create an easier way for skiers to customise their trips. Despite tough times during the pandemic, Heidi has really taken off, now generating £37 million a year and recently securing £5.6 million in funding. They focus on building a great company culture and hiring the right people, which has helped them navigate challenges. Heidi stands out by offering flexible trip lengths and access to a variety of ski spots, including some hidden gems that offer better value. Marcus shared that many skiers are now looking for shorter trips, and Heidi makes that super easy. They even help with train bookings for a more sustainable and convenient travel option. Marcus also gave us his tips for the best value destinations and resorts across Europe. Looking ahead, Heidi is set to expand in the UK and explore new international opportunities. Their focus on flexibility and customer satisfaction shows they’re ready to shake up the ski travel scene. If you’re in travel and tourism, keep an eye on what Heidi does next! For the full summary and links to the episode head to: Visitor Elves website To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: This episode is sponsored by Hello Starling. Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. They've worked with brands such as Bristol Zoo Project, Visit Shropshire, Visit Conwy, Visit Herefordshire and the National Tourism Office for Poland. If you want to be the centre of attention, visit hellostarling.com today.
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| 13 Apr 2022 | 6. Managing Broadmead BID (in the centre of Bristol) with Vivienne Kennedy | 00:35:44 | |
In today’s episode I chat with the inspirational Vivienne Kennedy about her job as Head of Broadmead BID in Bristol. Viv joined the BID as a social media intern aged 47 and seven years later she is now running it! As for Viv's personal story and career in the visitor economy, Viv shares how she got to where she is today, and some of the tips she would give to her younger self. For more information on Broadmead BID, go to:
And for more on Bristol Shopping Quarter, go to
Connect with Viv on LinkedIn: To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 01 Mar 2023 | 25. You must have heard of the award winning boutique hotel Homewood Park? Listen to my conversation with Lewis Collins about what its like to work in and promote the distinctly cool Kaleidoscope Collection | 00:45:34 | |
This week I've been chatting with the fabulous Lewis Collins, Brand and Marketing manager of the Kaleidoscope collection - three award winning luxury boutique hotels in and around Bath and Wiltshire. Join me as I talk to Lewis about Kaleidoscope and how the character of the team has helped shape this distinct brand. We discuss the importance of influencer marketing and how they have seen dramatic growth in their social followers as a result of their work in this area. We also discuss the growing importance of Tik Tok as a platform for search and those wanting unique experiences recommended by their peers. Lewis is great fun and brings a fresh perspective that’s so important if we want our places to stay relevant. Place to visit: Places to eat: Find Lewis at @bishopstrowhotel If you enjoyed the episode please subscribe and review, it really helps other people to see it.
To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||
| 23 Nov 2023 | Ep 32 Insight into one of the South West's best campsite and outdoor activity centres Mendip Activity Centre, with George Combe | 00:42:23 | |
Today's podcast episode features the delightful George Combe, talking about the growth and popularity of the Mendip Activity Centre in North Somerset. Spread across 250 acres, Mendip Activity Centre is the largest independent activity centre in the West. With a dry ski slope, toboggan run, watersports on the river, rock climbing, and much more. During the pandemic, the team made the decision to open their campsite to the public, where previously it had only been accessible to schools and children's groups. The result has been over 100,000 visitors and a rapidly growing reputation for being one of the South West's best campsites. In 2022, they won silver in the South West Tourism Awards for the best campsite, and they are eagerly awaiting the results of the 2023 awards, which will no doubt be fruitful. There's a lot happening at the centre, from instructor training to a dedicated accessibility programme. Sustainability is high on their agenda as they explore more of the site with a resident ecologist. If you're interested in what it takes to run a successful outdoor active experience and campsite, then you'll love this episode. To share your views on this subject and ask questions about the episode, head over to: Hello Starling, is an award-winning Media Planning and Buying agency that specialises in delivering advertising campaigns with great results for visitor attractions and destinations. | |||