Visitor Elves

Podcast by Kelly Ballard

Visitor Elves

Welcome to the Visitor Elves podcast, where I take you behind the scenes of tourism, hospitality, culture, and events in and around the West of England and Wales.

Each episode dives into the stories, insights, challenges, and victories of inspiring people and businesses shaping the industry. Our stories resonate far beyond our region, connecting listeners worldwide.

The Visitor Elves community brings together partners, future employees, suppliers, and peers across the UK, making it a must-listen for anyone in the industry!

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Latest episodes

11 December 2024

Ep 54 Clare Reddington on skipping school, creativity and financial resilience at Bristol's Watershed.

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:

An overview of the Watershed: a cultural hub that includes a cinema, cafe, events space, and the Pervasive Media Studio.
Clare's journey to the Watershed, from her background in media studies to her current role as CEO.
The Watershed's focus on collaboration and supporting creative talent through the Pervasive Media Studio.
The Playable City initiative which creates joyful, playful experiences in public spaces around the world.
Clare's tips for maintaining creativity and resilience during tough financial times.

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.

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27 November 2024

Ep 52: Unpacking Ski Travel: How Online Ski Company Heidi is Redefining the Slopes, with CEO Marcus Blunt

Send us a textIn 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 tim...

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14 November 2024

EP 51 🏛️ From Forgotten to Fabulous: The Gloucester Food Dock Story with co-owner Sarah Mansfield

Send us a textIn 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. Sarah shares her journey from running luxury trains to transforming heritage spaces, focusing on her latest project, Gloucester Food Dock. We chatted about:Sarah's background in leisure, tourism and urban redevelopment including the development of Milsom Pla...

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31 October 2024

EP 50 – Increase your corporate bookings in 2025 with Helen Applin Head of Business Events, Visit West

Send us a textAre you looking to grow your corporate bookings in 2025? Business events like meetings, conferences, and team-building activities are key revenue sources, especially during off-peak times in the visitor economy.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 ...

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17 October 2024

EP49 Behind the Scenes of Wales' AA Hotel of the Year 2024: Success Strategies from The Parkgate Hotel’s Damien Martin

Send us a textIn 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...

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03 October 2024

EP 48 Unlocking the Secrets of Effective Content Marketing with Charlotte Laing, The Content Emporium

Send us a textWelcome 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...

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