The Winter Gardens Blackpool remains at the forefront of the local and regional economy, driving significant inbound tourism whilst creating truly memorable experiences for visitors. This plan details the strategic goals of the business, facilitating growth, developing it’s people and protecting the truly unique asset we care for.

Home to an incredible history in the performing arts, world-wide acclaim inDance, amazing events, international exhibitions and community performanceswe continue to create new memorable experiences for everyone who visits.

We have much to be proud of and we have achieved a great deal in recentyears. As an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) of BlackpoolCouncil, we have significant organisational scale and reach. Since the Councilpurchased the Venue in 2010 so much has changed and we continue toevolve, develop new ideas and maximise our opportunities.

We now have a really strong sense of our vision, our mission and our values andthese are integral to everything that we do. We have the support of ourShareholder, existing audiences and partners, and we have the passion andcommitment of our team of staff and Board of Directors.

With a further £28m investment in a new, state-of-the-art conference centrewe are entering a new decade filled with opportunity to deliver even more forBlackpool, it’s residents and the resorts millions of visitors.

• In 2018, The Winter Gardens celebrated 140 years at the heart of Blackpool.

• Spanning 4.9 acres with 12 unique spaces

• The Winter Gardens Blackpool attracts over one million visitors each year.

• Economic benefit to the resort generated by events hosted at the Winter Gardens exceeds £60m

• We employ over 140 local people all year-round

• The Blackpool Dance Festival is the most prestigious event in the world’s dancing calendar attracting visitors from over 60 countries.

• The venue is now open 363 days per year.

Our overall strategy can be defined through our focus in three main areas which all combine to ensure the Winter Gardens remains at the forefront of the local and regional economy.

Our Business, Our People, Our Building

Our Business

• A vibrant and diverse programme • Sustainability • Partnerships to facilitate economic growth

Our People

• Employee development and satisfaction • Customer loyalty and satisfaction • Contribute to a thriving community

Our Building

• Protection and preservation of assets for future generations • Investment in the infrastructure • Building for the future

Maximise growth and opportunities across the business

To ensure the continued success of the Winter Gardens we must deliver a financially sustainable operation that maximises growth potential across the business for the benefit of local residents and visitors alike. We will achieve this through;

A vibrant and diverse programme

We will deliver a year-round programme of high-quality events which drive significant footfall to Blackpool through two key elements:

• Entertainment and Festivals • Along with partners, we will

present a year round programme of high quality entertainment, events and festivals that will appeal to local residents whilst also driving in-bound tourism.

• Business Tourism • Capitalise on the venues

expansion with the £28m Conference and Exhibition Centre. We will work to

• Re-establish Blackpool as a premier business tourism destination.

Partnerships

Through cohesive working partnerships, we will:

• Proactively work with partners across Blackpool to transform the perception of our town.

• Bring together assets and services to create a more integrated offer for our guests and local community e.g. Heritage day tours including Winter Gardens, Heritage Bus/Tram, Stanley Park Art Deco Lunch.

• Increase visitor numbers to support increasing investment across Blackpool for the benefit of every business across the resort.

Sustainability

We will run a financially sustainable business with a compelling offer for residents and visitors alike that maximises the use of assets, provides a significant economic impact and ensures the longevity and success of the business:

• Manage our overall costs so that we can support both community events and high-profile entertainment.

• Optimise the utilisation of our assets.

• Continually assess the economic benefit generated and identify new opportunities to maximise the impact for all resort businesses .

Creating a positive environment for our employees, our guests and our community

We know our business is all about our people, those who create memorable experiences and the guests that come to the venue seeking entertainment, inspiration and fulfilling

experiences. We will work to ensure we are a dynamic organisation that provides a befitting experience for all of our people.

Our Team

We will provide a positive environment that supports, nurtures and develops our employees to be the best that they can be:

• Continual investment in employee development.

• Create opportunities for career progression within the organisation.

• Set the highest professional standards and being an employer of choice in Blackpool.

• Celebrate our success.

Our Guests, Clients & Stakeholders

We will deliver a customer focussed business that exceeds expectations and provides memorable experiences:

• Ongoing development of the customer journey that offers the greatest possible experiences for all who visit The Winter Gardens.

• Continuously evolve our food and beverage offer so that it offers high quality, value for money served in exciting and unique venues.

• Work cohesively with stakeholders and clients towards shared goals and outcomes for the benefit of local residents and visitors alike.

Our Community

We aspire to be the beating heart of the Blackpool community, re-establishing civic pride in the Winter Gardens and wider town:

• Through outreach programmes that build engagement, aspiration and opportunity within the local community.

• Be ‘always open’ and a ‘public realm’ for all to enjoy.

• Work with local partners to grow employment, be a ‘safe haven’ for those in need, support the Winter Gardens Trust, and help raise funds for Blackpool’s wider community causes.

Preserving, protecting and developing for future generations and sustainable growth

The Winter Gardens is a truly unique asset, key to Blackpool’s continued success and re-emergence as a premier business and leisure tourist destination. With the support of our partners we will continue to protect, preserve and build for the future.

Protection and preservation

We will, with partners protect and preserve the unique asset that is the Winter Gardens, ensuring present sustainability and access for future generations

Investment & Future Development

With our shareholder, Blackpool Council and partners, we will continue to invest in the existing infrastructure whilst exploring opportunities for future development that will support the expansion

and sustainability of the business.