An insight into the planning and processes of our town centre events.

The recent Food Fest was hugely successful and saw a lot of new visitors flock to the town over the two-day event.

I have personally visited several businesses to gain feedback on takings over the weekend and generally how they feel about this and other events we run in the town.

Many businesses saw increased takings over the weekend and the majority agreed that events like this play a crucial role in fostering community spirit, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing the overall quality of life in Hitchin Town Centre.

These events are also aimed at showcasing our town, they give people a reason to come that may not normally and encourage return visits that promotes a sustained boost to the economy longer term.

Clearly these indirect benefits are a hard one to quantify and we recognise that some may not understand this strategy.

Town Centre businesses take priority when running events in the town. We work hard to find a balance between what the public want whilst maximising the benefit to businesses.

We have a wide range of measures and opportunities in place for all our events and encourage all businesses to utilise the increased footfall by way of business promotions.

The Food Fest is no exception and we worked hard to book in eateries in our taster tent, offered discount stalls, installed directional signage to other areas of the town and put our Eat Maps of Hitchin on stalls.

These events attract visitors, both local and tourists, which can significantly boost local businesses. The increased vibrancy and desirability of Hitchin town centre due to events had played a crucial role in maintaining a vacancy rate of 1.9%, a quarter of the national average.

They create a positive image and identity for the community and can build a reputation for the town as a vibrant, welcoming, and progressive place to live and visit.

These events are not just entertainment, they are vital for the economic, social, cultural, and communal well-being of a community. They bring people together, stimulate economic growth, and create a sense of place and identity that can be a source of pride for residents.

Visit Hitchin is proud to be investing in and supporting events in town centres which have a lasting positive impact on the community.

The Visit Hitchin team work incredibly hard putting months of planning into these events.

We review, adapt, and change them year on year to cater for the town centre needs and using feedback from the local residents and local businesses.

We are always open to new ideas and welcome your comments, suggestions and indeed participation.

If you have feedback we can use for our 2024 events calendar, please email events@hitchinherts.com.