Exciting Times Ahead for Northwich
Summary
Business Improvement District Manager Nikki is on a mission to support businesses in Northwich to be successful and help Northwich become the leading market town for Cheshire (and beyond!).
Nikki Halliday was appointed as Northwich Business Improvement District Project Manager in October 2023.
Born in Cheshire, Nikki grew up in Cumbria and has lived in Northwich for the last 14 years. As BID Manager, Nikki is working to support local businesses, with the aim of helping them to be successful, whilst raising the profile of Northwich both regionally and nationally. With an impressive career track record, she brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm.
As she settles into her role, we recently caught up with Nikki to find out more about her and ask what we should look out for in Northwich over the coming months.
So Nikki – tell us about your background and some of your previous roles.
I lived in Cumbria until I was 20, before studying and working abroad for a couple of years. Since then I’ve settled in Manchester and more recently Northwich, working in a variety of marketing and event management roles, including a prominent role in promoting the Manchester Commonwealth Games and delivering the UKs largest Food and Drink Festival in Bolton. For the last 19 years I’ve worked for Bolton Council.
What have been your first impressions of Northwich?
Really positive. As a resident of Northwich I always felt there was a lot of great work and events taking place and the town has a huge amount to offer. I’m delighted to be joining the BID at a really exciting time. The BID team has done an amazing job in recent years, supporting local businesses during some really challenging times.
Although I’ve lived in Northwich for the last 14 years I’ve worked in Bolton (and Manchester before that) and I think there are lots of similarities around the challenges facing the different areas. I think this has helped me feel like home and settle quickly into my new role. For example, they both provide access to fantastic food, drink and shops, all within walking distance, as well as having lots of wide-open spaces, great history and fabulous waterways.
Northwich has some of the best live music around and is a great place for a night out with family and friends.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Like everywhere, I’ve seen the impact that a recession and COVID has had on the town.
In previous roles I’ve developed and delivered nationally recognised events, brands and campaigns that have had a significant impact on the visitor economy and inward investment. I’ve already started going out to meet local business owners to understand what I can do to help. I am really looking forward to using my skills and experience to support local businesses to continue to grow and to develop Northwich to becoming the leading market town for Cheshire (and beyond!).
As an avid gig goer, I’m also looking forward to watching more bands play in the town’s many unique venues. Northwich has some of the best live music around and is a great place for a night out with family and friends.
Many of our iconic events are returning this year and promise to be even bigger and better than ever.
What can we look forward to seeing in Northwich over the coming months?
It’s going to be a busy first year for me, and a final year for the current BID (2) term. As well as day to day liaison with businesses to support them and help in any way I can, I’ll be working with the wider sustainable business team to engage with businesses about our third term business proposal.
All businesses in the BID area will get their chance to decide if they want the BID to continue for a further 5 years via a vote (which opens this week from 11th April!). So my focus over the next 5 weeks is to make sure every business has received their ballot paper and that they return it before the ballot closes on 9th May!
Hopefully a ‘Yes’ vote will help us secure an additional £1.5m+ added value investment into the town over the next five years. This will help us really focus on the things that matter to businesses, from enhanced work with Northwich Against Business Crime, to delivering new, innovative events and activities. All of this will certainly keep me busy, but the work for the current BID doesn’t stop either. Many of our iconic events are returning this year and promise to be even bigger and better than ever.
Our live, outdoor events programme kicks off at the end of April with the unique Now Northwich, international arts festival. The theme for this year is ‘expect the unexpected’ so it’s going to be visually stunning. And, of course, I’m in the throes of planning the fabulous Pina Colada Festival – who wouldn’t want to work somewhere that has an event named after a cocktail? Add in a RiverFestival, an Arts Festival (both supported via marketing and comms through the BID) and the family favourite ‘Christmas Extravaganza’ (delivered jointly with Northwich Town Council) and there’s so much to look forward to.
I’m also working with the business community to support events and activities that profile some of our fantastic spaces and places and highlight Northwich as a welcoming and inclusive town which is really important.
It’s a really exciting time for Northwich and if you haven’t been before, or you haven’t been for a while, it’s well worth planning a visit for shopping, leisure or just a great night out.
Find out more about Northwich Bid.
