MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCILAgenda Item 5

EXECUTIVE REPORT

Report Title: Orange Pip Market – Moving ForwardDeputy Mayor / Executive Member for Regeneration: Charlie Rooney Executive Director for Neighbourhood and Communities: Kevin ParkesDate: 24 January 2017

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1. This report provides Executive with an update on the successful delivery of Orange Pip Market since its launch in May 2016 and the ambitions for further development in the 2017 calendar year.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

2. It is recommended that the Executive:

a) notes the continued success of Orange Pip Market.

IF THIS IS A KEY DECISION WHICH KEY DECISION TEST APPLIES?

3. It is over the financial threshold (£150,000)It has a significant impact on 2 or more wardsNon Key X

DECISION IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE

4. For the purposes of the scrutiny call in procedure this report is

Non-urgent XUrgent report

If urgent please give full reasons

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BACKGROUND AND EXTERNAL CONSULTATION3. Building upon the successful regeneration of Baker and Bedford Street(s),

Middlesbrough Council introduced Orange Pip Market; a monthly artisan food and beverage market. The aims of the market were to:

i. enhance the current and future town centre offer and augment the trade of existing businesses;

ii. energise and animate the town centre;iii. increase economically-active footfall and develop a sense of community;iv. introduce specialist foods increasing the breadth and diversity of

Middlesbrough’s multicultural offer; and,v. enhance both cultural production and cultural consumption, within the

Tees Valley.

Launch4. Launching (solely) on Baker Street in May 2016, the inaugural market attracted an

estimated 3,000 visitors. Opening to the public between midday and 7pm, the programme for the launch included four live music acts, performing at key intervals throughout the day, giving all visitors a chance to engage with at least one performance.

5. In support of the artisan food traders, the live music and arts workshops proved to be an immediate hit. This format was quickly established as a template for subsequent markets, lending the event a celebratory atmosphere which has become hugely popular with the public. (See appendix 1)

Success 6. Following the market launch, a large volume of positive feedback has been received

from traders, surrounding businesses, artists and visitors. (See appendix 2)

7. Since May, Orange Pip Market’s following has grown exponentially seeing numbers of visitors increase to an estimated 5,000 in June and a huge increase in July, where visitor numbers grew to an estimated 8,000.

8. A major expansion opportunity presented itself following the unprecedented attendance at July market. Following an urgent assessment of feasibility, it was quickly concluded that the market should be expanded to allow for greater visitor capacity. As such, the August market was configured to expand over both Baker and Bedford street(s). Bedford street would be more orientated towards family activities and, to this end, the arts workshops and family entertainment were stationed there; along with additional trader capacity.

Estimated visitor attendances at a glance:May – 3,000June – 5,000July – 8,000August – 8,000September – 5,000 *poor weather forced the closure of Bedford Street

to traders.October – 6,000November – 5,000

Sub total: 40,000

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9. Most recent Tees Valley research (2011) using the STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Model) indicated that the average day visitor spend in the local economy was £25.38. On this basis, and extrapolated against the visitor numbers above. The local economic impact can be multiplied out as C. £1,015,200 (at 2011 prices).

10.The Christmas market was scheduled to be the biggest yet and had attracted significant interest. Unfortunately, extremely high winds created a potential safety issue which simply could not be risked.

Social Media & Marketing11.Given the nature of Orange Pip Market, it is heavily reliant upon engagement via digital

media. A strong following has since developed on the website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms.

i. Social media engagement statistics as at November 2016 are:ii. Instagram - 1,741 followersiii. Twitter – 1,078 followersiv. Facebook – is far and away the most successful social media stream for

Orange Pip with the site boasting a current total of 6,038 likes.

12.By way of comparison, Middlesbrough Council’s (long-standing) twitter page has 634 followers.Wider Impact

13.Early feedback is extremely positive with some business owners in the area reporting uplift in (like for like) sales by as much as 120%. Anecdotally, it is evident that, on market days, incumbent businesses boom in all local retail, food and beverage establishments.

14.The development of Orange Pip Market has created a tangible buzz around Middlesbrough, helping to foster the notion that the town is on the up. The market has attracted significant media coverage and has been championed by local and regional news outlets. Perceptions have changed about Middlesbrough, not least amongst the traders.

15.The market has been pivotal in changing the perceptions of Middlesbrough. The event has demonstrated that Middlesbrough’s residents are economically active and are willing to pay a premium for quality produce, especially when hosted in a friendly and sociable atmosphere. New local ventures are taking this on board and adapting their offers to be more specialist and artisan.

Moving Forward

16.The forthcoming markets for 2017 are in various stages of development and positive experiences of early markets / word of mouth means that there is now over-subscribed waiting lists for both live entertainment and traders to participate. Social media highlights that the autumn markets are much anticipated by the public. When the Christmas Eve special was originally announced, there was huge interest with over 2,300 likes, 5,600 post clicks and a reach of over 49,000; giving an increase of 775% on the most previously successful post.

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17.A range of promotional merchandising will be also be introduced for sale from Christmas. Requests for merchandise have been growing steadily and a range of items such as art prints, notebooks, mugs, sticker packs, tea towels and tote bags will be available for sale in the coming weeks, through the website and Facebook.

18.A Winter hiatus is planned for January and February which will avoid the worst of the seasonal weather. It will also provide much-needed time to further develop the market; engaging new, original traders and allowing time to research and build links with contemporary high-quality creative practitioners. The strong Brand of Orange Pip is integral to its success to date. This brand along with marketing and merchandise opportunities will be further explored prior to the 2017 relaunch. This will help to ensure that Orange Pip Market’s reputation for novelty and quality is reinforced. In addition to this, opportunities for appropriate expansion will be assessed for viability and value. This could include expansion on to the adjacent Linthorpe Road and Albert Road areas.

19.Similarly, funding opportunities will be assessed to link the market with appropriate bodies such as the Arts Council. Orange Pip market lends itself to wider public engagements in the arts and associated activities. This is an excellent engagement tool to support grow in participation in the arts. As such, it is considered appropriate that an alliance is formed in terms of arts engagement and the event. This potentially opens up additional funding opportunities.

Conclusion

20.Orange Pip Market has been wholly embraced by the people of Middlesbrough and numerous visitors to the town. The market has quickly become a staple of the town events calendar and has been celebrated in local and regional news pieces.

21.Perhaps most importantly, Orange Pip Market seems to be emblematic of the heightened sense of confidence and optimism which is sweeping across Middlesbrough. It is breaking down negative perceptions, long-standing barriers and is clearly demonstrating that there is an, as yet untapped, disposable income and an appetite for quality, within Middlesbrough.

22.Local businesses have enjoyed the uplift in trade. The brand and ethos of Orange Pip market is having a pervasive ripple-effect across the area, inspiring new investments such as the nearby ‘Fork in the Road’ and ‘the Dovecot’ which have attempted to emulate the style and sophistication championed by the success of Baker and Bedford Street and the Orange Pip Market. The area is enjoying a genuine renaissance and will only improve as complementary plans for public poetry and market expansion are delivered.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT (IA)

23.This update is not judged to present any equality and diversity issues.

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FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND WARD IMPLICATIONS

24.The budget for the delivery of Orange Pip Market during 2017 has been provisionally planned as:

Staffing Costs £46,200Equipment, Hired and Contracted Services £32,800Attractions and Entertainment £31,000Brand Development £5,000

Total Budget £113,000

25.As part of the council’s Strategic Plan in November 2016, the Executive have recently approved the allocation for the delivery of the Orange Pip Market as part of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP).

26.Orange Pip Market operates in the Central ward, albeit its benefits are permeating town-wide.

RECOMMENDATIONS

27.It is recommended that the Executive:

a) notes the continued success of Orange Pip Market.

REASONS

28.The recommendations are made on the basis that the Council is continually seeking to explore ways to work with private businesses for the economic benefit of the town overall.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

29.No background papers were used in the preparation of this report.

CONTACT: Nicky Peacock TEL NO: 01642 729264

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Appendix 1

Creative practitioners featured at market launch in May 2016

Levantes Dance Theatre - performance artists who brought convivial element to the day.

Twitching Tales - operated a larger-than-life white stag puppet.

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Textile artist, Christina Hesford - weaving demonstration on a vintage loom, invited market-goers to learn new techniques and created a participatory finished piece of work.

Jean and Morag, Tea Ladies - veteran performance artists on the festival scene.

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Dr Twist’s Photographarium - live Victorian photo booth and costume department.

The Culture Cart - mobile print workshop that invited visitors to produce of woodcut prints, and one off screen printed items.

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Appendix 2

Testimonials

The market was a masterpiece and great to see so many people enjoying themselves and having a great time! It was so well publicised - I saw it all over Saltburn on Friday! and I also think that the graphics were outstanding! Terry Wilkinson (Tea Ladies), visiting artist

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for Saturday. What a fantastic day! You and the team did a magnificent job organising the kind of event Middlesbrough has been crying out for. We are thrilled to be part of it and can’t wait for June 25. Julie Martin (Pie Jackers), trader

Fabulous street food, brilliant micro pubs and people enjoying each other's company. A highly recommended respite. Andy McDonald (Labour MP for the Middlesbrough constituency, via Twitter)

What an absolute triumph the Orange Pip Market was yesterday. We thoroughly enjoyed all the wonderful stalls offering gorgeous food and drinks, the live music throughout the day and the top notch atmosphere. People of all ages were enjoying themselves and to top it off, the sun came out. Bravo! The people who are behind putting on such a first class market in the centre of town should be very proud, they have really invested in this, and it will definitely pay off.

Concept is an independent family-ran business of nearly 20 years, so we completely understand how important it is to support local homegrown businesses, therefore we wish you the best of luck Orange Pip Market, along with Baker Street & Bedford Street, and you’re putting Middlesbrough back on the map for all the right reasons. Sophie Rowney (Concept Co-Director), visitor and local business owner

Last weekend, we attended the second Orange pip market as street food traders (Frizza). We would just like to put on record our sincere thanks for everything you and your team did leading up to the event and on the day itself. We have attended many events like this and the organisation at this one was better than any other we have traded at.We couldn't have asked for anything else before the event as every potential question was answered before we could ask it. The bigger plus though, was the helpfulness and approach of the event staff on the day. On numerous occasions, we were asked if we needed any help and all this was done with them all wearing the biggest smiles!

All of our staff are locally born and bred and to be able to be a part of the event gave us a great sense of pride. It was amazing to see the town standing tall and showing the rest of the area how to do it in style.

Thanks to you and the team again, long may the Orange Pip continue and we hope to see you in the future. Tony & Danny Bailes (Owners, Frizza), trader

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