Teamwork pays dividends for Liverpool during Waterfront festival

Date: 18 May 2011

Liverpool civic leaders have paid tribute to businesses and events organisers who supported the Spring on the Waterfront festival at the end of last month as Albert Dock footfall figures are released.

The Albert Dock, the centre point of the festival, has reported a huge increase on the same period for last year while projected hotel figures are also said to be very encouraging.

Cllr Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool City Council, said that everyone involved in putting on the festival deserved great credit.

More than 40 organisations from the city’s private sector and marine community joined the City Council and Liverpool Vision to salvage a waterfront programme in the wake of the Liverpool Boat Show being pulled.

They included the Albert Dock Company, National Museums Liverpool, British Waterways, Liverpool One, Liverpool Marina, Liverpool Yacht Club, the Chamber of Commerce, Neptune Developments, The Mersey Partnership and the emergency services.

Cllr Anderson said: “Back in February when the inaugural Liverpool Boat Show was cancelled we were facing a wash out during these two important weekends for the visitor economy, but through sheer determination and huge cooperation between public agencies and private businesses, a quality programme was created.”

Albert Dock’s footfall counter showed a 60 per cent increase on the opening weekend of Spring on the Waterfront with a 48 per cent uplift for the overall period from 29th April - 8th May, in comparison to the same period last year.

Sue Grindrod, Chair, Albert Dock Liverpool, said: “Congratulations to the City Council and Liverpool Vision for having created this event, which was a fantastic showcase for our heritage site.”

And Jeremy Roberts, Chair of the Albert Dock Tenants Association, said: "The City did a great job making the event happen after the Boat Show cancellation and the Dock tenants benefited from this. The figures show the impact the event had and we look forward to the other 'On the Waterfront' events particularly the River Festival in September."

Early indications for hotel bookings are also very encouraging with room bookings around Spring on the Waterfront event recovering to the same level they were before the Boat Show was cancelled.

Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, who led the team who delivered the Spring on the Waterfront event, said: “Although we are still waiting confirmation of the final figures, what we do know is that at the end of March, forward bookings for the first of the Spring on the Waterfront weekends were looking very positive at 81 per cent and the second weekend at 62 per cent and we expect the final figures to be higher still.

“It just goes to show that Liverpool is a ‘can do’ city that can deliver important events at short notice that many can benefit from and all can enjoy. This event was the first of several this year and we were determined that Liverpool was going to put on a show.

“I have no doubt that the centenary of the Liver Building in July and the River Festival in September will also capture the public’s imagination here and across the UK and Europe.”

For further information please contact Jonathan Caswell at Liverpool Vision on 0151 600 2946 / 07515 999 422 or jcaswell@liverpoolvision.co.uk

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