LeedsBID's citywide takeover

For people that may not know, please tell us about LeedsBID and your role as Director of Brand and Innovation.

LeedsBID was officially formed by a steering group of organisations in the city in 2015, launching in April of that year. This group included a wide range of public and private sector organisations, all with the same goal of bringing a Business Improvement District (BID) to life in Leeds – at the time the only major UK city without one. The advantage of a BID within the city is to bring the independence of additional activity, enhancing the experience for workers, visitors and residents in the city centre. A BID can also create and implement new events, animations and activities to attract increased footfall and spend into the city, benefiting the economic strength of Leeds and contributing to the place-marketing of the city further afield.

My role is to lead the organisation strategically, working alongside my Co-Director for Place and Operations, Karen Butler, under our Chief Executive Andrew Cooper. I have responsibility for the creation and implementation of all the major events and animations, and directing the internal team and external resources required to deliver the annual portfolio. I am also responsible for the corporate brand and communications, identity and creation and direction of all associated brand identities with the range of projects we deliver e.g. Trivial Pursuit Leeds, Leeds International Festival of Ideas (LIFI), etc.

LeedsBID is now in its 11th year. What have been some of the highlights over this time?

I think the proudest feeling is the continued positive feedback we receive from the 1000+ levy-payers and knowing we have played our part in making the city centre more successful, more fun for people to visit and work in. The whole LeedsBID team has consistently delivered the unique and different to add chapters into the book about Leeds that no-one has done before.

Over the past 11 years, we have enjoyed many highlights and received several national awards for our work, from outdoor media awards to an international BID award in America, to the CIPR for our MONOPOLY Leeds Takeover campaign – which is all fab! But a few particular stand-out moments would include: making BBC Breakfast with Leeds Jurassic Trail back in 2022, filming at the giant Spinosaurus we put into the canal down at Granary Wharf; bringing the MOBOs to Leeds for the first time in 2015 and Stormzy telling me when we brought them back in 2017 that it was the best after-show he’d been to for a long time; and achieving a world-first by convincing Hasbro to do MONOPOLY Leeds Takeover in 2024 which saw close to 600,000 people spend £3.3m during the five-week run, and now working with them for Trivial Pursuit Leeds, starting on Sat 25 July, which promises to be huge too. All these things make me so proud of the innovation, energy and sheer hard work the whole LeedsBID team commits to everything we do for the city, and we will continue in this way for at least another 11 years!

A grandma with her two grandchildren said to me during MONOPOLY:“It’s brilliant this thing – it’s like a free theme park!” when she asked me for directions as I was walking to somewhere one day during the run. She didn’t know who I was and I didn’t tell her, but in these moments, I know we have a special role in the city and can really make a difference to people’s time in Leeds and bring direct, positive impact to the businesses in the city centre too.

You’re also the Festival Director of Leeds International Festival of Ideas, founded by LeedsBID. Please tell us more about the festival and what people can expect from this year’s programme in October?

The festival, LIFI as we know it, is a unique, metropolitan festival and is a platform for bold conversation, fresh thinking and powerful ideas. In its sixth year, we have brought some renowned names, world-leading experts, writers, commentators, activists and thought-leaders to the city – 247 in total.

LIFI is about offering education, inspiration and hope to the audience about a compelling range of social issues and subjects which matter to us all in everyday life but we are not seeing discussed openly and honestly on the mainstream media or in the digital space. We know from the audience feedback we are delivering this truly uplifting, helpful and engaging environment – a feeling that is echoed by many of our speakers.

Over the years, we have brought Carol Vorderman, Nile Rodgers, Davina McCall, Christopher Eccleston, Ruby Wax, Caitlin Moran, Kirsty Wark, Alistair Campbell, Victoria Derbyshire, Katherine Ryan, Aisling Bea, and Chuck D to name but a few.

By way of a quick highlight reel of some of the big things we’re taking on this year… we have Louis Theroux lifting the lid on how and why he does what he does; Tim Minchin on continuing and evolving creativity in a crazy world; Elizabeth Day on life, failure being OK, and how to learn from all we are afraid of; Harriet Harmen, Denise Van Outen and Judge Jules on how the world changed forever in the 90s; and Roman Kemp, joining a stellar panel on one of the most serious and frightening social issues we face today in ‘How do we talk about suicide?’.

And it’s all happening in the heart of Leeds – five days, 10 events, 46 speakers, not to be missed!

Find out more

What do you love about Leeds?

Easy answer for me, it’s the ‘Village Leeds’ vibe of everyone knowing everyone. You’re never that far from wherever you need to be and you can always find someone to help you out with whatever work challenge you need to solve. So easy to get around too on foot – nowhere is that far to walk which is a bonus as I get older, too!

What are your favourite places or things to do in Leeds?

I am really enjoying the new developments around Water Lane, Granary Wharf and that whole area of growth south of the city centre, and what positive change it is bringing in both people and physical ways.

I do like the odd trip to the Royal Armouries, as a history nerd on a personal level, and still think we’re lucky to have such a wonderful museum in Leeds.