Our Grey Lynn Urban Centre strategy is nearing completion with the board receiving a briefing from First Retail at its monthly meeting.
The highly intertwined nature of community and business is a distinguishing characteristic of Grey Lynn and the strategy developed by First Retail Group is about to be rolled out to in mid- August. Exact venue, date and place will be announced very shortly. All businesses in the Grey Lynn Urban Centre are welcome as is the community. It has been a real privilege to work with First Retail Group and to gain global strategic insight into best practice in urban centre design, retailing trends and what absolutely fabulous looks like. As with every strategy, it’s about implementation now and we’d really welcome the best minds, the best designers, the best practical hands to really get this rejuvenation going.
Yes, the environment we are in may be challenging but real leaders accept those challenges and get on and invent their own futures. In this case we have had a lot of help from the best strategist in the game but remember we own the pitch and determine where the goal posts are and ultimately the final score.
At a recent networking function at Whitespace Gallery, the point was made that it’s about making the Grey Lynn Urban Centre greater than the various component parts as they exist today. An example of how this might work is developing a collaborative arts trail through the 17 plus galleries within close proximity of Arch Hill and K'Road. As we have been told repeatedly Wellington is the arts capital of New Zealand. Well we’d like to really challenge that; after all we are a super Queen’s city.
While we are working on the overarching implementation of the strategy we also have some business as usual stuff going on. Part of this is our very successful spring seminar series to be held at Pocketbar on Friday mornings from 7.30am to 8.30am If you belong to GLBA the seminar series is free - for non members there’s a very nominal charge of $30 for each session. The programme is detailed below commencing on Friday 31 August. To register email info@glba.co.nz
31 August - Marketing Strategy
Andrea Fowler Director & Veronica of Lemonade Design Ltd
Branding awareness, Entrepreneurship and Leadership development. Marketing Strategy and advertising.
7 September - Expertise in Search Engine Marketing
Rebecca Caroe, Specialist from Creative Agency Services Tactical offers digital marketing insight framed around a practical methodology which listeners find easy to understand. An expert in search engine marketing and direct response copywriting, her focus on practical digital marketing suits SME businesses.
14 September - Safety in Your Business
Representative from NZ Police
Key competencies from this - appreciate why reporting incidents is important; understanding your duty of care; how can retailers and others be more aware of and better informed about what’s happening in the 'hood'.
21 September - Social Media
Jef Kay Director of Easy Social Media
Content is king! Hear how to create engaging content. How to define your audience, and to create images, video and messaging.
28 September - Bullying & Harassment @ Work
Jan Eggleton, Hardcases
Definitions & Examples
Understanding the consequences; Confronting harassment and discrimination; Does your business have policies/procedures?
5 October - Pure SEO
Kyle Marr and James Warren
Cranking up your website to grow your business online presence.
With the announcement of redevelopment along Quay Street and the waterfront, there’s a growing concern that the cycleways projects are on the 'back burner'. Indicative of that is the fact there have been no CLG meetings for nearly three months; the overall AT project manager, who GLBA really backed as a 'class' administrator, has been moved on and even minor remedial work such removing one of those orange security barriers left pushed over on the berm cannot be attended to.
There is no doubt that leaving bus stops hard up against pedestrian crossings is plainly and simply an accident waiting to happen. One of the very strong themes coming from the strategy is the absolute critical nature of appropriate and plentiful customer parking right throughout the GL Urban Centre. Public transport systems are disjointed, it’s too far to walk and you can’t bike. In the immediate term the car is critical to the survival and prosperity of the area. Admittedly, it might be an EV but they too need somewhere to charge.
Looking forward to the roll out of the GL Urban Centre strategy mid- August and our spring seminar series beginning on 31 August. For more information go to www.glba.co.nz