Thursday 26 June 2014

The Empire Lines Strike Back

 This summer, brace yourself for a transatlantic world record battle of bodices and breeches!


The first skirmish will take place in July when the Louisville Chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for 'The Largest Gathering of People Dressed in Regency Costumes’. The record is currently held by Bath and stands at 409 people.


But no sooner will the record be smashed (or not), than Bath will have the opportunity to re-gain its crown when it hosts its own Jane Austen Grand Regency Promenade, leaving from the Assembly Rooms on Saturday 13th September.


The Grand Promenade, which will take participants past many of the city's most iconic Georgian landmarks, is just one highlight in this year's Jane Austen Festival which promises to be the biggest in its 14 year history.













Bath - Birthplace of Destination Management?





Back in the early part of the 18th Century, Bath was the must visit destination for the fashionable classes. And at the very centre of the city, the flamboyant, self appointed Master of Ceremonies, Beau Nash, was the person who managed proceedings. It was Beau Nash who set out the rules for how society should behave; he personally greeted all visitors and was responsible for making sure that Bath remained the most desirable of leisure destinations. 

Three hundred years later, as we assess the role of destination management, it is remarkable to see the similarities between Georgian Bath and Bath today.
Beau Nash encouraged the building of attractions. The Assembly Rooms were built with his support and encouragement to host entertainment which was the 'hot ticket' of the day.

He organised events. He brought the latest musicians down from London and encouraged dancing and gambling. He created spectacles in the Pleasure Gardens.


He created programme itineraries which set out how visitors might spend their time. His fashionable promenades might be seen as the equivalent of today's walking tours.


He was very aware about the importance of marketing. He knew what would appeal to visitors and knew how to grab people's attention. And he knew that word of mouth was great publicity.


He was innovative and recognised that creating unique offers was key. He encouraged the mixing of classes in social circles which was unheard of elsewhere. In doing so, he created and maintained Bath as a 'must visit' destination of the 18th Century.


Three hundreds years on and fashions have changed. But it's interesting to see how the principles which Beau Nash used to establish a successful and thriving visitor destination are still the very same.