Rotary International is a worldwide organisation of business and professional leaders, both men and women, which provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations and helps build peace and goodwill in the world.   Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

The Rotary International Convention is the most important event in the worldwide Rotary calendar.   Its purpose is to stimulate, inspire and inform all Rotarians at an international level, in order that they will be motivated to actively develop the Rotary movement and its work

From 21-24 June 2009 Birmingham will play host to the 100^th Rotary International Convention. The Convention will take place at The NEC Birmingham and up to 25,000 delegates are expected to attend.

The concept is that all Convention attendees will be encouraged to visit Birmingham city centre en masse on the Tuesday evening to experience everything the city centre has to offer, from retail to cuisine, to arts and culture and nightlife.

Therefore this is your opportunity to plan ahead and ensure you can benefit from the number of visitors we are expecting in the city centre. We will be encouraging retailers to stay open later than usual and also have special offers to encourage the Rotarians to shop!

There will also be a voucher booklet distributed to all delegates prior to the convention, if you would like to include any vouchers or offers please contact Assia Begum on 0121 616 2877.

A scheme to give parents peace of mind whilst shopping has been rolled out across Birmingham city centre in time for the half term holidays.

The Child Safe project aims to reunite lost children with their parents as quickly as possible.  Shoppers simply pick up a free wristband for their child to wear, and write their contact number in the space provided.  There is an emergency contact number - 08702 116 999 - for parents to call should they become separated, connecting to the nearest control centre where they last saw their child, who will assist in reuniting them.  Children can also approach any business with the window sticker or any Street Warden or member of the police to inform them they are lost.

Birmingham was the first city in the UK to adopt the scheme across the entire city centre area, almost 2 years ago. The scheme, now funded by Retail Birmingham, is still developing as it aims to link in with local schools.

Alan Chatham, Chair of Retail Birmingham said:  “Birmingham offers a very safe shopping environment and with measures in place such as the Street Wardens team members of the public are put at ease. 

“The Child Safe scheme is another example of this and we hope as many people as possible will make use of the free wristbands being distributed.  Birmingham is leading the way in this field and other big UK cities including Manchester and Liverpool are looking at us as an example of best practice.”

Free information leaflets and wristbands are available from a variety of outlets in the city centre including The Mailbox, Bullring, Pallasades, Centre for the Child (Central Library), Sea Life Centre, WH Smiths, and Thinktank at Millennium Point.

The city centre Street Warden team also carry wristbands and are available for advice and further information.  In the past 12 months alone they have helped reunite 42 lost children with their parents.

Retail Birmingham and the Street Wardens will be distributing information on the scheme on Friday 30th May from 1.30pm - 4.30pm at the Kiosk on High Street.

The scheme is supported by Birmingham City Centre Partnership, Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police and the Retail Crime Operation.

 For further information around the Child Safe scheme visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/childsafe or call Retail Birmingham on 0121 616 2370.

ENDS

Lisa Piddington has been recruited as our new Web Editor for our site www.stylebirmingham.co.uk

Lisa is talented, creative and renowned in the region for lifestyle PR and journalism, Lisa’s 20 year career kicked off at the tender age of 18 as a trainee reporter, covering everything from golden weddings to crime. She joined The Birmingham Post in 1995 where she held a number of senior editorial positions, including five years as Travel Editor, Editor of Post Style magazine and Assistant Editor. In 2004 and as a new mum, she decided to leave the hectic newsroom behind and launched a PR and Feature Writing consultancy specialising in lifestyle, fashion and beauty. Over the last few years her clients have included Harvey Nichols, the Radisson SAS hotel and Birmingham’s Jazz Festival. She has also developed and ran MBA and BSc Business Communication courses at The University of Birmingham.

The CACI Retail Footprint 2008 has confirmed Birmingham’s ranking as a shopping capital, with in excess of £2 billion being spent in the city’s shops in the last 12 months, an increase of £90 million from 2007.

Alan Chatham, Chair of Retail Birmingham said:  “Birmingham deserves its ranking as the best outside London.  We have 1,000 shops in the city centre alone, including everything from designer labels and high street fashion to homeware, gifts and jewellery, and everything in between.  There are also 100 independent retailers in the city centre, making Birmingham’s shopping offer really stand out from other towns, cities and retail parks.

“The fact that the sector has seen such significant growth at a time when consumers have been becoming increasingly cautious is extremely encouraging, and Birmingham has actually enjoyed almost double the growth of London’s West End in the last year.

“Retail Birmingham was formed to manage the new Business Improvement District (BID) which went live last year.  The core objectives of the BID are to improve street operations, business support and marketing, in order to help businesses to thrive, attract more people to shop in the city and to enhance the experience for those who already do so.

“Initiatives such as the street wardens, new shopping guide to Birmingham, and high profile events such as Style in the City have all had an impact and we will continue to work with the retailers to build on the successes of the last year to maintain the city’s position as the best shopping destination in the UK outside London for years to come.”

Start preparing your entry for The National Retail Interiors Awards now!

Over the last decade, the Retail Interiors Awards have consistently proved their worth, with almost every major name in UK retailing, and beyond, entering their best stores annually.

Retail Week have once again launched the 2008 Retail Interiors Awards, this year they have more categories up for grabs with the introduction of three new categories Green Store of the Year, Retail Destination of the Year and Best In-store Catering and Hospitality.

So, if you think that the design of your store demonstrates innovation, quality and success and you want your efforts recognised by your peers, make sure you enter the Retail Interiors Awards 2008.

You can enter by visiting www.retailinteriorsawards.co.uk

The UK’s newest style extravaganza took over the whole of Birmingham city centre for three days, with a packed programme of activities across the city centre attracting a staggering 9,200 visitors from as far a field as London, Brighton, Manchester, Wales and Ireland. 

A 2,000m² theatre was erected in Centenary Square and was home to five sell-out catwalk shows a day hosted by international star Kelly Osbourne, while TV favourites Trinny and Susannah presented their first ever Style Academy in St. Martin’s Square with four shows each day and not a spare seat to be found.

The influx of visitors resulted in an increase in footfall to the city centre of 120% on Friday, 90% on Saturday and 178% on Sunday, spelling excellent news for businesses.

Retailers including Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, House of Fraser, Disorder, Puma, Limeys, Adidas, Joy, The Mailbox, Bullring and many others all held their own events.  Many retailers reported increases by as much as 100% in sales on the first day, compared to an average Friday and House of Fraser also reported a 90% increase in sales in its restaurant over the weekend.  

The Birmingham Post Oasis at Pavilions was transformed into a haven for those who love to be pampered.  10,000 fingernails were manicured, 1,000 women had their hair styled by Toni & Guy, and the same number received makeovers from MAC and consultations from sk:n. 

In the Centenary Square exhibition area tens of thousands of Chambord champagne cocktails were given out and low fat ice-cream producer Skinny Cow gave away more than 8,000 free frozen treats to visitors over the three days, while more than 1,000 people entered the Littlewoodsdirect.com model search as part of the Trinny and Susannah Style Academy.

The presence of top designers Betty Jackson and Osman Yousefzada as well as Vogue editor Emily Zak at Selfridges, along with entertainment from a Cirgue du Soleil style aerial trapeze act helped to tot up 3,000 canapes, 2,000 cocktails, 500 free makeovers, 100 free blow drys and 150 style lunches just in one store!

Complimentary executive coaches transported visitors around the city to ensure everyone got the most out of their style experience, and Jaguar ran a chauffer service for Platinum Pass holders.

Nigel Godfrey, Retail Birmingham Business Manager said:  “We’re thrilled that so many people came to experience Style in the City, to meet some of their favourite celebrities, see top designers showcasing their collections on the catwalk and to receive style tips from experts in every field.

“Retail Birmingham and Marketing Birmingham worked closely with Brand Events to stage the show and the city really did itself proud.  Visitors came from all around the UK, many on their first visit to Birmingham and commenting that they will extend their stay next year as there is so much to see and do here.   

“Our aim is to keep Birmingham firmly on the style map and with 1,000 shops to choose from, shopping centres, designer stores, high street brands, elegant Victorian shopping arcades and 100 individual shops, there’s plenty to shout about, and after this weekend almost 10,000 more people know that too.

“In fact the event even attracted international visitors, with a competition winner travelling all the way from Australia with 24 hours notice to meet her idols Trinny and Susannah.  Ange Stevens has been following the style gurus for years and couldn’t miss the opportunity to meet them in the flesh, even though she had to give up her job and pay for her own flights to be here!”

Style in the City will become an annual event and following the success of the weekend looks set to grow year on year.

Kevin Breese, Retail Birmingham Board Member said:  “Retail Birmingham was set up in April last year to improve the trading environment for 1,000 shops in the city centre, providing business support, street operations and marketing activities.  Retailers in the city have shared the vision to stage an event to celebrate style and fashion in Birmingham for several years and the establishment of Retail Birmingham meant that this could become a reality.  We invested much time and effort into identifying appropriate partners and planning exactly how our big idea could become a reality. 

“We are delighted that Style in the City has now been born and it’s thanks to the hard work and dedication of Birmingham’s retailers that it happened.  I’d like to congratulate everyone who took part and thank everyone who came along to help make it such a huge success.  Birmingham is a serious style capital and Style in the City has enabled us to share that with people the length and breadth of the country.  We look forward to an even bigger and better event next year.”

Motivation is key to getting fit, and with the best of intentions many a new year’s resolution fall by the wayside within the first month because we simply can’t motivate ourselves.

Style Birmingham knows that looking good means feeling good and there is an excellent choice of sportswear available in the city to help encourage you to get back into the gym.

New store Up & Running opened recently on Bennetts Hill, offering professional footwear, clothing and accessories and with the city’s scenic canal network providing the perfect route for your daily jog, the store is right at home in Birmingham.  Up & Running is also becoming a hub for information on local running clubs, events and routes.

Stella McCartney is the most recent designer to put her name to a big brand.  Her very own line for Adidas is available at the Birmingham New Street store and is guaranteed to turn heads in the changing rooms for all the right reasons!

The Gloves on Gloucester Street is really packing a punch with its specialist range of sportswear and leisure items, specialising in boxing, self defence and martial arts and the expert team can also provide advice and information on how to get involved with local clubs and training programmes. 

So now you know how to get the look, but exercise can be so boring.  Visit the Apple shop at Bullring and treat yourself to an ipod Shuffle.  Small but perfectly formed and great value for money, you can clip it on to your clothes while you’re on the treadmill or out and about running al fresco.

With lifestyle being the key word here, sports brands and stores are now also now branching out to design streetwear, try the Puma store on New Street to get the look.

It doesn’t have to just be about exercise either.  Bullring, Selfridges and the Pavilions all have their own juice bars so you can stop for healthy refreshments while you shop, which is exercise in itself isn’t it?  Count it towards your five a day and you will instantly feel pleased with yourself.

If you find it tough to get motivated it’s important to reward yourself when you do exercise, and with many gyms now offering spas and beauty treatments you can have a much deserved pampering session. 

And when you’re fit, well dressed, and well pampered, round it all off with a healthy meal at one of Birmingham’s many restaurants where you can find food from 27 different countries around the globe.

For inspiration visit http://www.stylebirmingham.com/.

This is the first time a city centre shopping guide has been created for the city and has been very positively received by the users. The guide is available ‘free of charge’ in all city centre hotels and tourist information offices.

shopping-guide.pdf

Hosted by Heart FM DJ Steve Denyer the evening was a huge success.

Singer Ray Quinn, who shot to fame last year on the X Factor, entertained guests with a set that had evryone tapping their feet while 300 of the city’s retailers and media enjoyed Tapas food at the glittering ceremony.

Guests received an exclusive ‘Style Awards Goody Bag’ and danced away until the early hours at the After Show party.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Birmingham’s Best High Street Retailer : Topshop

Birmingham’s Best Overall Shopping Venue : Bullring

Birmingham’s Best Style Accessories Retailer : Harvey Nichols

Birmingham’s Best Style on a Budget : H&M

Birmingham’s Most Stylish Venue : Malmaison

Birmingham’s Most Stylish Designer Retailer : Harvey Nichols

Birmingham’s Best Lifestyle Offer : Malmaison

Birmingham’s Best Homestyle Offer : Habitat

Birmingham’s Most Stylish Personality : Jamelia

Birmingham’s Most Stylish Independent Retailer : Autograph

Most Stylish Female : Amandeep Sandhu, age 23 from Solihull

Most Stylish Male : Carl Winsper, age 25 from Stourbridge