Tourism and hospitality leaders are urging revellers to support nightclubs, bars and restaurants in Coventry after a major nightclub in the city closed its doors.
JJ’s Nightclub hosted its final party this month, shutting its doors after 20 years being at the heart of the night-time economy in the city.
Visit Coventry, Coventry BID and West Midlands Combined Authority have all urged customers to support the city’s diverse nightlife offer, whether that is theatres, restaurants, bars or nightclubs.
A new campaign has been launched by Visit Coventry, in collaboration with Coventry BID and venues across the city, to support and promote Coventry’s offer to evening visitors.
The campaign will see investment in a vast marketing push to highlight nightlife in the city and also see the creation of new digital tools to help people plan their perfect night out.
A dedicated space has been created on the Visit Coventry website and plans are in place to work with a range of social media influencers to inspire decisions on where to go for a night out in Coventry.
Paul Jones, Managing Director of Visit Coventry, says nationally the night-time economy has struggled to recover since the pandemic, and has been impacted by rising energy prices and the cost-of-living.
“It’s always a sad day when a venue in the city has to close its doors, but the pressures on the night-time economy across the UK are increasing and that is no different here in Coventry,” he said.
“Bars, clubs, theatres and restaurants took a big hit in the pandemic, and for nightclubs they were the last businesses able to re-open. This, coupled with rising energy bills in the hospitality sector and customers having less money to spend due to the cost-of-living crisis, has heaped pressure on the sector.
“But evening leisure and hospitality venues are a vital part of the city’s economy and we are doing all we can at Visit Coventry to help promote this offer.
“Whether it’s date night, drinks with friends, or a big party night out, there are so many options in our city to enjoy a great night. We have a really diverse and exciting nightlife and that is something that we should all want to support and protect.”
Alex Claridge, Night-Time Economy Advisor for the West Midlands Combined Authority, added: “With each and every closure, we’re reminded of the fragile state of our night-time economy businesses; each individual business loss is a symptom of a far wider and complex set of problems.
“The loss reverberates across Coventry and its customers, but wider across the whole West Midlands region where many businesses are rapidly facing the same challenges.
“Coventry is, like so much of our region, absolutely and irrevocably on the way up – and continues to establish itself as a modern, dynamic place to work, live and visit – but it is imperative that we as a region take action to ensure the businesses that make these places so, are protected and supported.
“For customers who are fortunate enough to be in a position to, I urge you to continue your support and patronage of your favourite venues who need that community support more than ever.”
Joanne Glover, Coventry BID Manager, said: “In addition to working with Destination Coventry on a nightlife marketing campaign, we are also working with Coventry City Council to implement Ask for Angela training and are continuing to roll out the Best Bar None scheme.
“Coventry BID is currently offering a range of training opportunities in order to support venue owners and upskill teams who are enthusiastic about their work within the night-time economy sector. We are passionate in our approach and aspire for Coventry to emerge as one of the safest and most vibrant places to visit within the region.”
Visit Coventry is part of Destination Coventry – the destination management organisation for Coventry.
To discover nights out in Coventry and find out more about Visit Coventry’s work to support the businesses visit www.visitcoventry.co.uk/nightlife