Ilkley BID launches initiatives to support local businesses this Christmas

Ilkley BID’s Elfie Selfie Window Competition is back

This festive season, the Ilkley Business Improvement District is launching a range of campaigns and initiatives to support Ilkley businesses and to encourage people to shop, eat and drink locally.

The BID team is introducing two interactive trails around the town centre to offer fun, free activities for all the family.

The Quizmas Lyric Trail, which will run from the 1st of December through to the 1st of January 2023, is a joint initiative with the LoyalFree App with a £25 Ilkley Gift Card up for grabs.

15 businesses will display an A4 themed poster in their front window and participants are invited to test their Christmas music knowledge along the route, stopping at locations where they will be met with lyrics to famous festive songs but with some words missing. They can play along with friends and family to try and guess the missing lyrics and scan the QR codes at each location to reveal the answers.

Those who take part will be entered into a prize draw to win the Ilkley Gift Card. The more QR codes scanned, the more chances of winning!

The second augmented reality trail is available via Ilkley BID’s bespoke Discover Ilkley App from 22nd November until 31st December and participants can discover 7 Christmas characters along the route.

Both the LoyalFree and the Discover Apps are free to download via the app store or online at: www.loyalfree.co.uk/download and www.discoverilkley.co.uk.

Furthermore, due to popular demand, the Ilkley elves will be returning to hide in shop windows as part of Ilkley BID’s Elfie Selfie Window Competition. The public are invited to take a selfie with the elf in the background and to share and tag on Discover Ilkley Facebook or Instagram. All elfie selfie posts will be entered into a prize draw to win an Ilkley Gift Card.

Working with local businesses, Ilkley BID is also launching an online advent calendar on the Discover Ilkley website and social media channels to highlight the vast range of gifts which can be sourced locally. From the 1st December and every day leading up to Christmas, a new door can be opened online to showcase a business and feature Christmas gift ideas and offers.

To complement the current Christmas lights funded by Ilkley Town Council, Ilkley BID has arranged for more Christmas lights in the town centre. The existing lights on Hawksworth Street, The Grove Promenade, the Moors Shopping Centre and the Crescent Courtyard, whose installation costs were funded by the BID, were so well received by residents and businesses alike, that it was decided to extend them to include new areas Wells Road, Railway Road, Skipton Road and the Rear of the Grove.

And the team continues to promote the Ilkley Gift Card, which is now accepted in 85 businesses including restaurants, cafes, bars, retail, fashion, health & beauty, services, leisure and attraction, as the perfect Christmas present.

Lisa Drake, Project Coordinator for Ilkley BID said: “Now, more than ever, it’s really important to support our local businesses and to help keep our town and communities thriving, so we’re delighted to launch our Christmas campaigns to help spread this message and encourage local shopping.

“Our two free interactive trails provide an excellent opportunity for friends and family to spend quality time together and discover some previously unknown businesses while exploring the area, and we’re excited to welcome back our Elfie Selfie Window Competition this year after such positive feedback last Christmas.

“The advent calendar is a quirky way of showcasing the offerings of our businesses to keep the spend in town, and the Christmas lights will make Ilkley look festive and appealing which in turn will hopefully attract visitors to do their Christmas shopping here as well as keeping residents in town.”

For more information, visit: www.discoverilkley.co.uk

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