Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure presenting the report (Appendix 1) conducted into the future marketing of Gloucester that the City Council commissioned following the liquidation of Marketing Gloucester Limited (MGL) in February 2020 and the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 10^th March 2020 in relation to MGL.

RESOLVED that:

(1)  the appended report be noted and the recommendations are accepted

(2)  the Head of Culture be authorised to set out and finalise the Terms of Reference for a Gloucester Marketing Steering Board in consultation with Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure (as in 3.9(2) of the report and 6.2 of Appendix 1)

(3)  the budget identified in Appendix 2 of the report is approved for this work to commence

(4)  the response to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 10 March 2020 are as set out in paragraph 3.13 of the report.

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure that presented the report (Appendix 1) conducted into the future marketing of Gloucester that the City Council commissioned following the liquidation of Marketing Gloucester Limited (MGL) in February 2020 and the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of 10^th March 2020 in relation to MGL.

The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure thanked the author of the options report (appendix 1), Head of Cultural Services and Overview and Scrutiny Committee for what he believed to be a vital step forward from the recent problems.  He stated that the Marketing Steering Board would be essential to establishing a Gloucester brand and the importance of ensuring that its composition and consultation be as wide as possible to encompass opposition groups, businesses, communities and all residents.  The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure referred to Council Plan extension adopted at Council (6 July 2020) and reminded Members that the option to bid to become UK City of Culture in future remained open.  The Cabinet Member for Environment commented on the difficulties being experienced by outsourced marketing organisations across the country and the advantages in-house organisations had in coping with fluctuating conditions.  The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources stressed the importance of getting the best people for the Marketing Steering Board with very clear terms of reference and reporting framework as ensuring transparency was vital.  The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure advised Members that the time to act was now as there would be no second chance in what is a competitive arena with other destinations also seeking to reinvigorate their marketing. 

RESOLVED that:

(1)  the appended report be noted and the recommendations are accepted

(2)  the Head of Culture be authorised to set out and finalise the Terms of Reference for a Gloucester Marketing Steering Board in consultation with Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure (as in 3.9(2) of the report and 6.2 of Appendix 1)

(3)  the budget identified in Appendix 2 of the report is approved for this work to commence

(4)  the response to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 10 March 2020 are as set out in paragraph 3.13 of the report.