CITY VIBE
Animating the city centre. Attracting people. Supporting trade.
City Vibe is Sheffield BID’s investment in the energy, animation and perception of the city centre. Through events, promotions, campaigns and partnerships, City Vibe focuses on creating reasons to visit, encouraging dwell time, and showcasing the breadth and quality of what the city centre offers in support of city centre trade.
All City Vibe activity is delivered to support trading conditions and complement, not duplicate, partner activity.
Visitor promotion and city centre marketing
Sheffield BID delivers a programme of visitor‑facing promotion designed to increase awareness, footfall and engagement to support trading conditions for levy-paying businesses.
Levy payers can benefit from:
- Inclusion in BID‑led marketing and promotional campaigns
- Opportunities to feature within seasonal and thematic city centre activity
- Amplification through BID visitor communication channels
What’s On promotion and content
Sheffield BID produces a weekly What’s On e-newsletter, showcasing events, exhibitions, performances, activities and seasonal offers across the city centre.
- Distributed to thousands of subscribers
- Supported by BID visitor social media channels
- A key B2C platform for driving awareness and footfall
This service is open to organisations from all sectors where activity is public‑facing and time‑bound.
Visitor information hub and on‑street promotion
Levy payers can access BID‑owned platforms that connect directly with people already in the city centre.
Visitor Information Hub (Surrey Street)
Businesses can provide leaflets, guides and promotional materials for use within the Hub, which acts as a live city guide directing people to places to shop, eat, visit, study and do business.
Digital welcome vehicle (coming soon)
Free advertising opportunities for levy-paying businesses on the BID’s digital welcome vehicle, which operates across the city centre and attracts high pedestrian visibility.
Events, trails and activations
City Vibe includes a rolling programme of events, trails and interactive activity designed to animate streets, encourage exploration and support spend.
Businesses can:
- Act as host venues for BID‑led visitor trails and installations
- Align promotions with major festivals and events supported by Sheffield BID
- Take part in themed activity that brings new audiences into different parts of the city centre
Experiences and in‑venue activity
Sheffield BID supports levy payers to deliver experiences that add interest and distinctiveness to the city centre offer.
- BID‑supported in‑store or after‑hours experiences
- Office and business‑community engagement activity
- Bespoke promotions and campaigns developed with the BID team
These opportunities are particularly effective in connecting audiences with businesses they may not otherwise visit, supporting discovery and spend.
Business‑to‑business visibility
In addition to visitor promotion, City Vibe supports B2B visibility and connection.
- Opportunities to be featured in the BID’s corporate briefing
- Cross‑promotion of relevant B2B services, expertise or offers
- Showcase opportunities linked to city centre initiatives and partnerships
City Vibe activity also responds to demand from the growing office sector, including the animation of outdoor office spaces during the summer months. These vibrant, informal activities bring energy into working environments, enhance staff experience, helping employers and employees make better use of the city centre during the working day.
Why City Vibe matters
A lively, well‑promoted and engaging city centre supports trading, employment and investment across all sectors.
City Vibe activity helps attract people into the city, encourages exploration and spend, strengthens the city’s reputation, and supports businesses by creating conditions for growth and resilience.
By investing collectively through the BID, levy payers gain access to promotion, platforms and activity that would be difficult to deliver individually - helping Sheffield city centre remain competitive, distinctive and dynamic.
City Vibe activity is experienced first‑hand by the thousands of people who work in the city centre, with events, trails, promotions and seasonal activity enhancing staff experience, strengthening connection to place and improving the attractiveness of the city centre as a place to work.
City Vibe works best when businesses participate. Sheffield BID welcomes ideas, collaborations and activity that help bring energy, creativity and attraction to the city centre.
