Update from Sally Everton - Director
3rd August 2021
Visit Devon’s Director Sally Everton has been busy continuing to drive promotion of Devon as a county and keeping tourism industry up to date with everything that is happening nationally.
In July, Sally has been working on the following:
- Submit recruitment crisis paper to be discussed at South West MP's meeting on July 2nd
- Prepare and pre record with NHS CCG / Michael Caines - Spotlight and ITV Westcountry for week commencing 5th July 2021
- Did 1 hour mid morning show on R Devon re summer, vaccines and tourism and hospitality
- Prepare and Talk Radio interview re vaccines and tourism and hospitality
- Attend the Business Breakfast at Devon County Show - met with Simon Jupp MP to air seriousness of recruitment crisis across the sector
- Met with the CLA Business Advisory - DCS over diversity in farming into tourism
- Attend Recruitment and retention task and finish group meeting re the issues facing the sector
- Complete and return DMO Funding final Evaluation Forms to Visit England
- Research media content for restuarants with rooms across Devon - Visit England PR Team
- GWR partner agreement confirmation - liase with Ruth Powell and signed off - Prepare detail for input at HEROG meeting - on behalf of Devon & the GSW Tourism Group (LEP led - now monthly)
- SWTA meetings with regional DMOS/DCMS and continued work on the GSW Recovery plan (fortnightly)
- HotSWLEP working group meetings - prepare input (fortnightly)
- Exeter Visitor Recovery Group meetings - give industry update from DCMS/Government and SWTPG activity (monthly)
- Devon Vineyard tours - Evening Standard via Tamara Hanson, journalist. Submit content
- Various meetings this month with NHS CCG and Public Health England alongside other DMO's aross the region
- Visit Devon Board Meeting
- Recruitment campaign, co-ordinate, plan and work with RH targeting young people to fill seasonal vacancies
- Meeting DCC to secure funding for campaign - success!
- Co-ordinate content and the running of campaign with Paul Ridgers - RH
- Phase 2 of the vaccine programme for young people in hospitality - The Big Sheep, The Tiverton Hotel and RockFish
- Client meetings - Buckfast/and SD
- DATA meeting with Anne Blackham re the £2K that they have for us and what they require for that. Tile.
- Meeting with Vince Flower as the Visit Devon new Chair - understanding my role (at Coffinswell)
- NHS request to look at messaging with RNLI and visitors to avoid A&E and to work with 111 or manned beaches
- Write Visit Devon holding statement re staff shortages and service levels
- Input and prepare presentation for the GSWTP Forward to 2030 for the APPG - meeting with AH and ET
- Present at APPG and input into the meeting
- Look at ENJOY DEVON SAFELY and ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY visitor messaging with DCC and Ignyte
- Analyse top line business impact survey in readiness for DCMS/VE presentation
- Sky News - Dan Whitehead story on recruitment and the 'Pingdemic' affecting businesses, passed onto Carolyn Custerson at the ERBID for Torbay
- Prepare and present the GSWTP 'Forward to 2030' with AH and ET to DCMS and Visit England
- BBC Spotlight - on increased numbers for Staycation at start of school holidays with stats and value
- Follow up on a daily basis with general admin from members enquires, non members enquiries, journalist requests, image requests etc.
- Attend Safe re-opening of Beaches and Tourism Task Force Group - feed back the challenges facing the sector to be fed back into the national group and up central government
- Share with the wider HEROG Group the NHS CCG vaccination programme - rolled out to wider network
- BBC feature for CBBC Newsround on 'how to go rock pooling' on Devon beaches to tie in with National Marine Week aimed at 6 -12 year olds
- Organise filming for Exmouth and participants - submit to BBC newsround editors