Cheadle Arts Festival – Retailer Feedback 2019

A very successful element of the Cheadle Arts Festival is the 'High Street Gallery', where the businesses in town incorporate the work of local artists in their window displays. Previous organisers have done a great job selling the concept to retailers and now there is real enthusiasm for this event.

We handed out a feedback questionnaire to a good number of retailers - apologies to those we missed - and received 29 responses so far (see below).

Learnings

Our learnings from this feedback include:

1) Work more closely with the retailers to maximise the benefits to their business e.g on social media and other tools to communicate directly with their customers. By pairing them with the most appropriate artists so that the window display works for both. By giving the retailers advance reminders so that more planning can take place. We will work closely with the Totally Locally team in 2020.

2) We now have a database of email addresses of retailers wanting to be kept in contact. Obviously there will be many changes, so we will need the support of the Totally Locally team.

3) We need to have a small team dedicated to promoting the Arts Festival, liaising with the local papers, running the social media and planning posters and banners. We need to spread the word far and wide. Would anyone like to get involved in this aspect of the 2020 Cheadle Arts Festival.

The results of the Retailer Questionnaire

Do you believe that the Arts Festival has a positive impact on any of the following?

Cheadle’s local economy Y / N
Y = 22 N= 4 NR= 3

Your business Y / N -
 Y = 16 N= 9 NR= 4

Community satisfaction Y / N
 Y = 25 N= 0 NR= 4


We are looking to increase the publicity of the festival. What did you think of this year’s publicity ?

Local paper  😊=10  😞=0 😕 Didn’t see it =19

Leaflets  😊=18  😞=4  😕Didn’t see it = 4 

Posters  😊 =12  😞=0   😕Didn’t see it =17 

Facebook page  😊=10  😞=0   😕Didn’t see it=15 

As this event grows, central co-ordination becomes more important.

• How was your experience of working with this year’s artist? 😊=28 😞=1
• Are you happy for us to place an appropriate artist with you? Y =28 (a couple said they would like artists in their family to have first shout)
• Overall, how have you found taking part this year?  😊=28  😞=1

• Are you willing to be contacted about taking part again next year? Y=28 N=1