BOOKING IS NOW CLOSED.
We are delighted to present Moray's Town Centres Summit.
Town centres are at the heart of our communities that we live in. They provide opportunities for employment, housing, visitors, and spaces for businesses to grow. The make up of a town centre has changed over the years and whilst we are all guilty of thinking back with nostalgia, now is the time to move forward and plan for the here and now and beyond.
Moray Chamber of Commerce, with support from Moray Council, is hosting Moray’s Town Centres Summit in Elgin Town Hall on Thursday 4th May. On this day we will bring together businesses, public sector, and community groups to consult with, educate and update on the future of Moray’s Town Centres. We will bring people together, to encourage new ideas and to share best practice.
We’ve a great day lined up with a variety of speakers, interesting break-out sessions and a networking lunch provided by Johnstons of Elgin.
There will be the opportunity to visually engage with the proposed Local Development Plans, hear about the Moray Growth Deal and feedback on Town Centre Improvement Plans and other regional initiatives.
Community groups are a crucial part of our Town Centres, and we will hear from a local organisation who will share best practice and share how working together has encouraged growth and influenced positive change.
Our private sector businesses also play a crucial role in our Town Centres. We will hear from Ewen Mackintosh, Gordon & MacPhail who will share the perspective of the local business community.
The day will have exhibitors from business support services from across the region for you to connect with and the event will be closed with an open Question & Answer session with leaders of some of these organisations.
Spaces are free but we do have a capacity limit so reserve your space early to avoid disappointment.
At the booking stage, see below, you will be asked to choose three breakout sessions. We will endeavour to give you your top two choices to attend on the day. Capacity limits may mean that you are allocated your reserve choice.
We are pleased to offer the following break-out sessions at Moray’s Town Centre Summit:
Session 1) Being Ready to Welcome Visitors – Facilitated by Visit Moray Speyside
Trends in tourism are constantly changing and even more so post-pandemic. This workshop will be looking at ways in which you can help your business encourage more visitors, looking at current trends in the tourism sector and the do’s and don’ts that will help you attract certain markets.
Session 2) What Do Young People think of the Town Centres? - Facilitated by Developing the Young Workforce in Moray
What would encourage young people to spend time and money locally? And how can we retain them in our Town Centres? These are some of the questions being addressed during DYW Moray’s workshop. In addition to the team presenting key findings from young people, statistics and data around their movement in Moray, you will have the opportunity to speak directly to young people about their views on Moray and put your questions directly to them.
Session 3) Shaping the Future of Moray’s Main Town Centre - Facilitated by Elgin BID
An interactive session, where participants will have the opportunity to help create a blueprint, of our town centre’s Unique Selling Points where all can, Live , Work and Play. In this session, we will look to discuss the great amenities and facilities we hold, whilst identifying the gaps. From this we will look to create steppingstones to solutions.
Session 4) Keeping Money in Moray - Facilitated by Moray Council
Moray Council is rethinking the way it spends, employs, and supports the local economy. Through promoting public contract opportunities to local suppliers and providing support in the preparation of tenders, we want to grow local spend and retain more money here in Moray. We are working with public partners organisations to boost apprenticeship numbers in Moray to help grow our own future workforce and keep the best and brightest talent in the local area. Initiatives like ‘Moray Loves Local’ aims to boost local business and raise awareness about the benefits of shopping local. Join us for a short session to learn more about this new economic development approach and explore how it can help support town centre businesses.
Session 5) Living Local & a 20-Minute Neighbourhood – Facilitated by Moray Council
A 20 minute neighbourhood is a place where people can meet the majority of their daily needs within a reasonable distance of their home, preferably by walking, wheeling, cycling or public transport with the aim of supporting local living. This workshop provides the opportunity for participants to set out what they think the key elements of a 20 minute neighbourhood are and what is needed to support local living in Moray, acknowledging that this will vary for different towns. This can include supporting the redevelopment of vacant properties for residential and commercial uses within town centres, higher densities for new development, co-location of public sector organisations, better active travel routes and connections and so on. The workshop will complement the engagement currently being undertaken with communities and other public and private sector bodies by the Council to develop a local approach for Moray which will be reflected in the new Local Development Plan (LDP).
Session 6) How Can the Public Sector Support Town Centre Decarbonisation? – Facilitated by HIE, Business Energy Scotland & Moray Council
Town centres will play a critical role if Scotland is going to meet its legal target of ending our contribution to global climate change no later than 2045. Join this session to hear about some of the support which is currently available to businesses, and to discuss where more help might be needed.
Do you have a business in one of Moray's Town Centres or looking to have? Please complete this survey: CLICK HERE
Below you will see the draft agenda for the Summit, with the booking form below.
