20% for BE card holders (until end of June 2012).

Full price 1st appointment 2 hours £60, follow on appointments 1 hour £40

For more info on Acupuncture in Solihull click here

I Brow

The Brow lounge
House of Fraser

The new luxury bar exclusive to House of Fraser.
10% off for BE card holders from 21st May to 4th June

10% Discount

For more info on East click here

10% discount to all card holders

For more info on The Little Bag Company click here

10% discount (excluding sale items) for BE cardholders

For more info on Crystal Chain click here

Organised by Solihull Business Improvement District (BID) with support from the legendary Jim Simpson from Big Bear Music, probably the oldest independent record label in the UK; the weekend kicks off with a launch party on the outdoor terrace by Jubilee Gardens, at the back of Touchwood, from 5pm on Friday 1^st June. Perfect to get the weekend started! A special stage is being built and there will be bands performing all evening – and plenty of Pimms, bubbly and real ale.

A second stage will open in Mell Square from Saturday morning (June 2^nd) and names performing across the two stages during the festival include some of the hottest names on the jazz and blues circuit including the Fabulous Boogie Boys; Val Wiseman Quartet, holder of the British Jazz Award for Best Vocalist; the Roy Forbes Quartet; The Brian Newton Big Band; Tipitina – the country’s leading New Orleans-style jazz and blues band…and the fabulously-named Ricky Cool and Hoola Boola Boys who count music legend Robert Plant amongst their fans!

Also on the Saturday, the infectious honky-tonk sound of Mardis Gras will fill the town as a New Orleans-style processional band, followed by dancers and colourful characters, creates a carnival feel in the High Street. The procession will also include stilt walkers, flamenco dancers, Bhangra dancers and some brilliant Jitterbug performers.

The whole town plans to get into the spirit of the event. As well as the two performance stages, in Mell Square and Jubilee Gardens, there will also be a jazz band outside the front of O’Neills pub…and the ultimate tribute band, the Royal Blues Brothers, will be performing live at the Ramada Hotel as part of their special jazz and blues week.

There will also be jazz-inspired art and refreshments in the Whitewall gallery in House of Fraser; a special VIP jazz event in Drury Lane; Waterstones on the High Street will have plenty of jazz related books and posters and you will even be able to buy a Jubilee Jazz Sandwich designed by the Fat Sandwich Company!

And the party will continue into Tuesday 5^th June as Solihull Council hosts a Jubilee Street Party in Library Square with bunting, entertainment and refreshments for the whole family.

Shirley Sturzaker, Director of Solihull BID said: “It’s going to be an amazing weekend. There’s no sound that says summer is here more than a foot-tapping jazz band and nothing quite as relaxing as listening to the wistful lyrics of a blues singer.

“We are lucky to have some of the most-accomplished jazz and blues performers in the country taking to the stage in Solihull across the weekend and, if you add in the Mardi Gras-style procession and Jubilee Street Party, it promises to be a fabulous event for the whole family.”

Jim Simpson, owner of Big Bear Music, added: “The programme of performers presents the good-time side of jazz and blues. Solihull BID have created an event that will have an entertainment appeal way beyond the music fraternity. The jazz will swing; the blues will be rocking and rolling, and all with only one thing in mind – having fun in the sun with some of the country’s finest musicians.”

TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PROGRAMME click here. For more information on the Solihull Jazz and Blues Festival, keep visiting Solihullbid.co.uk or follow Visit Solihull on Facebook and Twitter.

]]> http://www.solihullbid.co.uk/2012/03/jazz-and-blues-festival-1st-4th-june-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.solihullbid.co.uk/2012/03/vip-spring-campaign/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vip-spring-campaign http://www.solihullbid.co.uk/2012/03/vip-spring-campaign/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:30:37 +0000 dswordsmith http://www.solihullbid.co.uk/?p=2103 Solihull has launched a bold and vibrant international marketing campaign designed to woo international visitors looking for the perfect base for their UK trip.

The campaign highlights Solihull’s natural assets such as the town’s outstanding central location; unparalleled transport links; designer brand shopping and world class leisure facilities; encouraging travellers to make it their base for a longer visit to the UK including day trips to places like Stratford upon Avon and London.

 ‘Discover Solihull – gateway to a great getaway’ is part of a wider ‘VIP’ spring campaign by Solihull Business Improvement District (BID) that is helping to raise the profile of the town amongst both domestic and international travellers. The campaign was launched with a visit to the town by a group of influential US travel trade journalists and appearances at two major travel trade shows.

20,000 campaign packs have been printed and were handed out to travel trade professionals at International Confex in London and the Best of Britain and Ireland show, this week, at The NEC. A familiarisation trip was organised, in partnership with colleagues at Marketing Birmingham, on Thursday 15^th March, for a group of American travel trade professionals, who were given a presentation about Solihull and visited the town centre, LG Arena and NEC as well as some of Solihull’s idyllic rural villages to see the just how much Solihull has to offer visitors.

Shirley Sturzaker, Director of Solihull BID, said: “Opportunities like these are invaluable to help us spread the Solihull message to international travellers. The campaign reflects the town’s reputation as the home of designer-brand shopping, idyllic rural villages, fine dining, fabulous hotels and spectacular live events – but also highlights that Solihull is a natural base from which to travel to other parts of the country too.

“We know that this message resonates with international tourists who want to be able to pack a lot into a week or two in the UK and so we’re offering them Solihull as the ideal location for their trip.”

Jennifer Young, Head of Visitor Experience for Marketing Birmingham, added: “The visit went really well. We were able to do much more than just tell the journalists what a great place Solihull is to visit; we were able to show them. Their feedback was really positive and is a great example of what we can achieve for both Birmingham and Solihull by working together.”

The international campaign will continue throughout 2012 with Solihull making regular appearances at major international travel trade shows across Europe, the UK and the USA and in media coverage about the region.  

20% when dining in the BHS Restaurant

Not in conjunction with any other offer

15% discount for BE card holders dining in only

Or

£9.95 for one starter and one main meal plus rice or naan, dining in only

Not in conjunction with any other offer.

(excludes mix and prawn tandoori see in restaurant for  exclusions)

For more info on Shades of Raj click here

2 meals for £8 from selected menu 5pm Monday to Sunday

For more info on O’Neill’s click here