The AL Christmas Wrap Up!
The team at AL had a busy festive season, bringing immersive and magical experiences to destinations across the UK.
This year’s diverse line up of Christmas events revealed some key festive trends…
- Santa Paws is more popular than ever! More destinations are embracing dog friendly Santa experiences. Our client The Harvey Centre invited dogs to visit their grottos on selected days and Vicar Lane promoted their grotto as pooch friendly.
- Giving back at Christmas. Christmas is a time of giving and centres want to reflect this in their campaigns through charity initiatives. The Harvey Centre set up a Christmas jumper swap shop where people could pick up a festive sweater for free. The Darwin launched a heartwarming campaign to collect toys for children in need over Christmas – Santa even got involved by helping to wrap them. The Galleria and Castle Quay hosted charity gift wrapping, spreading joy and generosity.
- Roaming characters are a big hit with young and old! At Stockley Park, a festive fair was arranged for occupiers of the business park to enjoy on their lunch break – the highlight was the roaming gingerbread men who got everyone in the festive spirit taking selfies. At The Brunswick’s magical White Christmas event families were amazed by the animatronic polar bear. The Grinch, festive roller skaters and stilt walkers also captivated audiences across a number of destinations.
- Transforming vacant units into magical Christmas experiences. Vicar Lane transformed one of their empty units into a Winter Wonderland grotto. They used another vacant unit to create a Christmas Workshop where they hosted an array of festive children’s workshops. A vacant unit at Castle Quay was transformed into a Winter Wishland where families could meet Santa and write their letters.
- Creating a festive atmosphere with local performers. The Galleria had a full programme of buskers, choirs and talented musicians and Broad Street Mall invited local choirs to spread festive cheer, providing free entertainment and the opportunity to highlight local talent.
These festive trends highlight the importance of creating inclusive, memorable, and community-focused experiences. Looking ahead, we predict an even greater emphasis on pet-friendly events, creating heartwarming charity initiatives, utilising vacant spaces creatively, and using local talent to generate magical experiences for everyone.
