What BID Does

Marketing & Communication:

The work we carry out under the umbrella of marketing is varied with the objective of promoting and acting in the best interests of our members. Some examples of this work are:

• This website which includes a business directory of all BID members and provides them with an individual web page to promote themselves.
• Our annual events programme features events such as the Classic Vehicle Show, the Great Easter Egg Hunt and the Elf on the Shelf Hunt.  As well as advertising these events, we regularly advertise the City Centre to cruise liners and tour operators who visit the area to draw people into the City Centre. This is additional to specific business marketing.
• Our Eat & Drink Guide promotes all relevant businesses within the BID area.
• We work with other stakeholders, such as the Highland Council, to create an environment where businesses can flourish and operate successfully.
• Social Media – The BID Facebook Page with over 27k followers is regularly updated with BID activities as well as being used to promote individual BID businesses.  In addition we are also active on Instagram and Tik Tok
• Our BID Ambassador Janice Worthing is a well known face on the streets of Inverness and is always happy to help both businesses and the public.

We have strong relations with local media partners MFR and Highland News Media.

Lorraine Bremner-McBride, Inverness BID Director, writes a monthly Business Comment in the Inverness Courier representing the interests of all BID members.

Business Development:

In terms of business development we fulfil a number of roles. The most important of these is to represent and champion the Inverness business district and the businesses within it. This is done in a number of ways:

• We develop and strengthen relationships with other stakeholders, especially the Highland Council to work in partnership as much as possible to achieve the best outcomes.
• As much as possible we promote Inverness City Centre as a destination in its own right and aim to bring significant economic value to the business district.

BID is a strong voice representing the interests of Inverness BID members and we are continuously working on behalf of  city centre stakeholders

Safe Inverness:

John McDonald is our BID Community Safety Officer and he is involved in a number of important initiatives such as:

• Data sharing with Police Scotland to combat anti-social behaviour such as shoplifting and drug abuse with the City Centre.

• Inverness Pub Watch & The Best Bar None Awards Scheme, which promotes responsible licensees throughout the night time economy.

• The City Centre Task Team, which operates during busy periods to ensure that anti-social behaviour, is kept to a minimum and to give extra reassurance to retailers during this important time.

To get in touch with Safe Inverness please contact John McDonald – email john@invernessbid.co.uk