Council to host ‘virtual’ Christmas festival

BRIDGEND Council will host a virtual Christmas festival this year to support local businesses and replace events that were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) is offering business owners the chance to promote their products while shoppers will be encouraged to enter various competitions with prizes including a message from Father Christmas.

The council’s cabinet member for communities Richard Young said the festival will support local businesses and enable residents “to participate in some of the magic and excitement of Christmas”.

“With shops reopening after the firebreak lockdown, we want to do everything we can to support retailers subject to Welsh Government restrictions,” he said.

As part of the initiative, traders will be able to promote their products on a web page and App designed to attract local shoppers.

A competition will be held for customers who use the app to win golden tickets granting them a message from Father Christmas. Other planned events include a virtual flight through Santa’s grotto and virtual meet-and-greets with Santa’s reindeer.

The ‘Digital Christmas Festival’, which is being organised by BCBC in partnership with south Walesbased marketing company EPM Creative, will run from November 14 to January 5.

It will replace the council’s annual Christmas lights event, which was cancelled earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Businesses who wish to take part can register at EPM Creative’s web page, which will automatically list them on the ‘Digital Christmas’ website as well as their local town centre App.

The festival will focus on Porthcawl, Maesteg and Bridgend but businesses throughout Bridgend County Borough can get involved.

Independence Alliance group leader Councillor Norah Clarke said the online festival is “a great initiative” and “businesses should be promoted as much as possible during the festive season”.

She added: “Businesses have suffered this year so much through having to close during lockdowns and many are finding it very difficult to keep going especially with all the disruption.”

The Nottage representative also suggested the council could work with local radio station Bridge FM to promote businesses over the Christmas period.

Paul Whittaker of EPM Creative said the company is “very excited” to be working on the event.

He added: “We hope that this will increase footfall for the participating towns as well as go some way to replace the events that would have happened in each town but are unattainable due to the current circumstances.”