Two new websites are set to promote Monmouthshire’s many and varied offerings to a much wider audience.
The websites, launched on July 1st by adventa, Monmouthshire’s EU-funded rural development programme, provide the county’s rural businesses and festival organisers with a state of the art, integrated approach to marketing.
“The sites – www.madeinmonmouthshire.com and www.festivalsinmonmouthshire.co.uk – are easy to find on the internet and really user-friendly,” said adventa’s Tourism Innovation Officer Becky Hughes.
The new system enables ‘Made in Monmouthshire’ artists, craft-makers, food producers and festival organisers to change and update their own web pages.
It also offers unlimited cross-marketing opportunities because, at the click of a button, they can add to their page any news items and the full information of any other business or event on the network, rather than just a hyperlink.
It means that someone visiting the sites for information about a future event or an artist or food producer can also find out about local accommodation, places to eat and so on.
Another big advantage is that every time new information is added to a page it is automatically updated wherever it appears on the network.
For Made in Monmouthshire a key feature is the capacity to include many more, good quality photographs of local food and craft products.
“The idea is to raise the profile of our excellent artists, makers and producers outside the county and help to increase their sales. It will also be a useful tool for the hospitality sector in sourcing local foods and wines,” said Becky.
adventa’s Festivals and Events Co-ordinator Louise McGuinness added: “The aim of the new websites is to give visitors the whole Monmouthshire experience.
“The system creates a ‘web’ in the true sense – and the more people that are connected to the network, the bigger and better it becomes. “
Visitors to the festivals site will be able to buy tickets for all local events online. It will be particularly helpful for the organisers of smaller events who haven’t previously been able to offer this facility.
The websites were officially launched at a networking event at Chepstow Racecourse last Thursday (July 1st), attended by makers, producers, festival organisers and invited guests. The evening included a series of workshops organised by adventa on topics such as policing a festival and making use of social networking sites.
adventa’s programme to support rural development and add value to local products, has received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and from Monmouthshire County Council.
