Inspiring horizons
Published: 28 August, 2008
Liverpool One is the most exciting urban regeneration project currently under way in Europe, so it's not at all surprising that Joanne Jennings was lured across the water from her role as chief executive of Belfast's City Centre Management Company to take on the job of chief executive at the new development.
Having spent the years following the Northern Ireland Peace Process contributing towards the economic regeneration of the capital, Jennings well understands what it takes to transform people's negative perceptions of a city.
She has gained experience in dealing with retailers and property investors in Belfast, and with a background in property consultancy, which included marketing and putting together business cases for property investment, Liverpool One was a logical next step for Jennings, who also wanted to dip her feet into the operational side of the business.
"I was chief executive at Belfast for a number of years and this opportunity married retail and operations, which I was also really keen to look at," she says, adding that she wanted to get involved in developing a marketing campaign that would rebuild Liverpool's reputation as the city to visit.
"Obviously it's had its challenges but it's a fantastic investment from Grosvenor," she adds. "It's leading edge to go for an open air scheme in a city like Liverpool."
With Liverpool taking centre stage as the 2008 European City of Culture, Grosvenor wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, so opened Phase 1 six months early to forge links between the city centre and the Albert Dock. "This year is a tremendous opportunity for us as it puts us in the spotlight so we can tap into this amazing market. Our visitor numbers have gone up while the retail sector elsewhere has been quite flat," says Jennings.
"We've been very successful in attracting people that haven't been here for some time. Liverpool itself has had a brand loyalty with the existing core, but the market around the city is up to 5 million. However, a lot of that market has tended to move towards Manchester and Chester. So what we want to do is recapture some of that potential and bring it back to Liverpool, and we're achieving good results in doing that.
"With City of Culture we're buoyed up by our tourism sector, so it's all come together."
Having started the job 12 months ago, Jennings - who last year won the All Ireland Special Award at Shopping Centre's SCEPTRE Awards ceremony - is revelling in her new role.
"Liverpool One is the largest, most exciting and forward-thinking regeneration project in the whole of Europe," she says. "In a way I could have moved anywhere for this. It just happened to be Liverpool. There's so much going for Liverpool; it's an incredibly vibrant city to be involved in. I know that I'm extremely privileged to be working here at this time."
Prior to the first phase of opening, Jennings was involved in working towards a project plan that had already been established, and in identifying other things that could make Liverpool One special. Her job, now Phase 1 is open, is to manage the scheme with the help of her team. While she is currently focusing on establishing Phase 1 within the city, Jennings is also busy preparing for the Phase 2 opening on October 1.
In addition, she's keen to build relationships with bodies such as the Association of Town Centre Managers (ATCM) and the BCSC, as well as local organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce, the local police, local politicians and BID representatives.
"I think it's important to have links with member bodies like the ATCM and BCSC because there's always an opportunity to learn from best practice," she says. "In addition to that I have very good relationships in Liverpool and there's been a very positive welcome for me here. In terms of getting the job done I find that really beneficial. Community links, or city links really, will make a huge difference to how we deliver our marketing campaigns and how we manage Liverpool One as a whole. It's great to tap into the wealth of experience in the city.
"We see ourselves very much as working with the city, because Liverpool One has the open streets and is embedded within the metropolis, so we have to work with our partners. We're working with Mersey Partnership and Liverpool Vision to see how we can assist in the process of marketing Liverpool."
Jennings is not concerned that the scheme has opened during an economic downturn. "There's been so much commitment in terms of design quality and marketing, and a huge commitment to excellence in terms of operations. I think it's reassuring that this project has been thought through to the extent that it has. Grosvenor's distinct sense of heritage and history has made me feel confident about the future for Liverpool One.
"Liverpool One is a really important project and I just can't think of anything more exciting to get involved in. I felt this was just too good an opportunity to not absolutely go for it. It really is inspiring.
"The team here, and indeed the people of Liverpool, are proud of what's been achieved at Liverpool One, and rightly so."
Despite being heavily committed to the opening of Liverpool One, in her spare time Jennings enjoys going to the gym and is also looking forward to taking up tap dancing. In addition, she returns home to Belfast frequently to meet with friends and family and was also present at the opening of Victoria Square in March. "It was a historic time for Belfast, and long overdue," she says. "I think all cities need to look at what their next steps are. We have a lot to achieve here and a lot of milestones coming up."
