Vicinity and Beyond is your gateway to the latest trends in place management, innovative technologies, and insider insights. Whether you're a place manager looking to enhance your community engagement or simply curious about the future of places, our podcast brings you expert interviews, cutting-edge solutions, and industry news that will keep you ahead of the curve. Join us as we explore the dynamic world of place-making and beyond!
Working Smarter: How AI Is Helping BIDs Get More Done
Host Henry explores how AI assistants streamline BID operations, starting with data organization and showcasing real-world examples of AI's impact on efficiency.
30 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Tables Have Turned: How AI Is Becoming Your New Virtual Assistant
Host Henry Davies interviews Julie Smith about how AI evolves into a virtual assistant, offering real time-savings for businesses.
7 May 2026TRANSCRIPT
S2.03 Visitor Levy UK: What the Tourist Tax Means for Hotels & Business Costs
Julie and Henry unpack the proposed Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax UK) and what it could really mean for businesses, hotels, and local economies. Often framed as “just £2 a night,” we go beyond the headlines to explore the true cost of the visitor levy, from administrative burden and compliance risks to its wider impact on pricing, demand, and competitiveness. Is this a smart way to fund local areas, or a policy that could unintentionally hit the very businesses it relies on? We also examine how t...
26 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
S2.02 Business Rates Cliff Edge and the Role of BIDs (Part 2)
In this second and final part of our deep dive, Julie and Henry move from explanation to reality, unpacking what the 2026 business rates revaluation actually means on the ground for BIDs, councils and local economies. With many areas expecting value increases of 10–15%, the headline might suggest growth, but the real story is more complex. As costs rise across the board, we explore the growing gap between potential income on paper and income you can actually collect, and why business surviva...
25 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
S2.01 Business Rates & the 2026 Revaluation: Who’s Feeling the Pain? (Part 1)
In this first of a two-part deep dive, Julie and Henry explore what the 2026 business rates revaluation really means for high street businesses. From rateable value hikes hitting pubs, shops and hotels - to transitional reliefs and tiered multipliers - we unpack the shifting tax burden and ask: is this the start of a fairer system, or just pain deferred? We also look at the early impacts for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs): are levies going up or down, and what happens when previously ...
11 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT
13. Season finale (Part 3): The Future of BIDs – Who Speaks for the Industry?
We end Podcast in Person with the big one: Who is the voice of the BID industry? In this thought-provoking finale, Julie and Henry tackle the question of leadership, representation, and what’s next for the UK’s BID movement. From AI and e-voting to levy fatigue and the future of governance, it’s a fast-paced, and a hopeful close to Season One. 🎯 Includes quickfire predictions, open-mic reflections, and a glimpse at what Season Two could bring. #BIDs #Leadership #FutureOfWork #PlaceManagemen...
5 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT
12. Season Finale (part 2): It's Question Time
It’s Question Time - live from Podcast in Person! Dr Julie Grail and Henry Jinman face real questions from BID leaders across the UK on everything from business rates reform and local authority cuts to collaboration, “bad BIDs,” and the future of the industry. 💡 Featuring insights from: Stephen Manion • Nicola Grant • Sophie Alexander • Fran Inman • Steve Bluff • Allison Herbert and more. If you’re in place management or local policy, this is 100% unmissable. #BIDs #PlaceManagement #LocalG...
21 Oct 2025
11. Season Finale — “Spaceships, Statutory Duties & the BID Bingo Year”
🚀 “Every episode is basically Henry trying to build a spaceship out of BID levies… and Julie gently reminding him he needs planning permission first.” Season One of Vicinity and Beyond! has been quite a ride. From self-billing and service creep to evidence-based decision-making and whether our podcast needs a CPD code (!), we’ve laughed, debated and reflected on the evolving role of Business Improvement Districts. In this special live-recorded episode, we take stock of the season, the sector ...
4 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT
10. ABIDs - victims of their own success?
In this episode of Vicinity and Beyond, Henry Jinman and Dr. Julie Grail dive into a fast-evolving issue: Are Accommodation BIDs (ABIDs) becoming victims of their own success? We explore: ✅ Comments and updates since our last episode—especially Liverpool’s shift in model ✅ Practical advice for placemakers and BIDs considering ABID models ✅ The tricky question: could ABIDs pave the way for city-wide tourist taxes that ultimately make them obsolete? 📌 Key questions we tackle: – What’s happene...
1 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT
09. UK BIDs - is it time for electronic voting?
Dr. Julie Grail and Henry Jinman examine electronic voting for UK Business Improvement Districts, revealing the potential impact of digital transformation and current legal limitations in this interview episode.
2 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT
VOICES: Placemaking across borders with Rachel Braithwaite (OBIAA)
Rachel Braithwaite of OBIAA discusses placemaking, governance, and business engagement, highlighting the differences and similarities between the UK and Canada in an interview with the host.
2 May 2025
07. ABIDs – Mission Drift or Natural Evolution?
With talk of tourist taxes heating up in the UK, Vicinity and Beyond dives into one of the most important debates in the place management and visitor economy world: Are Accommodation BIDs (ABIDs) a natural step forward—or a step too far? In this episode, we explore: 🏨 Where ABIDs came from – how Manchester pioneered the UK model 💰 How ABIDs differ from traditional BIDs – rateable value levies vs. per-night visitor charges 🗳 Why some ABID ballots fail (or fail to get started) – les...
24 Apr 2025
06. Welcome to the BID board – a guide for new and existing BID board members
Welcome to this special bonus episode of Vicinity and Beyond, your go-to podcast for place management professionals. In this briefing, we’re highlighting key areas of focus for new BID Board members and offering a practical refresher for the seasoned pros. Being on a BID Board is a privilege—and a responsibility. This episode is packed with guidance to help you thrive in your role, including: ✅ What makes a BID successful ✅ The statutory duties and responsibilities you now hold ✅ ...
28 Mar 2025
05. What makes a good BID? (Part 3) Evidence based decisions.
How do we make evidence based decisions? What makes a Business Improvement District truly successful? In this episode, we explore how to measure the impact of a BID, looking beyond tick-box compliance to real-world value for levy-payers. Henry Jinman plays the role of a BID manager pitching projects to Dr Julie Grail. Will he get any approved? ✅ Real project examples and how to evaluate their success ✅ How to track ROI and engagement using tools like Vicinity ✅ Challenges for smaller...
27 Feb 2025TRANSCRIPT
04. What makes a good BID? Good governance. (Part 2)
Podcast 4 - What is Good Governance? 🎧 A well-run Business Improvement District (BID) depends on strong governance—but what does that mean in practice? In this episode, we explore the key standards, legal obligations, and best practices for BID governance. 🔍 Topics include: ✔ The 11 governance standards recommended by The BID Foundation ✔ The role & legal duties of BID Directors ✔ Transparency, financial accountability & conflict management ✔ Common governance mistakes & how to av...
13 Feb 2025TRANSCRIPT
03. What makes a good BID? (Part 1)
What separates a successful Business Improvement District (BID) from an ineffective one? 🔍 Topics include: ✔ The core characteristics of a strong BID ✔ Challenges & criticisms of BIDs—and how to address them ✔ The impact of data, communication & transparency ✔ How Vicinity CRM helps BIDs engage businesses & improve outcomes If you're involved in a BID or want to understand their impact on places, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! Hit play now. #Podcast #BIDs #Placemaki...
20 Dec 2024TRANSCRIPT
02. Are BIDs taking on too many essential services?
As public services face increasing financial pressures, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are stepping up to fill the gaps. But where’s the line between “essential” and “additional” services? 🤔 In this episode, we dive into: ✅ The original purpose of BIDs and the importance of "additionality" ✅ The impact of declining public sector funding on town centres ✅ Real-world examples of BIDs navigating this challenge ✅ Practical strategies for maintaining focus while adapting to change Join us...
14 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT
01. Self-billing for BID levy collection
In the debut episode of Vicinity and Beyond, Henry Jinman, CEO of Vicinity, is joined by Dr. Julie Grail, BID expert from the BIDs business. They dive into the complexities of levy collection, exploring why it often falls short of expectations and how this impacts BID managers. Together, they discuss an alternative—self-billing which Julie has already proven with the BID in Worcester and is now working with Vicinity to roll out to more BIDs across the country. Tune in to discover how th...
Inside a recent episode
The Tables Have Turned: How AI Is Becoming Your New Virtual Assistant
Published 30 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Let's write you a press release. They told me a bit of information. I put in a prompt, enter, you know, 30 seconds later, you know, you've got this press release. And it's, I don't know who it was who said, but... it's that moment when there's been a leap in technological advance that is indistinguishable from magic. And you're like, wow, how has that done that? That's incredible. And I still feel that regularly because the pace of change is so scarily rapid and there's a new system for generating an image or there's a new system which can now do a whole video and some of the kids there are putting themselves into famous films and scenes now and it looks like they're actually there or even creating old films with AI. […]
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