Vicinity and Beyond!

What happens when artificial intelligence gives small organisations the capabilities of much larger teams? And could AI fundamentally change the way our high streets operate?

In this episode of Vicinity and Beyond!, Dr Julie Grail and Henry Jinman explore the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and what it means for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), small businesses and place management.

Drawing on real experiences from Vicinity's AI assistant pilots, they discuss how AI is moving beyond answering questions and generating content to actually completing tasks, analysing information and working alongside people.

In this episode, we explore:

• The pace of AI development: How frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are transforming what's possible.
• AI assistants for BIDs: What we've learned from putting AI assistants into the hands of BID managers and small businesses.
• Productivity and capacity: How AI could help smaller teams achieve more with the resources they already have.
• AI slop: Why poor use of AI can create more work rather than less.
• Implementation challenges: Connecting systems, managing security and dealing with AI's occasional unreliability.
• The future of high streets: How AI-powered shopping and digital discovery could change the relationship between retailers and customers.
• The human element: Why productivity isn't everything, and how technology could free up more time for the relationships that make places successful.

It's a conversation about both the extraordinary opportunities and the very real challenges of adopting AI, with practical lessons for anyone working in BIDs, place management or small business.

Vicinity and Beyond! is hosted by Dr Julie Grail of The BIDs Business and Henry Jinman of Vicinity, exploring the ideas, challenges and opportunities shaping Business Improvement Districts and place management.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the podcast for more conversations about innovation, placemaking and the future of our towns and cities.

Big changes are on the horizon for UK Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), but what will they mean for our high streets, town centres and the future of place management?

In this episode of Vicinity and Beyond!, Henry Jinman turns interviewer as Dr Julie Grail brings us up to speed on the latest developments in UK government policy, from devolution and business rates reform to the proposed overnight visitor levy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Devolution: What shifting power from Westminster to regional and local government could mean for BIDs.
• Overnight Visitor Levy: Who should pay, where should the money go, and what role could BIDs play in managing the funds?
• Business Rates Reform: The case for a fairer system for high street businesses and what potential changes mean for BID levy models.
• Local Authorities: How changing council finances and political priorities are affecting BID partnerships.
• The Voice of BIDs: Why the industry needs to influence policy decisions rather than simply respond to them.
• Practical Next Steps: What BID managers should be doing over the next six months to prepare.

With the Autumn Budget approaching and significant policy decisions ahead, Julie and Henry explore both the opportunities and risks for the BID industry, and how BIDs can position themselves as influential partners in shaping the future of our places.

Vicinity and Beyond! is hosted by Dr Julie Grail of The BIDs Business and Henry Jinman of Vicinity, exploring the ideas, challenges and opportunities shaping Business Improvement Districts and place management.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the podcast to stay up to date with future conversations, and share it with colleagues working in BIDs, local government and place management.

Henry gets comfortable in the hot spot again for an in-depth look at how AI assistants are already helping BIDs run more smoothly, and where they're headed next. We start with the essential first step for any BID, getting your CRM, property and business rates records in order, ready for AI to work from at scale.

From there, we cover real examples already happening in the sector. Splitting a year's worth of invoices and matching them to CRM records, drafting outreach that reads differently depending on who it's for, and moving away from fixed dashboards towards answers you can get on the spot.

🔍 Topics covered:

➡️ Getting your CRM and records ready for AI to work with
➡️ Moving from fixed dashboards to answers on demand
➡️ Automating invoices, CRM updates and admin tasks
➡️ Personalised outreach at scale, and where the human touch still matters
➡️ How people are finding places and information differently
➡️ Getting started: low-risk tasks, staff experimentation and a clear AI policy

👉 To find out more about how AI can help support your business, visit Vicinity at getvicinity.com/contact

Julie and Henry swap seats! Henry takes the lead to explore how AI is currently evolving, and how it’s working in favour of BIDs and small businesses.

We move beyond, “just ask ChatGPT”, and explore how AI is shifting from a personalised google search bar, and into a hand held working assistant.

From familiar and simple AI tasks such as note-taking, to exploring AI agents managing our days and emails, and CRM systems, we look at where the real time-savings are, and where human oversight still matters.
🔍 Topics covered:

 ➡️ How Henry has seen AI evolve
 ➡️ Moving from transactional AI to AI assistants and agents
 ➡️ The next steps with AI, structuring your business
 ➡️ The fight between time saving and  authenticity 
 ➡️ Where and why human oversight still matters
 ➡️ Building an AI policy your whole team can work from

👉 To find out more about how AI can help support your business, visit Vicinity at getvicinity.com/contact

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 the levy is being rolled out across the UK, with Scotland already moving ahead and England now consulting on its own model. What can we learn from international examples, and how might this reshape the visitor economy?

Plus: the growing pressure on hotels, the risk of reduced international demand, and why some cities are pushing forward, while others hesitate.

🔍 Topics covered:

• What is the Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax UK)?
• The real cost to hotels and businesses
• Admin burden: who actually pays?
• Impact on tourism demand and pricing
• Lessons from Scotland, Europe, and beyond
• What this means for BIDs and local economies

📣 Featuring: practical insights, real industry data, and honest discussion for BID leaders, councils, hospitality operators, and placemakers navigating change.

👉 For more insights and support on local economies, BIDs and placemaking, visit: https://getvicinity.com/

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 survival is quickly becoming a genuine risk.

From missed levy income and data accuracy to the impact of new businesses entering the rating list, this episode highlights the operational pressures BIDs are facing.

We also look at how the role of BIDs may be shifting: as well as pure delivery, necessary advocacy, collective voice, and supporting businesses through an increasingly fragile trading environment.

Looking ahead, we ask whether this revaluation moment could reshape how BIDs position themselves, and what leaders should be prioritising right now as April 2026 approaches.

 🔎 Topics covered:

-Why levy increases don’t necessarily mean financial security 
-Data accuracy, missing businesses, and hidden income risks 
-Business survival, and changing risk registers 
-The shift towards a greater role in advocacy and collective voice 
-What BID leaders should prioritise as April approaches. 

 📣 Featuring: practical insights, real-world examples, and candid reflections for BID leaders, councils and placemakers navigating a more volatile landscape.

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 exempt small businesses are pulled into scope?

Plus: HOLBA’s formal challenge to the government, the hospitality sector’s #TaxedOut campaign, and why some argue Labour’s promised reform has turned into fine-tuning.

🔍 Topics covered:

• RV changes by sector and who’s hit hardest
• New multipliers and reliefs explained
• How BID income is being affected
• Political pushback: HOLBA, fairness, and transitional optics
  
  

📣 Featuring: practical prompts, sector data, and straight-talking insights for BID leaders, councils and placemakers.

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 #PlaceManagement #DigitalDemocracy #VicinityAndBeyond

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) – lessons from Bournemouth, Cambridge, and Chester
⚖️ Tourist taxes vs. ABIDs – a deep dive into the pros, cons, and international comparisons
📈 What the evidence says – do tourist levies really harm tourism?
🔮 What’s next – will ABIDs expand, fade, or coexist with national tourist taxes?

With new models emerging and tourist tax legislation on the horizon, this episode is packed with insights to help you make sense of a fast-changing landscape.

🗣 BID Managers, DMO leaders, local authorities: Share this episode with colleagues and board members to spark strategic discussions about the future of tourism funding.

🎧 Listen now on Vicinity and Beyond via YouTube or your favourite podcast platform.

#BIDs #ABIDs #TouristTax #Placemaking #TourismFunding #VicinityAndBeyond #DestinationMarketing #UKBIDs #LocalGovernment #VisitorEconomy

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 #LocalGovernment #PrideInPlace #HighStreets #VicinityAndBeyond