Liverpool based Bill Elms Associates Ltd (BEA), are a Marketing and PR Company specialising in the Arts. They began in 2008 and had a flying start. Liverpool was flourishing as European Capital of Culture and as Bill Elms himself says:
“I was inspired by all that happened that Capital of Culture year – it was the right time for us. I left work on the Friday and by the time the office opened on the Monday had 4
clients.”
They have successfully managed the marketing and PR for many high-profile events. They handle festivals, theatres and other Arts venues, all types of productions, exhibitions and national tours.
BEA is based in Liverpool City Centre but is in fact almost without a competitor in the North West. Bill’s background in National Companies means that the Company is the
obvious contact for national organisations bringing arts productions and tours to the North.
Bill has worked in the theatre industry locally and nationally for 25 years beginning as a student usher in 1987 at the Empire and ending up back there as Head of Sales and Marketing. It was a neat circle as he left that role at the Empire to set up the BEA in August 2008. In between he worked at Manchester Opera House, on Cameron
Mackintosh productions, brought Phantom of the Opera to Liverpool as part of Apollo Leisure - to name but a few of the venues and productions he has been involved with.
The last few years have been just as busy and the agency has gone from strength to strength. Festivals are growing in appeal and Bill has worked on many including LEAP 2010 - Year of Dance, Liverpool Sound City, Brazilica, Liverpool Pride. He is particularly proud to have just acquired the 2012 contract for DaDaFest – a performance and visual arts festival by disabled and deaf artists who have won the Lever Prize 2012. Past winners of this award include Tate Liverpool and The Football Museum.
They have worked, and continue to work, on many prestigious events such as the Spring and Summer Balls at Liverpool’s St. George’s Hall, Lennon Remembered at the Liverpool Echo Arena, national touring theatre productions, classical music concerts, musicals include Legally Blonde. Specialist one off events such as The Martini Lounge Burlesque night, The Vogue Ball and Laughterhouse Comedy are also part of their portfolio.
They have recently successfully ventured in to a new area working on visual arts and exhibitions. The roll call continues with the Bluecoat and the huge visitor attraction Tutankhamun - His Tomb and His Treasures exhibition at the Trafford Centre in Manchester.
They have also acquired Marketing and PR contracts with a series of high profile venues such as The Lowry in Salford, Manchester Palace and Opera House, Scarborough Open Air Theatre (Europe’s largest open air theatre), and St Helens Theatre Royal. They have also just won the contract for Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park. Finally they work on National UK Tours and a wide range of theatrical productions in many theatres across the Northwest including various Christmas pantomimes.
And as if the work of BEA wasn't enough Bill himself has also successfully entered into the world of theatre production with a growing portfolio of productions, collaborating with local artists and theatre companies. His next production in association with Jen Hayes is Tales from Charles Dickens on 12 & 13 April. The performances will form part of Dickens 2012, an international celebration of the life and work of Charles Dickens marking the bicentenary of his birth, which falls on 7 February 2012. The Liverpool events will take place in a setting much loved by Dickens himself, the Concert Room at St George’s Hall.
The shows, events and venues all require individual campaigns which can involve brand creation, design and planning and implementing a strategic marketing and/or a PR campaign. All members of the team have had arts and theatre-based careers and are committed to the arts and entertainment industry. Bill is delighted with the success of all BEA does:
“Already this year we have expanded our festival and venue portfolio, an area that had seen growth in the last 12 months. We are still a fairly new company and this year is already looking to be our best year yet with some very exciting projects on the go”.
