Marketing Manchester is celebrating the success of the Worker Bee Weekender, an ambitious initiative which brought over 75 social media influencers from around the world to showcase the city-region over the weekend of the 28-30 July.
On Instagram alone, the #workerbeeweekender hashtag has now had 550 posts, with a combined 250,000 likes and over 10million potential impressions.
Some of the biggest hits from the weekend came from @eskimo from Hamburg, whose Manchester photography had a combined 27,000 interactions (likes and comments), @alixelay from Bath with 24,000, and @greatarsenal from London, with 12,000.
The weekend was brought about thanks to a diverse itinerary of unique and exclusive experiences provided by attractions across Greater Manchester, together with the support of organisations including Arts Council England, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester Jazz Festival, Transport for Greater Manchester, Manchester Business Improvement District, Manchester Airports Group, and VisitBritain. This support allowed influencers from 11 countries and across the UK to capture the city from all angles for some stunning shots and highly engaging posts.
Sheona Southern, managing director of Marketing Manchester said: “The realisation of the Worker Bee Weekender came about thanks to a ground-breaking collaboration of efforts from organisations all across Greater Manchester. It’s this spirit of togetherness that Manchester has become known for, and that enabled us to provide a truly unique experience for our guests across the weekend.
“Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s clear that our visitors thoroughly enjoyed their visit. Some were thrilled to see the city they knew and loved in a whole new light, while others were blown away on their first ever visit to Manchester, a destination they never expected to be as diverse, fun and welcoming as it proved to be.
“Instagram, Twitter and Facebook were alive with activity across the weekend, and we’re still seeing some fantastic new content being posted. The social media exposure achieved has far surpassed our initial expectations and done some invaluable work to promote the city as a must-visit destination.
“The enthusiasm for the project has been truly astounding, and we’re already hard at work planning the second Worker Bee Weekender. Keep an eye out for more.”
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Marketing Manchester would like to thank the following for supporting the Worker Bee Weekender: Albert Hall, Albert’s Schloss, Arts Council England, Band on the Wall, Blackdog Ballroom NQ, City Suites, Crazy Pedro’s, Dog Bowl, Doubletree by Hilton, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, Gorilla, Hard Rock Café Manchester, Harvey Nichols Manchester, Hayley Flynn, Innside Manchester, Jonathan Schofield, Junk Yard Golf, Malmaison Manchester, Manchester Airports Group, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Business Improvement District, Manchester Cathedral, Manchester Guided Tours, Manchester Jazz Festival, Manchester United FC, Matthew Moxham, Matthew Krysko, People’s History Museum, Roc & Rye, Roomzzz, Science and Industry, Sue McCarthy, The Botanist, The Deaf Institute, The Midland Hotel, The Gasworks Brewbar, The Lowry Hotel, The Pankhurst Centre, The Principal Manchester, The Radisson Blu Edwardian, The Refuge, TfGM, Victoria Baths, VisitBritain, We Are Indigo, wearemcr, Whistle Punks, Yang Sing, Ziferblat.
Video of the weekender available here. Press images available here.
For images taken by influencers over the weekend, check #workerbeeweekender on Instagram. Please be sure to credit the respective photographer.
For press enquiries contact: Daniel.Norton@marketingmanchester.com