Paul Howard

It was Durham’s diverse mix of culture and heritage that attracted Paul Howard to the role of Durham BID manager. “Durham is totally unique. There’s a strong retail offer of independents and high street names alongside the heritage and character of the place. A varied and interesting event calendar also adds vibrancy and strong visitor appeal to this amazing city.”

Prior to joining Durham BID, Mr Howard was BID Manager for Keighley in West Yorkshire. He began his career two decades ago with Burnley (Lancashire) town centre management, moving to Burton upon Trent (Staffordshire) in 2007 to take the role of town centre manager.

He then moved on to general manager of the Torbay Town Centres Company in 2013, an organisation managing three BIDs for Torquay, Paignton and Babbacombe. His illustrious career has seen him work on high-profile public events and festivals – and he’s excited to be part of raising Durham’s profile further with exciting events planned for the city.

“The events calendar in Durham is most certainly one of the things that attracted me to the position with Durham BID. There is nothing better than seeing ideas come to life and watching visitors enjoy what has been created for them. Events are huge drivers of footfall so it will always be a priority to ensure that commercial opportunities are a key outcome of BID events.”