Hull, UK: Marketing firm Sowden & Sowden has helped put the Prospect Shopping Centre in line for a national award.

As part of the company’s marketing services, Sowdens entered the shopping centre for a prestigious Opal Award, which are distributed by the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC).
The Prospect Shopping Centre has now been shortlisted in the commercial events/markets/exhibitions category.

The BCSC Opal Awards aim to promote the best use of commercial space within shopping malls.
The announcement caps a successful year for the Centre, which saw a growth in footfall by 30%* and increased tenancy to almost 100% capacity.

Summarising the numerous events held by the Centre between 2013 and 2014, the submission included UPMarket, a market selling a range of handmade products, the X Factor auditions, which discovered Ryan Mathie, and Movie Buffs, which saw memorabilia from the silver screen go on sale.
The highlight of the year was undoubtedly a 15-year lease signed by CPL Foods to re-launch the upper level food court as strEAT.

Comedian Rob Beckett will reveal the eventual winners at a presentation breakfast to be held at Kings Place, London, on Thursday 10 April.

Polly Sowden, director of Sowden & Sowden, who contributed to the entry, said: “Last year was a really successful one for the Prospect Centre, both commercially and in terms of marketing.

“Events like the X Factor had an incredible response from the public and thrust a great local talent in to the national spotlight. The opening of strEAT is obviously a great achievement and shows that the Centre is moving forward.”

Lee Appleton, centre manager at Prospect Shopping Centre, said: “To be in with a chance of winning such an esteemed award is phenomenal and testament to the hard work of Sowdens.

“They have continued to provide us with original and creative campaigns that help keep customers coming back through our doors.

“I look forward to the judge’s final decision, but regardless of the result, to have come this far shows that we’re taking the Centre in the right direction.”

*Based on days that individual events took place, when compared to the same day of the