Herts Big Weekend
The Herts Big Weekend 2021 will take place from 25th September, offering Hertfordshire residents the chance to win thousands of FREE tickets and days out to attractions across the county. The Big Weekend is all about giving residents in Hertfordshire the chance to discover – or rediscover – the array of fantastic things to see and do on their doorstep, and encouraging them to spread the word about their county. This word of mouth recommendation is priceless, and participants tell us that as a result of taking part in the Big Weekend they are highly likely to return with friends or relatives in the future and to explore more attractions in the area. Businesses also report an increase in secondary spend.
For 2021, Visit Herts is pleased to invite all attractions and tourism businesses across Hertfordshire to take part in this campaign by offering free entry to attractions or experiences (such as an afternoon tea or a guided tour), with opportunities for winners to redeem tickets into October 2021 in order to accommodate any remaining restrictions at venues, allowing businesses to safely manage capacity and offer tickets for off-peak hours.
As we reopen and relaunch our industry again, this major campaign comes at an ideal time to market your business at no cost, plus all involved will receive free GDPR-compliant opt-in data as well as feature in free marketing activity through our channels. With confidence in taking domestic trips increasing, it is expected that a quarter of all domestic overnight trips this year will be to visit friends and relatives, therefore this is the year to ensure your business is involved.
Free attractions will automatically be included in additional activity to encourage people to extend their stay in Hertfordshire for longer, increasing visitor spend and overnights stays within the county.
The 2019 event broke all previous records with 61 attractions donating more than 1,200 pairs of tickets, and there were over 59,000 applications for tickets. During the campaign, the website received more than 240,000 page views and our press coverage reached over 213,000 people, providing all participating businesses with fantastic free exposure. Research shows that following the event 87% of participant would visit more places in Hertfordshire as a result of Big Weekend while 99% would be proud to show their friends and family around the county. The Big Weekend plays an important role in helping to raise the profile of tourism as an important sector in the local economy and gain the support of the local community.
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Key Dates
- 12th August 2021 - Businesses must ensure online listings – including ticket offers, attraction information and images are up-to-date by this date
- 16th August 2021 – Public ballot for tickets opens
- 7th September 2021 – Public ballot closes
- 13th September 2021 - Winners are informed
- 13th September 2021 - Returned tickets are added to the website
- 20th September 2021 - All returns are finalised
- 21st September 2021 - Final list of winners are accessible via the CMS
- 25th September 2021 - Big Weekend takes place
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Key Information
Please help promote the Big Weekend on your website or blog, just include the following information:
- Register for tickets at www.hertsbigweekend.co.uk
- Two tickets per household will be allocated by ballot to the lucky winners, although some family tickets will be available as well.
- The event is organised by Visit Herts
- The aim of Big Weekend is to encourage local residents to discover and experience the many wonderful attractions and activities available in their home county – and to spread the word to others.
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Share on social
- Include a link to www.hertsbigweekend.co.uk
- Tag @VisitHertsUK
- Use #HertsBigWeekend
- Sample tweets and further information can be found in the Herts Big Weekend Business Toolkit
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Press releases and press information
If you have any PR queries around Herts Big Weekend, please contact Lana at Visit Herts on lana.crouch@visitherts.co.uk
As well as regular press activity, the Herts Big Weekend is also promoted heavily across our social media channels. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see more.
Questions?
Please contact bigweekend@visitherts.co.uk if you have any questions or if you want to check if your business participated last year or to tell us if your main contact has changed.

For all general enquiries, please contact the team via email at: enquiries@visitherts.co.uk