Shouting for pubs

National Pubs Week is coming up fast - and organiser CAMRA is urging YOU to get involved. Chief executive Mike Benner tells Daniel Pearce how.

No one needs reminding about the bad press the pub industry has received over the past year. But perhaps people do need reminding about all the great things pubs offer. That's where National Pubs Week, which takes place this year from February 19 to 26, comes in.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) may be behind the initiative - which this year celebrates its third year - but don't be fooled into thinking this is about celebrating real ale. National Pubs Week is about celebrating pubs, pure and simple.

"The pub trade has had such a knocking over the past year or so," comments CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner, who is leading the campaign. "We all know that the vast majority of pubs do not have a problem, but they get caught up in all the criticism."

As a result, this year's National Pubs Week has responded to research from licencees and undergone something of a shake-up. It hopes to attract more participants than last year's event, which saw 15,000 pubs get involved, and features a raft of exciting new initiatives. "We have listened to pubs about what they actually want, and have made it as easy as possible to get involved," says Mike.

Among the initiatives this year are:

• An attempt to launch Britain's biggest pub quiz, with free quizzes for every pub in the UK
• A beer mat competition, where customers need to collect different beer mats to enter
• A pub trails and passport template on the CAMRA website, www.camra.org.uk, to encourage more pubs to set up their own trails
• A celebrity photo competition, asking licensees and consumers to send in photos of themselves with famous people in pubs.

Pubs which organise their own events can promote them free on the CAMRA website, while the site also hosts a free press release template.

Consumers, meanwhile, are being invited to "Adopt-a-pub" by taking a promotional pack along to their favourite local and encouraging them to get involved.

The time is now​

CAMRA believes that February is the right time to launch a national pub initiative. "The trade is looking for a bit of help after Christmas," says Mike (pictured)​. "January and February can be quiet months as everyone gets their credit card bills."

Brewers such as Robinson's, Thwaites and Gale's have already announced their support for this year's event, while Enterprise Inns is also getting involved," adds Mike. "There haven't been activities like this before. "We're trying to create a platform which pubs can really make the most of. In the past too many pubs have just put up a poster, but our activities encourage them to get involved."

Mike believes the free pub quiz initiative, organised with pub quiz firm Freequizes, will go down well. "We love this idea. Freequizes is putting together 20 different quizzes. Pubs will be able to organise them throughout the week. We want to see up to 20,000 pubs get involved."

CAMRA has also set itself a stiff target for its pub trails initiative. "Our aim is to get 1,000 pub trails," says Mike. "It all comes down to whether pubs like the idea and we need to get the message across that they can do what they like for it."

The idea for the beer mat competition came from licensees during research. "Publicans told us they don't like posters but wanted more beer mats. We hope this idea will move people around from pub to pub searching out beer mats. They need to collect all four to enter the competition and they probably won't get them all in one pub. Then they stand the chance to win a £350 digital camera."

Above all, Mike is keen to stress the week's fun element with the celebrity photo competition - offering a £250 Apple ipod for the best picture - and the adopt-a-pub initiative in particular. "We're inviting both CAMRA members and non-members to ask for a pack, take it along to their local pub and 'adopt it'. We're doing everything we can to keep National Pubs Week exciting and fun," he explains.

Over to you​

The success of National Pubs Week, Mike declares, will stand or fall on the participation of pubs - and he is urging licensees to take up the baton and run with it themselves.

"We have drummed up the support from the big companies before but that hasn't always translated into support during the week itself. The licensees need to get involved," he says.

The whole trade needs to work hard to improve the image of pubs, he continues, particularly in light of the upcoming change to opening hours.

Mike dispels the notion that extended opening hours will add to public disorder. "Think back to 1988 when pubs were able to open for the whole day for the first time. We didn't suddenly see pubs full of drunks, with people spilling out onto the pavement every afternoon. The vast majority of people drink responsibly - and the vast majority of licensees sell it responsibly.

"National Pubs Week is about getting the message through about all the good things about pubs. It's not about real ale - it's about getting more people to go to pubs, all the time."

Get involved​

For a free promotional pack, call Samantha Jones on 01727 867201, or visit the CAMRA website at www.camra.org.uk