How BIDs Can Redirect Thousands Back Into Their Places

Across the UK, Northern Ireland and Ireland, many Business Improvement Districts continue to employ office assistants, communications officers and administrative support staff to manage day-to-day activities.

Traditionally, these roles have been essential. They help produce newsletters, write press releases, take minutes at meetings, update websites, schedule social media posts and respond to enquiries from levy payers.

Two - three years ago, this made complete sense.

In 2026, however, it is worth asking whether the same outcomes can now be achieved in different ways.

Many part-time support roles within BIDs cost between £1,200 and £1,500 per month. Before considering pension contributions, employer costs, equipment, training, software, and annual leave, these amount to approximately £14,400 to £18,000 per year.

For levy payers contributing towards BID activity, that is a significant investment.

At the same time, artificial intelligence has evolved considerably over the past two years. Tasks that once consumed hours each week can now be automated, streamlined and completed using a combination of AI tools, workflows and integrations for less than £100 per month, or approximately £1,200 annually.

The question is not whether AI can replace BID managers.

It cannot.

Relationships still matter. Town centre visits matter. Sitting down with businesses, listening to challenges, advocating for investment and bringing partners together remains a fundamental part of what makes a successful BID.

However, the administrative burden that sits behind many BID operations is becoming increasingly suited to AI.

Meetings Without the Paper Chase

Board meetings, steering groups and sub-committee meetings can often require someone to spend hours taking notes, typing up minutes, formatting documents and circulating them for approval.

Today, applications such as Granola can automatically transcribe meetings, identify actions, summarise discussions and produce draft minutes within minutes of the meeting ending.

Rather than dedicating several hours to producing minutes, staff simply need to review the output, verify accuracy and make any necessary amendments before distribution.

This is just one example.

AI can also assist with:

• Drafting agendas and committee papers.

• Producing monthly reports.

• Summarising consultation responses.

• Monitoring local news coverage.

• Preparing funding applications.

• Managing project updates.

• Building surveys and analysing responses.

• Drafting business communications.

• Creating event schedules.

• Producing stakeholder updates.

Better Branding, Not More Generic AI Images

There is another trend beginning to emerge.

Many organisations are now typing prompts into ChatGPT or image generation tools asking for posters, social graphics or promotional material.

Within seconds, a design appears.

The problem is that these graphics often look exactly what they are: AI-generated.

Colours don't align with brand guidelines. Logos can be missing. Typography can feel inconsistent. In some cases, the images look polished but generic, lacking any real connection to the place they are intended to represent.

The opportunity for BIDs is not simply to generate images.

It is to use AI intelligently.

Platforms such as Canva now include AI-powered features that can help teams generate layouts, resize campaigns, repurpose existing designs, suggest copy, edit images and maintain brand consistency.

A BID could establish branded templates once and then use AI to rapidly adapt content throughout the year, ensuring every campaign still feels recognisable and aligned with the destination.

Social Media Can Largely Run Itself

Social media remains another area where many BIDs dedicate a considerable amount of staff time.

Yet AI can already:

• Write captions for multiple platforms.

• Repurpose press releases into social posts.

• Turn newsletters into weekly content.

• Generate video scripts.

• Create event countdown campaigns.

• Produce member spotlight features.

• Suggest hashtags.

• Analyse engagement trends.

• Draft email campaigns.

• Recommend posting schedules.

• Automatically schedule content weeks or months in advance.

Instead of spending days every month building content calendars manually, BIDs can increasingly use AI to produce drafts, campaigns and schedules ready for approval.

People still provide oversight.

AI simply removes much of the repetitive work.

What Could £15,000 Extra Per Year Deliver?

If a BID invested approximately £100 per month in AI tools and automations, the annual cost would be around £1,200.

Compared to employing administrative or communications support costing between £14,400 and £18,000 per year, this could potentially free up between £13,200 and £16,800 annually.

For many levy payers, the more interesting question is what that money could actually achieve if reinvested directly back into the district.

Potentially, that budget could fund:

• Additional family events.

• Seasonal festivals.

• Summer entertainment programmes.

• Street performers and musicians.

• Enhanced Christmas experiences.

• Window dressing competitions.

• Floral initiatives.

• Shop local campaigns.

• Public art projects.

• Independent retailer grants.

• Business training workshops.

• Destination marketing campaigns.

• Visitor attractions designed to increase footfall.

Ultimately, AI should not be viewed as a replacement for people.

It should be viewed as a tool that allows BIDs to become leaner, more efficient and more focused on delivering visible value to levy payers.

In 2026, perhaps the question isn't whether Business Improvement Districts should adopt AI.

Perhaps the question is whether levy payers expect their BID to explore every opportunity to spend less money on repetitive administration and communications, and more money creating experiences, events and initiatives that genuinely make their towns and cities better places to live, work, visit and invest in.

For many BIDs, the smartest recruit in 2026 may not be another part-time office assistant.

It may simply be a well-designed AI workflow, supported by a team willing to embrace a different way of working.