On Thursday 21st August, Cambridge BID partnered with the Cambridge Film Festival Youth Lab to deliver a day of creative content production as part of our festival sponsorship. The initiative challenged young filmmakers to produce short videos that promote Cambridge as an overnight destination – highlighting everything from “24 Hours in Cambridge” experiences, to food and drink trails and hidden gems across the city.
A central element of the brief was to showcase one of our partner hotels – Hilton Cambridge City Centre, The Regent, and Clayton Hotel – each demonstrating the variety and quality of accommodation available in the BID area.
Cintia Papp, Executive Assistant, Hilton Cambridge City Centre “Supporting the Youth Lab Day was a brilliant opportunity for us to engage with the local community and help inspire the next generation. At Hilton, we’re passionate about creating meaningful experiences, and it was a privilege to contribute to a day that focused on learning, innovation, and future talent."
The day’s structure mirrored a professional content project: teams were allocated hotels to cover in the morning, regrouped for a working lunch, and then dispersed across the city to capture additional footage. The afternoon concluded with idea-sharing and editing sessions, providing an invaluable platform for collaboration between the Youth Lab, our hotels, and the wider business community.
Youth Lab Member, “The Hilton was an absolutely beautiful place to film and the rooms, dining areas and even hallways all had great decor and atmosphere, 10/10 would film again”
Abby Pollock, Youth Lab Lead (and overseas the education programme delivered by Cambridge Film Trust), “Having the opportunity to follow a brief is a key part of filmmaking and marketing. It’s incredibly valuable for the Youth Lab to gain this experience from the very beginning, so they can carry it forward into their future projects. We’re grateful to be fostering civic pride through a project so deeply connected to the city where the Film Festival has flourished for over 40 years and are incredibly grateful for the chance to work with the Cambridge BID team so closely. It’s been a fabulous experience.
The final films will be shared across our Love Cambridge and Visit Cambridge channels, ensuring strong reach to both residents and visitors. This initiative not only supports young creative talent but also delivers authentic, engaging content that directly benefits our hospitality sector.
Natalie Dix, Head of Marketing & Communications at Cambridge BID, “The Youth Lab project was a fantastic way to showcase Cambridge through fresh eyes while strengthening our overnight stay messaging. By connecting local hotels with emerging talent, we created content that will inspire future visitors and demonstrated how collaboration can deliver real value for our business community.”
