Ian Ferguson MBA FIPM
Ian Ferguson founded pfbb UK in 2005, but has a commercial and business development background in retail and consumer goods manufacturing, having started his retail career with Marks & Spencer.
He holds an MBA from Leicester University, and was Module Leader in MSc Competitive Marketing Strategy at De Montfort University Business School.
In his role as Strategy and Development Director at pfbb UK, Ian has been specialising in BIDs since they were introduced in the UK, and oversees the development and strategic overview of BIDs that pfbb UK works with.
He is on the Advisory Council for ATCM, a Fellow of the Institute of Place Management, a member of the BID Foundation, and was an industry Expert on the government’s High Streets Task Force.
Ian’s specialisms
Ian’s project examples
Derby Cathedral Quarter
In 2007, Westfield had just opened its £340 million shopping mall (today’s Derbion) to the south of the city centre, extracting Debenhams and Marks and Spencer from their existing premises within the Cathedral Quarter area.
With the loss of these anchors, there was considerable concern that the historical part of the city centre would decline and decay.
Having re-established Derby City Centre Management through a service level agreement with the City Council, in 2007 Ian and pfbb UK led the development of the Cathedral Quarter BID in Derby city centre. They established important and productive working relationships with the businesses together with key partners, including City Centre Management, Derby City Council, Cityscape, Marketing Derby and many other related organisations and agencies.
The BID set out to call this northern part of the city centre the ‘Cathedral Quarter’, and had a vision to establish it as a destination in its own right, led by brand values of being individual, diverse and inspiring.
Since the first BID ballot, Ian and his colleagues successfully guided the Cathedral Quarter Company through three renewal ballots and into its fourth term, establishing the Cathedral Quarter BID through successive contracts for delivery.
Notably, they have succeeded in developing a distinct identity for the area, as envisaged, and within the first two years of the BID starting it was voted by The Times newspaper as the 13th best place in the UK for a getaway weekend.
Northampton
In 2014, pfbb UK was asked by the Northampton Business Improvement District (BID) to pick up the management of the BID after it had lost business confidence and was leading up to renewal.
The BID delivery was put back on track, business confidence restored, and renewal of the BID was achieved in 2016. pfbb UK continued to provide complete management services for the 2016-2021 BID term, and led it through its second successful renewal ballot for its third term 2021-2026.
Over the last ten years, the BID has developed into a highly influential organisation representing business interests and playing a pivotal role in the economic development of the town centre. Key stakeholders, such as the police, university, Northampton Town Council and West Northamptonshire Council, proactively seek advice and support from the BID in all aspects of the social and economic life of the town centre.
The BID has a proven track record in encouraging, enabling and facilitating collaborative working across the town centre, leveraging as much value in kind and additional funding as it generates by way of levy collection. It has a strong community focus, which has had a significant impact on the retention of businesses and employment in the town centre, despite the town having seen key employers and footfall drivers – such as Debenhams and Marks & Spencer – closing down.
The BID is working closely with West Northamptonshire Council in the development of a new framework for a town plan, zoning to create distinctive identities for different parts of the town centre, and development of a place management delivery plan.
pfbb UK is proud to be leading once again the preparation of the BID Proposal and Business Plan for the next BID term, 2026-2031, to build on the success to date and play a key role in the next exciting phase of the town centre’s life.