“I have been working with Mark as we are both passionate about helping to regenerate the High Street, Mark has a wealth of knowledge and understanding of Town Teams and the various processes involved within them. If there’s anything I need to know he is sure to have the answer…or know someone else who can help. Mark is very modest and courteous in his approach which is very refreshing, especially as he is so focused on his work. Overall, a great guy!” Helen Goodwin, Director, Made You Look
“I was very impressed with the speed in which Mark responded to my enquiry . Within four hours he was able to sign post a way forward for my ideas that I could not have envisaged or achieved on my own. He understood what I needed in an instant, as well as the concept and was able to convey my ideas to others after only the briefest of discussions. He has opened a potential door for me that may lead to additional business positioning in the high street. Very impressed with the potential opportunities that may ensue and Mark’s responsiveness, along with his dynamic and pro active approach” Louise Barlow, Managing Director, Make The Most Of
“Within a month of joining Revive and Thrive, Mark introduced me to an opportunity that has led to a brand new exciting role in town centres. Being a part of the partnership you have fingertip access to great information, advice and opportunities I would recommend it to any business considering becoming a member of Revive and Thrive” Deborah Millington, Director, Red Border Ltd
“Mark has opened my eyes to the potential of Twitter and helped re launch our online marketing. Through his work at Revive and Thrive he has also launched an important collaborative platform from which the business can network, meet new clients and explore new ideas, in essence grow.” Jeremy Rucker, Founding Director, City Dressing
“Mark has a wealth of knowledge of all things relating to loyalty and incentivisation schemes and if he doesn’t know the answer, he’s bound to know someone who does!” John Fleet, Town Centres Manager, North Tyneside Council
“What Mark doesn’t know about customer loyalty isn’t worth knowing! An absolute pleasure to work with, having high integrity and a creative yet practical approach to delivering first class results, time after time.”Rosemary Sidaway Director Redditch Town Centre Partnership
“Mark is a great guy to work with. He is very well connected, so if there’s someone out there that will fit with what you’re doing, he will very likely know and will put you in touch with them. He always goes the extra mile to make sure everything is done properly and is friendly and approachable. LeedsNet recommends Mark Barnes & Revive and Thrive unreservedly!” Tony Crooks, Owner, LeedsNet
“In the space of less than a week, Mark created, developed and delivered a fantastic day of networking opportunities via Twitter that, from a personal point of view resulted in new connections on LinkedIn, a hatful of new followers on Twitter and has, I’m sure, opened the door to business and further networking opportunities that are yet to be taken advantage of. This interesting, unique and innovative way of working has a great deal of potential and I am happy to have been able to get involved from the start. Once again, Mark has come up with and delivered a different way of doing things that really do make him stand out from the crowd.” Matt Powell, Town Centre Manager, Birmingham City Council
“Mark is an energetic man of action who deserves to do well. Not one to sit on his hands (or laurels), Mark thinks creatively and has the drive to turn ideas into action. He is a people person with excellent social networking skills and good instincts for collaborative working. If you have something that needs done quickly and thoroughly, Mark is your man.” Jean Ball, Place, Destination, Marketing and Event Manager, Your place or brand?
“We met Mark at the very start of our Portas Pilot journey and his experience of town centre management and loyalty was invaluable. It was Mark who advised us just to crack on and make things happen rather than working to long lead times. He was a frequent visitor here providing hands on support to our businesses and was generous with his time and expertise. Far more than simply introducing us to Tik Tap, he was a champion and supporter of Market Rasen businesses. We will definitely keep in touch as Mark has a huge amount to offer anyone involved with the revitalisation of the high street.” Sarah Lamballe, Director of Community, Arts & Culture – Voluntary Post, Market Rasen Business Improvement Group
“Mark has the skill, experience and tenacity to identify opportunities, craft solutions from the best available resources and pursue them to the point of successful closure. His approach is inclusive and he has the ability to recognise and bring together complimentary partnerships to the mutual benefit of all. He is also a great guy to work with.” Harvey Jones , Consultant, Reward Your World
“Mark worked on our market research and pre -sales loyalty / rebate card programme. He brought a wealth of experience to this from his work originating and developing the Pool Card. He quickly demonstrated his creative energies and uncovered an untapped market for such cards travelling extensively around England and Wales meeting decision makers, reporting and collating results. His marketing and sales skills are evident from these results. I very much recommend his work and enjoyed working with him as a colleague. He was a supportive member of his team who cross trained to market successfully another programme to largely the same audience whom he faced with the card programme.” Peter Bembridge, Managing Director, The Civic Trust
“Very impressive work to package a new social networking idea, launch and then run with the new creation: and all in the space of 10 days or so. Mark quickly brought our business on board and worked effectively with the new partners he brought in to his project. For sheer energy and commitment to creating and launching a successful new marketing idea within social networking Mark deserves huge credit and I wish him every success.” Mike Slater, Business Owner, art71.com
“I worked with Mark when I was Chair of Louth Town Partnership and he was the first Town Manager. He is enthusiastic, honest and hard working. He has the ability to build relationships across the whole spectrum of business and community. He left a strong platform for his successor to build on.” Stephen Holdaway Team Rector and Chair of Louth Town Partnership, Team Parish of Louth
“Mark organised many great events for the benefit of local businesses whilst in Louth and worked tirelessly to ensure that the needs of the small business were not over looked. He was committed to ensuring that Louth was put firmly on the map!” Taryn Lee Johnston, owner / Designer, Seagull Designs
“I worked closely with Mark on a number of projects during his time as Louth Town Manager. His drive and enthusiasm enabled were prominent in establishing a role that had not previously existed into one that was central to the economic and wider development of the town.” Alan Nesbitt Owner, Forrester Boyd
“Mark was very supportive when I started up my business last year by introducing me and sign posting me in the right direction. Mark brought the whole business community together and was a valuable asset to Louth Town. I would recommend strongly, to any future employer that Mark has great leadership skills and always gives more than 100%” Andy Nisbet, Self Employed Musical Instrument Retailer, Mostly Music
“Mark is an energetic and personal character with a strong work ethic, an ability to inspire and communicate with his colleagues and an entrepreneurial flair. He enjoys challenges, grasps issues readily and is well-versed in latest communication techniques. He shows enthusiasm in everything he takes on and this rubs off on others.” Patrick Neville, Vice-Chairman, Louth Town Partnership
“Mark is a very productive and results driven man. His passion and skills are second to none. Working with him to help give the town a platform to showcase what they could offer was a very rewarding experience. The events he organised not only provided opportunities for the local business to communicate but also opened a lot of doors for myself. He has the ability to communicate at all levels. I would look forward to working with him again in the future.” Ben Wright, Media Sales Advisor, Northcliffe Media
To find out more about what you can achieve by working with us, contact us for a free consultation.
