The demolition is done. The steel is rising. The Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) is no longer just a “Town Deal proposal”—it is the new reality of Southport’s skyline.
According to Sefton Council projections, the MLEC and the “Light Fantastic” water show are set to bring over 500,000 additional visitors to our town every single year, injecting an estimated £19 million into the local economy.
For hospitality, retail, and leisure businesses in Southport, this is the biggest opportunity in a generation. But here is the hard truth: Footfall in the town doesn’t guarantee footfall in your shop. How to capture this new footfall.
These 500,000 new visitors aren’t locals. They don’t know that your café has the best scones on Lord Street or that your boutique stocks unique brands. They only know what their phone tells them.
At Churchtown Media, we call this the “Digital Tourist” phenomenon. Here is how to ensure that when MLEC delegates search for “dinner near me,” your business is the first one they see.
1. The “Near Me” Battleground
Conference delegates have short windows of time. When they step out of the MLEC for lunch, they won’t walk down Lord Street hoping to find something; they will pull out their phone and search:
- “Coffee near Marine Lake”
- “Best italian restaurant Southport”
- “Shops open now”
If you aren’t in the Google Map Pack (the top 3 map results), you are invisible to them.
- Action Step: Ensure your Google Business Profile is categorized correctly. If you are a pub that serves food, ensure “Gastropub” or “Restaurant” is a primary category, not just “Pub”.
2. Speed is the New Service
Imagine 1,200 delegates leaving a conference at 5 PM. They are all on mobile data, looking for a place to eat. If your website takes 10 seconds to load on 4G, they have already clicked “Back” and booked a table at your competitor’s place.
- The Benchmark: In 2026, your mobile site needs to load in under 2.5 seconds. (Not sure if yours is fast enough? Contact us for a free audit).
3. The “Light Fantastic” Late Night Economy
The new water and light show isn’t just a daytime attraction; it’s a night-time anchor. This means thousands of people will be in the town centre after 8 PM.
- The Pivot: Does your website explicitly state your evening hours? Do you have “Pre-Theatre” or “Post-Show” menus optimized on your site?
- SEO Tip: Create a dedicated page on your site titled “Dining Near Marine Lake Events Centre.” It signals relevance to Google and convenience to the user.
4. How to Fund Your Upgrade
Transforming your digital presence to meet this demand costs money, but you might not have to pay for all of it yourself. As we detailed in our Southport Business Growth Hub, there are active grants available right now—like the InvestSefton Growth Hub support—that can help fund digital consultancy and technical upgrades.
The Verdict
The visitors are coming. The question is: Will they find you, or will they find a national chain that optimized their SEO six months ago?
Don’t wait for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The race to capture the MLEC economy starts today.
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