Changes in the ServiceCenter
New opening hours, projects and events
The realignment of Gütersloh Marketing (gtm), which was decided in mid-February 2024, is bringing about the first visible changes.
A new strategy for Gütersloh Marketing GmbH was jointly developed in various workshops attended by the shareholders' meeting and other external partners and subsequently approved by politicians. The main objectives of the realignment are holistic city marketing involving all districts, strengthening profitability and increasing the visibility of gtm.
Once the realignment had been decided, the next step was to invite tenders for the management position, which has been held by Christina Junkerkalefeld since August 1, 2024. She has been actively involved in the realignment process since her previous role as an authorized representative of gtm.
One change resulting from the realignment is the ServiceCenter's adjusted opening hours, which will be implemented from January 2, 2025.
This measure will create additional capacity for employees in the back office, allowing them to focus more intensively on organizational and planning-intensive projects.
The new opening hours have been adapted to the flow of visitors, based on a measurement of customer traffic in recent months.
This results in the following optimized opening hours:
- Monday and Tuesday: 10 am - 4 pm
- Thursday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The times with high customer footfall will remain unchanged, while the opening hours in the time windows with very few visits will be adjusted. There will also be seasonal opening hours: opening hours will be extended six weeks before Christmas, while they will be shortened during the summer vacations. These changes will be communicated well in advance.
During opening hours, gtm will continue to offer its extensive range of familiar products and services. These include ticket sales for various events, the sale of gift items with a Gütersloh connection, the popular pop-up shelf as well as comprehensive services and information on activities in Gütersloh and the surrounding area. In order to maintain the quality and variety of the offer, gtm will charge fees for external products in future. This measure is necessary to offset the expenses incurred through the sale of external products and to ensure that customers can continue to benefit from the usual variety of products and services in the future.
The ServiceCenter gets a new name
The ServiceCenter will remain the point of contact for leisure and tourism-related topics with the aforementioned tasks. In order to communicate the tasks and services even more clearly, the ServiceCenter will be renamed "Tourist Information" from the new year. With the new name, Gütersloh Marketing wants to ensure that both visitors and residents immediately recognize which services they can expect in the gtm sales room.
New projects and events
In addition to the changes to the ServiceCenter, new projects resulting from the realignment process and involving the districts will be implemented in the coming year.
One highlight will be the snippet hunt, which will take place as part of the city's 2025 anniversary and lead through Gütersloh's districts. In each district, participants will find a snippet that can be collected in a fun way. Once all the snippets have been collected, the snippet collectors can look forward to a small prize, which will be handed out at the gtm ServiceCenter.
In addition, the successful project of painted electricity boxes, which was launched this year in the city center and impressively presents the history of the respective places, will be extended to the city districts in the coming year.
Furthermore, two new event formats will be held for the first time next year: the "Gütersloher Feierabend - Sunset Markt" and a picnic concert. The "Gütersloher Feierabend - Sunset Markt" will take place in spring 2025 and was developed as part of the center management process. On three dates, regional restaurateurs invite visitors to Konrad-Adenauer-Platz, where they can end the evening in a relaxed atmosphere. Each date has a special motto that makes the "Gütersloh Feierabend - Sunset Markt" unique.
Another new feature is the picnic concert, where visitors can look forward to a relaxed summer evening in the countryside. Atmospheric music creates a unique atmosphere, while your favorite dishes can either be brought along or bought on site.
These are the first steps in a long-term process designed to make Gütersloh Marketing GmbH sustainable and future-oriented. This should provide new impetus and further increase the attractiveness of the city.