insideKENT Magazine Issue 33 - December 2014 | Page 16

NEWS

TURNER CONTEMPORARY TOPS TWITTER’S LIST OF KENT ATTRACTIONS
This season, Twitter revealed Kent's top ten
tourist attractions based on activities that have
generated the most conversation on the social
networking service over the last 12 months.

Turner Contemporary. © Richard Bryant Arcaidimages.com

The study concluded the most Twitter-active
attraction in Kent is the Turner Contemporary art
gallery in Margate. Named after noted landscape
painter, J. M. W. Turner, the gallery offers a
stimulating programme of temporary exhibitions,
events and learning opportunities on the beautiful
Kent coast.
The Twitter research, which was conducted
between October 2013 and October 2014, also
revealed that the county’s second most Twitteractive attraction is Leeds Castle, near Maidstone,
while the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral
followed in third place.
Moreover, Kent’s ever-growing food and drink
reputation ensured that three of the top ten listed
included the county's very own food and drink
producers.
As per the research, the top 10 attractions in
Kent that are creating a social buzz on Twitter*
are:
1. Turner Contemporary – @TCMargate
2. Leeds Castle – @LeedsCastle
3. Canterbury Cathedral – @No1Cathedral
4. Chapel Down Winery – @ChapelDownWines
5. Chartwell – @ChartwellNT
6. Shepherd Neame Brewery Tour –
@ShepherdNeame
7. Hever Castle – @HeverCastleLtd
8. Macknade Fine Foods – @macknade
9. Dover Castle – @EHDoverCastle
10. Knole – @KnoleNT
Marketing manager at Turner Contemporary,
Bryony Bishop, said: “We are delighted by the

news that we ranked number one for connecting
communities and sparking conversations on
Twitter.
“Our aim is to make art and culture accessible
to all, help people to see and think about art
differently, and for us to engage deeply with our
community and partners, both physically and
online.
“Over the past four years, we’ve worked hard
to develop our social media presence, creating
a profile on Twitter where we talk with our
audience, link with partners and communities,
and help showcase Margate as a brilliant
destination to visit. This comes as a huge
endorsement for us, and really shows the
important role cultural attractions are playing in
leading engagement with audiences.”
Chief executive of Visit Kent, Sandra MatthewsMarsh MBE, said: “We are delighted to see that
thousands of people are sharing stories about
the places they visit in Kent with the rest of the
world.

“It is important to remember that these results
are not a reflection of any attraction’s overall
popularity or even the volume of their Twitter
followers; the Twitter rankings really are
dependent of the nature of the attraction, its
overall footfall and its audience profile. For
example, in fact, we know that Bluewater is
always the most popular destination in Kent by
Twitter mentions because of its unique shopping
offer and demographic.
“But it is fascinating to see so many digital
conversations happening about our new and
established attractions, and we are delighted
that so many sites – big and small – are
embracing Twitter."
*Based on @ResearchNowUK research in May
2014 on behalf of Twitter among more than
6,000 Twitter active users in France, Spain,
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and UK.
www.turnercontemporary.org
www.visitkent.co.uk

FIZZ, WHIZZ, BANG AND POP GOES THE FIRST
EVER SCIENCE MUSEUM STANDALONE STORE
AT BLUEWATER SHOPPING CENTRE
Swinging its doors open this winter season, the
Science Museum has chosen Bluewater
Shopping Centre as the prized location for its
first ever Science Museum standalone store.

MIP Robot, £100

Excited for its unveil, the major London Museum
launched its first-of-a-kind pop-up at the
beginning of November and will run it until 31st
December 2014.
A visual explosion of ideas that will get visitors
into the Christmas spirit, the new store promises
to be a one-stop shop full of gifts for all ages.

Rolling Spider Minidrone, £90

Those who stop by can expect to engage in real
life experiments; test drive the new and
revolutionary, Anki Drive; walk alongside a new
generation of robots; and play with science, all

16

whilst shopping for the perfect gift that will wow
your friends and family.
Demonstrations that involve robots, gadgets,
and more, will take place all day every day, so
come along and experience science up close
and personal.
Open for a limited time only, don’t miss your
chance to see science in action this festive
season.