A series of infomercials featuring a range of practical ‘do-it-yourself’ tips have been launched as part of Visit Birmingham’s ‘Open for Christmas’ campaign, celebrating the festive period in the city and the wider region.

The city’s leisure tourism programme has joined forces with a range of popular restaurants and shops across the city to lend a helping hand this festive season by solving your typical Christmas conundrums. The series of films, featuring some of Birmingham’s best known personalities, include tips on festive fashion and make up, how to cook traditional treats, creating a Christmas cocktail and wrapping gifts to a professional standard – whatever the shape or size!

With Visit Birmingham’s Christmas tips you can:

• Find the perfect Christmas party outfit with Zoe Georgiou, Personal Shopper at Selfridges Birmingham. Zoe’s festive fashion tips tell us sparkles and anything blue are big this year.
• Learn how to make traditional German potato pancakes with Isabel Aaron, a German trader based at Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market. Isabel’s recipe means you can recreate this delicious Christmas treat from the comfort of your own home.
• Cook the perfect Christmas dinner with a few expert hints from Michelin star chef Glynn Purnell of Purnell’s Restaurant. Follow his advice and Christmas dinner is sure to be a cracker this year.
• Learn how to wrap your presents to professional standards with Gurpreet Shinji, Supervisor at I Wrap Couture based in the city’s North Western Arcade. Gurpreet’s tips will take away the stress of last minute wrapping.
• Create a unique Christmas cocktail with David Fraser, a Mixologist at Ginger’s Bar. David’s step by step guide to making the perfect Mulled Cobbler will mean you’re sure to impress your guests this Christmas.
• Learn how to get beautiful smoky eyes and the perfect pout this Christmas with make up artist Jenny Chalmers, who works at the Illumasqua counter in Selfridges Birmingham.

Emma Gray, Director of Marketing Services for Visit Birmingham, said: “The ‘Open for Christmas’ campaign is all about showcasing Birmingham’s festive offering – we’ve teamed up with a range of restaurants, attractions and retailers across the city to give people the opportunity to recreate some of the magic of the city at home with our series of helpful infomercials, designed to help take away the stress of preparing for the big day.

“The infomercials offer a snapshot of the festive fun that can be found in the city this Christmas – with 1,000 shops in the city centre alone, an internationally acclaimed dining scene and the largest German Christmas Market of its kind in the UK, Birmingham is ideal for a weekend getaway offering visitors a unique festive experience.”

The infomercials have been launched as part of the city’s festive campaign ‘Birmingham – Open for Christmas’, designed to showcase the city to potential visitors and encourage them to spend a weekend break in Birmingham during Christmas and New Year.

A dedicated microsite www.ChristmasinBirmingham.com has also been created, designed to give people information about what’s going on in the city and wider region during the Christmas season. The festive site includes everything from visitor itineraries and online competitions to event information and an interactive advent calendar with an array of festive prizes, offers and seasonal tips up for grabs everyday in the run up to Christmas.

The collaborative campaign is led by Visit Birmingham and supported by a number of affiliate marketing partners including Retail Birmingham, London Midland, Birmingham City Council, the city’s Business Improvement Districts and a number of the city’s best loved attractions and retail destinations. The campaign is in part funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund and is part of a three year investment programme called ‘Growing Tourism Locally’, coordinated by the national tourist board VisitEngland.

To view the infomercials visit here

Get involved and submit your own Christmas conundrums to the Visit Birmingham team via Twitter at @Visit_Bham or Facebook www.facebook.com/VisitBham