Mainstreet Whanganui's Tom Langford aims to boost local business

Mainstreet Whanganui's Tom Langford has been finding his feet and listening to the voices of central businesspeople. Photo / Bevan Conley

Tom Langford was well ahead of any transtasman travel bubble when he made the leap from Melbourne to Whanganui last year.

The Wellington-born communications specialist is Mainstreet Whanganui's new communications and events lead, replacing Kelly Scarrow who left in March to take up a role with Hospice Whanganui.

Langford was keen to return to New Zealand and found a house he could afford in Whanganui while waiting for the right communications role to present itself.

"I started at the beginning of May and I have spent the time getting to know the Mainstreet team and listening to the local businesspeople," he said.

"We're developing a new website and building the digital marketing side of things."

Langford said he thought the town centre regeneration happening in Whanganui was exciting and he wanted to support businesses in the CBD to lift their profiles alongside that.

"It's about making Whanganui retailers more visible in online searches and helping them to become shopping destinations for locals as well as visitors," he said.

Whanganui's growing population was likely to provide new business opportunities, Langford said, and he believed the website would help to gauge consumer behaviours and find out more about what people were looking for.

As a musician, Langford said he followed local bands and was aware of how much talent there was in the region.

"I think there is room for more small-scale events that could be held at Majestic Square and as it is Puanga/Matariki at the moment, it would be great to celebrate that more.

"I'm asking people for ideas about how we could mark the occasion next year as it will be celebrated as a public holiday for the first time."

Langford has bachelor degrees in political science and government, film and media studies from Otago University and started his communications career with Wellington City Council in 2008.

Moving to Melbourne, he took on a number of communications roles with local authorities and most recently worked as a communications adviser with EPA (Environment Protection Authority) Victoria.