The KBSA has reported that this year’s AGM, national conference and networking dinner were even more successful than the year before.
More than 58 retailers and 42 corporate bodies attended, with over 120 delegates in total. This year’s meeting was opened with a welcome from national chair Tina Riley, followed by a presentation by Uwe Hanneck, acting KBSA chief executive and consultant.
Hanneck presented the future strategy of the KBSA and outlined forthcoming changes to ‘future-proof’ the association. One key change included the relaxation of the mandatory insurance for domestic contracts, with the resolution passed with a majority vote.
The keynote speaker of the day was former director-general of the CBI and Brexit Leave campaigner Lord Digby Jones, who shared his experience of working with SMEs and his opinions of the changing business landscape.
The conference agenda began with a consumer legislation update from trading law expert and TrustMark board member Peter Stonely, followed by a talk by social media expert Andrew Davis.
Next at the lectern was international brand expert Rita Clifton, chairman of strategic brand consultancy BrandCap and research and opinion pollster Populus. She spoke about how important branding is to any business.
Riley said: “The content at this year’s AGM and conference was excellent, the KBSA has made significant changes to its membership criteria, which should encourage more retailers and industry stakeholders to join the association and enjoy the benefits.”
- Title image shows Tina Riley (second from right) and Uwe Hanneck (far right)