Nabma News - October 2013.

I am writing this article the week before the Nabma Conference so it is difficult to make an assessment of how things will go but the build up has been good and I am anticipating that we will have a great time.

In the weeks prior to Conference I have had the pleasure of joining the judging panel to decide awards for what has now become the “Oscars Night”of the markets industry. It has been humbling to see so many fantastic entries promoting the work of market officers and markets all around the country. The panel had a number of difficult decisions to make before agreeing a list of recipients.

The award for outstanding service to the markets industry goes to Ann Coffey MP. Ann works tremendously hard to support her local market in Stockport and also the markets industry nationally through her chairmanship of the All Party Parliamentary Markets Committee. In recent years we have seen unparalleled support by government for markets and Ann’s role has been crucial in securing this support.

The market industry is blessed with many dedicated market officers and the award of Market Officer of the Year gives us an opportunity to recognise one of these officers. Andy Ward of Sheffield is an elder statesman among market officers readily giving of his time and experience to help others. His contribution to Nabma has been tremendous with support for benchmarking, health checks, the buddy scheme and the Diploma. He is also presiding over the move to Sheffield new Indoor Market which will be a tremendous boost for markets generally.

A successful market team is crucial to any market and we have many such teams around the country. Bromley Market Team has demonstrated its success by embracing Love Your Local Market , the Diploma and managing a mixed markets portfolio. The award also recognises the efforts of Peter Turvey, the Manager, for his dedicated work with the London Benchmarking Group which has been a great support to Nabma in connection with a number of initiatives.

The largest number of entries came in the markets innovation category and what a joy it was to see so many different ideas. Many were connected with social media and this year’s award goes to the Barnsley MarketApp. Barnsley have one of the biggest and most successful open markets in the country and the market app was launched as part of their Love Your Local Market campaign. It promises to make a significant difference to the promotion of the market.

In addition to these awards the “Oscars Night” also gives us a chance to present the latest batch of Diplomas in Market Administration. Launched two years ago the Diploma is now recognised as the professional qualification of the markets industry.

Much of the credit for the Diploma must go to Dennis, Nabma Training and Development Officer, who will be retiring after Conference. Dennis has made a tremendous contribution to markets both in Derby and nationally through Nabma and the former Institute of Market Officers. He deserves the recognition of the whole markets industry for what he has achieved. He will leave an important legacy.

Aside from Conference Nabma is starting a twelve months review in September . While the last few years have seen Nabma enjoy great success it is important that our services and structure are kept under review and the first stage in the process will be a comprehensive questionnaire about Nabma services. This will be followed by three regional meetings in October and early November to discuss the future in more detail. It is intended to complete the process and introduce any changes by next year’s Conference.

The last few weeks have been very busy with lots of members raising issues about registering market charters and questions such as where do I find a Latin translator and what do we do as we have found our charter is not relevant to our current market service . It has proved a “wake up” call to many members but hopefully most have now taken the required action. One member reported that the registration procedure is ‘straight forward’ provided you have the relevant information. The deadline is fast approaching so do not delay if you need to take action.

Prior to writing this article I boarded a train. I was greeted at the station by a large advertisement hoarding with the strap line ‘Love Your Local College’ with the heart shaped motif alongside. What do they say about imitation?

Graham Wilson OBE

Chief Executive,

Nabma

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Hitchin market team gets a shocking new addition

Hitchin Markets Manager Tony Howes said, “We are delighted that we will be here for another 5 years and we hope to continue to run a thriving market”.

In other news, Market users who end up fighting for life in Hitchin are in for a shock, with staff now having been trained by Maggie Hackney, who has an MBE for services to healthcare, market staff are now ready for action if someone has a heart attack in the market.

Training the team as part of the British Heart Foundation’s Heartstart initiative, Maggie also secured the market its own defibrillator as part of her efforts. Market manager Tony Howes said: “Hopefully we never have to use it, but if we have to it could save somebody’s life.

It’s not easy to learn but then it wasn’t hard either because Maggie is a very good trainer. “We all went round to Maggie’s house for a two-and-a-half hour training session on heart attacks and how to use the defibrillator. “There’s between 30 and 40 things we have to remember to do, like we have to try and wake them up first and make sure they aren’t wet. “Because of where we are and the older people within the market this defibrillator is vital.” He added: “What we are thinking of doing is offering use of it to market traders who want to be trained too. “What Maggie is doing is a wonderful thing and we are so grateful.”

“There’s between 30 and 40 things we have to remember to do, like we have to try and wake them up first and make sure they aren’t wet. Because of where we are and the older people within the market this defibrillator is vital.”

He added: “What we are thinking of doing is offering use of it to market traders who want to be trained too.

“What Maggie is doing is a wonderful thing and we are so grateful".

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John and Sue Shaw they retired after 60 years in the market selling ladies fashion and knitwear.

John Shaw's father had the business when John was introduced on to the market at the tender age of 12 years helping to set up his father's stalls.

They attended markets at South Elmsall, Pontefract, Barnsley as well as here.  Their business in Mexborough market hall commenced in the late 1940's with John starting in 1952 (year I was born cough!).
Shaws also had a shop for many years in nearby Conisbrough near the famous (Ivanhoe) Conisbrough castle until John became ill about 10 years ago and had to close the shop along with his markets other than Mexborough in which his wife Sue continued however John has helped out.

John & Sue have family living in Greece and their retirement will consist of visiting them more often than they could do previously.  

Mexborough Market raise money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Mexborough Market presented Yorkshire air ambulance with a cheque for £2365

Attending the presention were (from left to right in the photo) Sandra Deans NMTF branch Vice Chairperson and cosmetics stall holder, Wendy Bailey NMTF "Branch" chairperson & clothing alteration stall holder, Ralph Lowery Mexborough Market Supervisor Doncaster markets, Mark Perry South Yorkshire Regional Fundraiser Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Phil Toon Pet foods and First responder who introduced air ambulance fundraising to the market.

Initially the fund raising was started August 2009 with a display stand, background to photographs, with collection bucket and a number of collecting tins on various market stalls. Total raised and donated to date is £5365
Mexborough market has also been nominated for an award from Yorkshire air Ambulance for the length of time we have been promoting this worth while service.

Bow wow! National award for Bury Market trader

It’s anything but a dog’s life for a Bury Market trader who has won a national award in her first year of business.

Diddy Dapper Dogs was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the UK Pet Retailer of the Year category in the first Petquip awards.

Business owner Tracy Robinson began trading as a casual trader on Bury Market in May 2012, taking a three-day stall in October 2012 when her husband Nigel was made redundant. They now have a regular customer base at their Garden Block stall, and have a great relationship with other stall holders and customers.

Tracy said: “The market management have always been supportive and encouraged us each step of our journey, even when it has been through one of the coldest, hardest trading winters! It is less than one year since we opened our first shop premises, so when we put ourselves forward to be considered for this we never imagined that we would win an award.”

The stall sells everything a dog could need, from health products to treats and harnesses to coats. The couple also have a shop in Morecambe.
The first PetQuip Industry Awards were sponsored by Westland, Group 55/Animology, Symply Pet Foods/Canagan, Petface and PATS.

The awards were presented at a gala dinner in Harrogate by PetQuip’s director general Amanda Sizer-Barrett. Compere was Paul Huggins, CEO of JLM Global Foods.

“These first awards have been a great success,” said Pat Flynn, PetQuip’s trade association manager.

“We had a huge amount of high calibre entries and some well deserving winners. We have also had some great feedback with everyone enjoying themselves at the gala dinner and dancing well into the night thanks to a great band, the New Amen Corner.”

Najma's win the ‘Best Takeaway & Delivery’ in the Time & Leisure Food & Drink Awards 2013.

It’s been quite a year of trading! We have braved the snowy winter and stood on muddy grounds selling our hot curries and biriyanis. We have faced the gusty winds which almost had our gazebo taking off the ground! We stubbornly held our ground as the torrential rain threatened to wash out our stall on a seemingly summer’s day. But alas! Much fun was to be had in the sweltering heat dishing up our stall favourites to our curry lovers in and around South West London and Surrey.

I couldn’t be more thrilled for Najma’s to have won the ‘Highly Commended’ award for the ‘Best Takeaway & Delivery’ in the Time & Leisure Food & Drink Awards 2013.

Watch out for Najma’s Meatballs as will be return to our much favoured Windmill Market in Wimbledon during October and the much anticipated Christmas Market in New Malden!

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Oswestry Indoor Market – Celebrates 50 Years as the Powis Hall

Markets have been a major part of the trading and historical importance of Oswestry and have existed for many centuries. The first known Charter was granted during the reign of Henry II when the Town was known as Whiteminster. In 1262 a Charter was granted by John FitzAlan, Lord of the Manor To our Burgesses of our village of Oswaldestree.

The Powis Hall Indoor Market Hall was originally maintained by the Lord of the Manor, and was the Town Hall or Guildhall until premises adjacent were built in 1782. From this date until 1960 the building was used as a corn exchange, then as a butter and cheese market, and during the Second World War for emergency storage and for auxiliary fire service purposes. On the 11^th September Oswestry Indoor Market celebrated 50 years old at its current location.  The hall was reconstructed in 1963 to its present design and is open every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday throughout the year.  Recently the market undertook an ambitious refurbishment and was awarded Best Local Council Market 2013.  The Mayor, The Earl of Powis and the Chairman of Markets all helped celebrate the occasion with both the traders and customers of the market.  This the newly reopened market back in 1963. 

Teresa Jones who has been in our market for 33 years and was recently awarded a long serving award by the Mayor Chris Scolfield and Chairman of Markets Mrs Cynthia Hawksley

The Off Price Show 2013

With little more than a month until the doors are opened to the UK’s leading fashion stock event, esteemed wholesale companies and a wave of exciting new exhibitors will display unrivalled offers over two days of invigorating trading.

Following the growing success of past events, the 23rd successful edition of the Off-Price Show has been expanded to incorporate a bigger and better range of stock, including high quality apparel, footwear, accessories with major brands, exclusive lines, sportswear giants, ex-chainstore ranges and niche labels at a massive 70% off normal wholesale prices.

The show is held over the two days on 22nd-23rd September 2013, and in addition to a comprehensive trading platform, there are additional benefits for buyers who attend. FREE Business Improvement seminars will help visitors to fight the current challenges, stay ahead of competitors, gain knowledge and advantageous tips from our expert speakers. There are also quality catering facilities where a selection of food and beverages will be served, enabling a relaxed forum for meetings between visits to the show floor.

Event Director, Buzz Carter, told MTN, “The Autumn show will be excellent for buyers as we have a number of new companies alongside show favourites. We will have the largest sportswear selection for a few years alongside traditional casual and formal fashion wear, together with great designer brands, denim and outdoor wear.”

Other suppliers showcasing this September include Eles Clothing and Trafford Wholesale who can provide a vast range of ex-chainstore stock from the biggest names on the high street.

Leading manufacturers such as Design House have the capacity to supply additional end of season stock, cancelled orders, returns and surplus high fashion apparel that are developed for some of the biggest names in the industry such as M&S, Topshop, Next and Austin Reed.

Major wholesalers will be supplying current and past season stock, from top designer names such as Armani, Gucci and Calvin Klein, while at the sporting end of the spectrum, casual wear giants including Nike, Adidas and Reebok will be made available by long standing experienced suppliers such as Topgrade Sportswear and Ski and Sport.

Award winning, up-and-coming companies such as Room 31 Wholesale prove that with the right stock at the right prices, businesses can continue to flourish despite challenging times, with other successful companies such as Q Clothing expanding.

An expanded edition of the Off-Price Show set to be the best yet its lines to include more childrenswear, and consistently adding exciting new brands. Top quality unbranded imports and cut-label products will also be available as well as companies’ own labels.

This wide variety of products creates an ideal environment for retailers, market traders, wholesalers and ebayers to increase their profit margins and source collections from the best suppliers in the market. The majority of the products will be available from stock or short order. This flexibility means buyers do not have to place large forward orders and can adapt their offering to the seasons’ latest trends at a moment’s notice, while larger retail buyers will also be able to source substantial orders with pieces supplied by the thousands.

All who visit the Off-Price Show will see first hand the great bargains and discounts that are on offer, with an unmissable opportunity to meet new suppliers, network with colleagues and enhance business. Conveniently located at London’s Olympia, the event is situated very close to the M4 (with M25 interchange not far away), and easily reached by overground, underground and bus connections.

Things are looking good at Tameside

Tameside Markets are going from strength to strength. Ashton’s famous indoor and outdoor markets still cater for all shoppers, offering a wide range of foods – including hosting the North West’s biggest Farmers’ Market on the last Sunday of every month. Other popular items include clothing, hardware, groceries and many household items both indoor and out.

Moving with the times this proud Victorian Market Hall has recently established a communal seating area where shoppers can stop, rest, eat, drink and chat and keep in touch via the new wi-fi system that has been installed.

A major new project is also due to take place as £4.5m has been committed by Tameside Council to enhance the outdoor historic market square with work forecast to start on site in 2014.

The new Hyde Market now also proudly boasts 48 brand new, covered outdoor stalls with costs starting at just £12 a stall.

If you are interested in becoming a trader at either Ashton-under-Lyne or Hyde Markets please contact: 
0161 342 3268.

Bolton Market hits the mark for festival chefs

Proud northerner Paul Hollywood, co-presenter of The Great British Bake Off, likened it to the famous Borough Market in London and said he would definitely be back to pay the Ashburner Street site a visit in the future.

He said: “I am very impressed by Bolton Market. It’s important to me to be able to source fresh, local ingredients for my dishes and here I can find excellent quality fish, fruit and vegetables, which is very satisfying. The market rates among the best and its at least as good as, if not better, than the famous Borough market in London.”

Paul was joined at the food and drink festival by fellow presenter Mary Berry, and together they demonstrated their expert baking skills at three sold-out shows in Victoria Square.

Many thousands of people visited the festival over the four days (Aug 23-26) of the bank holiday weekend. They were able to sample culinary delights from more than 80 stalls; watch celebrity and regional chefs in a series of demonstrations; enjoy the activities at the new children’s food and fun emporium and sit back and relax while being entertained by live bands and street performers, and the sunny weather was a bonus.

Four free cookery demonstrations were staged at Bolton Market. Asian chef Aazam Ahmad provided an entertaining display on Friday morning cooking a salmon curry and on Saturday Sean Wilson from Channel 5’s Great Northern Cookbook performed twice and Harry Yeung from 

Manchester’s Yang Sing restaurant provided a Cantonese twist at his lunchtime show. 
Chef Sean Wilson, ex-Corrie star, made Lancashire cheese and onion pie, oven bottom muffins and Eccles Cakes. He said: “The Bolton Food Festival is a great northern festival for great northern people.”

Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines launched the festival on Friday 23 and provided two enthralling cookery demonstrations for free in the Festival Marquee and then in the Market Place Shopping Centre.  

Michael Caines said: “It is a pleasure and privilege to be back at this event for the third time. Over the last few years I have seen the Bolton Food and Drink festival grow and develop from a local to a national event, with new additions each year.

The festival shows that there is a real appetite for local and regional food and it is crucial in bringing the community together and also boosting the local economy. The festival is a credit to Bolton and it is an honour to be asked to launch it again this year.”


In addition to the free cookery demonstrations in Bolton Market, many more regional chefs performed in the Market Place Shopping Centre, including Andrew Nutter, Anjali Pathak, and Chris Yates. 

Local chef Anjali Pathak who was a big hit in the Market Place demonstration kitchen said: “This is my fifth year at the Bolton Food & Drink Festival and I am delighted to be back , as its an opportunity to come back to my home town . The festival is growing year on year and provides a showcase for the market, local producers and local chefs.”

Anjali made caramelised lamb masala with spiced flatbreads  and for dessert she made sticky peaches with vanilla and lime cream. 


Two new features this year proved to be big hits - the children’s food and fun emporium at Crompton Place which provided a packed programme of entertainment, games and hands on food activities to entertain youngsters and live performances by local bands in the Beer Keller and the KRO Bar where Shandy South, the Dolly Birds and Our Fold were just a few of the bands who struck a chord with customers.

Free shows by performers including the Ski Band and the Bourbon Street Roof Raisers also entertained the crowds.

Coach parties came from the North East, Hull, Huddersfield, Wakefield, North Wales, Lancashire and Warrington. Teresa Wade from Hull said: “We came to the festival last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, so came back again.  We want to come again next year and will be making it a regular fixture in our calendars.”

Alwyn Johnston, visiting the festival from Macclesfield Cheshire for the first time this year said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the day – the stalls, the demonstrations and tasting all the food.  And when we got to the market we couldn’t believe the quality and range of fruit and veg at such low prices. Everything’s been fabulous and I can’t wait to bring my friends next year”

Visitors even came from as far away as Australia. Tina and Dennis from Victoria in Australia said: “We are doing a three-week tour of the UK. We researched what was on and we saw the Bolton Food and Drink Festival and just had to come. It is excellent, we are enjoying it very much and the free parking is a bonus!”

Organisers have calculated that visitor figures reached nearly 130,000 over the four days, a big increase on last year’s figure of 102,000.  Councillor Cliff Morris, Leader of Bolton Council said: “We are delighted with the visitor figures at this year’s Festival, which show it has been a massive success. 
We have had great feedback from all the chefs who provided cooking demonstrations and the feedback from traders was really positive, with many of them having to call for extra stock as their stalls were so popular!

“Visitors to the Festival came from as far away as Hull, the North East, Essex and even Australia and all seemed to enjoy their visit, which has a really positive impact on the town. The children’s emporium, which was new this year was also really popular, with queues for all the activities. We’d like to thank everyone who took part in the festival, from the chefs to the traders and also all the visitors who came and made it an amazing success.”

To keep up to date with the latest festival news, log on to the website www.boltonfoodanddrinkfestival.com, visit Facebook and search for Bolton Food and Drink Festival or search for #Boltonfoodfest on Twitter.

Adam Corbally Talks Markets with MTN.

I am lucky enough to have just returned from a weeks holiday in an affordable paradise a lot of us Brits have made our annual escape, Egypt.

The day I arrived back in the good old green land I love to call my home, tragically, as we all know too well, there are the troubles in Cairo, although where we stayed far away in Hurgarda it was so peaceful and relaxed you wouldn’t have a clue that you were in the same country, that was until you happened to walk past a shop, or anyone selling anything for that matter, when all of a sudden you were bartering with one of the locals whether you liked it or not and being plain rude was sometimes the only way to say no.

Now don’t get me wrong it was my first time in Egypt and I fell in love with the country immediately, striking me as a place blessed with 365 days a year of sunshine, amazing history and tourist attractions. Even hosting one of the seven wonders of the world along with a coast line that rivals that of the Caribbean and to top it off at a recession friendly price with an all inclusive deal that left me musing over it like a countdown numbers game of how the tour operators even made it pay?

Then it all became clear, on arrival at the Airport the Egyptian humidity hit me almost as hard as the sellers at the Airport, just after we had landed, who on earth tries to sell something to you on arrival when all you want to do is get to your Hotel, throw some shorts on and jump in the pool? The Egyptians, that’s who, as they are desperate for the sale.

The next morning we were met with the same aggressive sales tactics whilst making our way from the restaurant area to the pool, “My friend, come and buy” and “English” was blurted out by a row of shop keepers simultaneously whilst each one tried to usher us into their market arcade style shop. I hate this style of hard sell and the truth was we were actually looking for a lilo, but were put off by this aggressive approach.

The next day we visited the harbour and looked around the shops for that all important souvenirs (and of course the lilo we still hadn’t bought) and were met with the same hard sell time after time with pushy stall holders trying to sell us mainly counterfeit goods at inflated prices. This time, ready and willing to buy, I did just that at about 20% of the price that they first stated and whilst I was at it tried to make them realise that the hard sell isn’t always the best way and sometimes actually alienates people into not wanting to buy off you at that moment or worse still, ever again or even walk past the place. As you can imagine my Egyptian is not great and a lot of what I was trying to say was lost in translation, although what was unmistakable was the raw thirst in their eyes for a sale, which seemed to override anything else, the raw thirst that I had on my first day trading at 19, the one that didn’t see going home empty handed that night as an option.

This thirst for a sale is the type of motivation that is key to maintaining a healthy bottom line and for me is maintained by constantly setting myself new targets. Although of course, like anything, it has to be controlled and used wisely, to be on the buying end of the deal instead of a selling for a change did me the world of good and made me realise that there is a very fine line between being persuasive and being pushy, being a bit of a maverick and being a mither.

Our Markets are a great place to shop, visit and just have a good old walk round, it is our job to make sure that we continue to make everyone’s trip to see us an amazing customer experience. Promoting the atmosphere Great British Markets are famous for and ensuring people visit our markets again and again, week after week, year after year, getting value for money on amazing products with a customer service to match. In doing so, spurring on our next generation of traders for the long term and of course our valued regular customers.

You can catch up with my own brand at www.Adamcorbally.co.uk Twitter @TheAdamCorbally

Penkridge Market seeks New Apprentice…

Are you a young budding entrepreneur - An Alan Sugar in the making? Well Penkridge Market may be the start of a very successful career.

The owners of Penkridge Market have announced today that they are launching a new initiative to help school leavers start their own business. They are offering any young entrepreneur, the opportunity to take a free stall on the Market, for two weeks, to see if their business idea works. If the stall is a success, the candidate will then be entered into a competition to win a long term pitch on the stall at a discounted rate, plus help and advice from the Market Manager and other Market Traders.

The competition is open to anyone aged 16 – 19 years old, who lives in Penkridge or the surrounding area. The winner will receive a 6 month pitch on the Market at a discounted rate, plus advice on marketing, sourcing suppliers and general business support from the Manager and other experienced Market Traders.

Matt Williams, Manager of Penkridge Market said:

“We know how tough it can be to start up a business at any age, but especially when you’re young. We’ve noticed one or two really bright, enthusiastic young people on the Market and we just wanted to give everyone a chance... and who knows where it might lead to, we could have another Alan Sugar in the making!”

Lord Sugar did indeed start his career at the tender age of 16 as a Market Trader and is now reported to be worth an estimated £770 million, making him one of the richest people in the UK! He started by simply selling car aerials and electrical goods out of his van and then moved on to selling homemade shampoo! At the grand age of 21 he started his most well-known and successful business, Amstrad, and the rest, as they say is history!

Matt is kindly offering a 10 foot pitch on the Market on a Saturday and if you don’t have the necessary equipment, he will even provide you with a table.

The Market attracts up to 5,000 people every Market day, from around the Region, including people from as far as Telford, Stoke and Walsall. It is therefore a great place to test out a business idea and to attract new customers.

Penkridge Market is situated in the centre of Penkridge, and is signposted off the A449 (postcode ST19 5AP).

For further information and to book a stall on the Market please call Matt Williams on 01785 714221. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

Tameside Markets are going from strength to strength.

Ashton’s famous indoor and outdoor markets still cater for all shoppers, offering a wide range of foods – including hosting the North West’s biggest Farmers’ Market on the last Sunday of every month. Other popular items include clothing, hardware, groceries and many household items both indoor and out.

Moving with the times this proud Victorian Market Hall has recently established a communal seating area where shoppers can stop, rest, eat, drink and chat and keep in touch via the new wi-fi system that has been installed.

A major new project is also due to take place as £4.5m has been committed by Tameside Council to enhance the outdoor historic market square with work forecast to start on site in 2014.

The new Hyde Market now also proudly boasts 48 brand new, covered outdoor stalls with costs starting at just £12 a stall.

If you are interested in becoming a trader at either Ashton-under-Lyne or Hyde Markets please contact: 
0161 342 3268.

Nabma News

The Nabma Conference will soon be upon us, so I thought I would give you a taster of what you will be experiencing if you are able to join us in Torquay. There is still time to book and you will be made very welcome.

A crucial part of Nabma’s work in recent years has been connecting markets with local communities and ensuring that markets are linked to a range of mainstream policies. We have done this principally via the publication of our Policy Framework for Markets, which highlighted the importance of markets to new start opportunities, culture, tourism, regeneration, healthy eating and the food agenda and also through our highly successful Love Your Local Market Campaign. At Conference we will be reflecting on the importance of markets to the community and social agenda with Professor Sophie Watson of the Open University, who acted as special advisor to the Government Inquiry into Retail Markets, and also looking at Marlborough Market, which has become a real hub of the local community.

Localism is a key part of the current government’s agenda and providing a community rights challenge in respect of local services is one way in which a local authority markets service could be taken over by local people. In recent months one or two of our members have faced this challenge and we will be exploring at Conference, with the help of Justin Griggs of NALC, the issues relating to community rights challenges.

Of course Nabma Conference would not be complete without an in depth look at Love Your Local Market 2013 and also looking forward to Love Your Local Market 2014. There will be presentations from Warrington and Horsham about their LYLM activities. News about next year will also be given with the Teenage Market playing a central role. There is also a chance to reflect on the highly successful Youth Market at Manchester, supported by NMTF and Manchester Council.

It’s great to see investment in markets and this year we have seen some tremendous schemes to update and revitalise markets. In addition to the presentations at Conference from Sheffield and Bolton, I am delighted to be able to record the investment being made at Leeds, Swansea, Leicester, Chesterfield and other places. All these projects reflecting confidence in the future of markets.

In addition to sampling the market projects at Sheffield and Bolton, there is also an opportunity to hear about one of the world’s most stunning market projects with the new Market Hall at Rotterdam providing a new market, housing and a focal point for the whole of the city. It really is a project to take your breath away and those attending the Nabma Conference will be able to see it at first hand.  Next year Nabma will be hosting the World Union of Wholesale Markets Conference in London and we will be combining that Conference with a UK Markets Conference. This is the first time that Nabma and NMTF will have combined to promote a Conference. To whet our appetite and help in understanding the work undertaken by WUWM there will be a presentation from Jan Lloyd, Chief Executive of New Covent Garden and WUWM board member.

I hope I have already awakened your interest, but this is only the programme for the first day so there are lots more presentations still to come on the second day. We all know the term Business Improvement District, but how do they work and what impact do they have on markets? Well, Cambridge Market is part of a BID and they will be telling us what difference the BID has made to them.

We are now in the second year of Mary Portas and it has not all been plain sailing. Yes there have been successes, but there have also been disappointments and Professor Cathy Parker of the Institute of Place Management will be undertaking an assessment of the good and not so good aspects of the Mary Portas project.

Market Rights continue to be a subject close to the heart of many Nabma members and while there have not been as many recorded court cases in recent years, there are still legal challenges being pursued. Bradford have an interesting story concerning their use of planning powers to stop a rival market in their area.

Recently Nabma launched a UK Markets Index to supplement the existing Town Centre data and I am keen to see this Index prosper. We will be hearing at Conference of the progress we have already made and plans for the future.

In addition, there are other sessions on the quality of retailers in our markets and workshops on social media and getting the best out of markets.

I hope all this has made you realise that you need to be at The Imperial Hotel, Torquay from the 22nd-24th September. In addition to the Conference itself, there some great social events with informal dinner and caribbean steel band on the first night and a formal dinner and awards night on the second. All this plus great networking and a great market place exhibition.

There are still places on either a residential and day basis. The Nabma Conference is open to anyone and, as I said at the outset, you are assured of a warm welcome. Why not give it a try.

Graham Wilson OBE 
Chief Executive,
Nabma