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