In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the website was full of stories about speciality markets. I was delighted to be able to visit some of these markets and see the quality of what was being offered. This sense of quality has been enhanced reading the entries for “Market of the Year”. The judging of this competition is due to take place during the next fortnight but it is clear there are some outstanding entries and a final decision will be a difficult one.

Quality is very important to NABMA members in all aspects of market provision and it is important that in all markets we seek to achieve quality standards. Sadly, in certain respects, the situation that exists on certain markets is detracting from this sense of quality.

In the last six months, in an attempt to form new partnership arrangements, I have held meetings with the Patents Office, Trading Standards and Anti Counterfeiting Agencies. I have also given a number of presentations about NABMA to various training courses where these organisations have been represented. What has concerned me over these months has been the repeated references to alleged criminal activity on markets arising from the sale of counterfeit/false goods. At one market goods worth approximately £1.2 million were seized over a three week period.

I make no judgment about individual markets but it is clear that this alleged criminal activity is impacting on markets generally. One of the initiatives pursued by the Anti Counterfeiting Group has been a cinema advertisement where counterfeit/false goods are seen sold on a market. The perception, arising from such an advertisement, is that markets are the place to get such goods.

In 2006 I hope that NABMA can work more closely with the Patent Office, Trading Standards and Anti Counterfeiting Agencies to tackle the problem of counterfeit and false goods on markets. This will be a new area of challenge but I believe it is a vitally important one. Quality matters and we must do all we can to make sure that markets achieve the highest possible standards of quality.

With best wishes for 2006.


Graham Wilson,
Chief Executive.