ASSOCIATION OF LONDON MARKETS
The next meeting of the AoLM is scheduled for Monday 26th March between 2-4pm at the Food Exchange Offices at New Covent Garden Market. This is an important meeting as we need to elect a new Chair and receive a report from the newly established London Market Board. This will be the first chance to see how the AoLM can work with the Board. A full agenda will be published shortly. If you are not on the current data base please contact Peter Turvey on turveyservices@gmail.com who is NABMA’s London Advisor.
GDPR
The new data protection regulations coming into force in May will have an impact on markets and we have been getting requests over the last month from members asking if NABMA is going to offer advice on this issue.We are currently in discussion with a data protection consultant and we hope to offer general advice within the next two or three weeks. If any member has already received information, via their local authority data protection officer, and is able to share that advice it would assist in building up a picture of the what action will be needed. Please contact the NABMA office.
MARKET POLICIES
Last week we received a request from a member asking if NABMA could provide examples of local authorities who were currently operating a markets policy. We can point to a number who advertise the existence of a markets policy and NABMA has a template of a markets policy which has been used by a number of members but it would be useful to have feedback from members on the existence, the operation and results of operating a markets policy. It would particularly be good to know about the reaction from market operators who have to submit to a licensing procedure.
FUTURE HIGH STREET FORUM & RETAIL SECTOR COUNCIL
Next week sees the launch of the Future High Street Forum, which I sit on as Markets industry representative. This coincides with the announcement earlier this month of the first industry-led Retail Sector Council.
The Retail Sector Council will meet regularly with industry to discuss the challenges the sector faces. They will review how best retailers could adapt to changing consumer behaviour, the business environment and opportunities such as the development of new technologies to improve customer service, the chances to grow skills through a sector push on high-value training and ways to boost sector productivity and its economic health.
Senior management from Boots, Amazon and other renowned retailers will sit on the Council as well as the British Retail Consortium. Together, with government, they will provide expert advice to the sector and contribute to its future direction.
REGIONAL MEETINGS UPDATE
Our first regional meeting takes place in Pontypool, Wales on Thursday 12 April. There will be an opportunity to find out about the local market operation, as well as policy updates from NABMA and NMTF. Other events are confirmed in Halifax, Warrington, London and Cambridge. Places are free but limited.
BOOK HERE
LOVE YOUR LOCAL MARKET 17-31 May 2018
Still wondering what to do for Love Your Local Market fortnight? Thanks to our friends at Gala Tent, there’s now a downloadable leaflet for organisers on the Love Your Local Market website with some ideas linked to this year’s theme, Markets: Close to Your Heart. There will be a chance to brainstorm ideas at the regional meetings.
Don’t forget the last opportunity to order branded merchandise is 27 April.
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
A date for your diary, this week the team behind Small Business Saturday have announced that the campaign will return on Saturday 1 December 2018