Friday January 6, 2012

Dear colleague,

Best Wishes From NABMA

Last year was a difficult one for many markets and 2012 promises to be even tougher.  Whenever you need help or support, NABMA is there for you.  We have an unrivalled range of member services and we are the voice of market operators at national level.  NABMA had probably its best year in 2011 and we will continue to do all we can for our members in 2012.  If you want help or if you want to comment on any aspect of the services NABMA provide, please get in touch.  We want to do all we can to make sure that you have all the help and support you need in 2012.

The Changing High Street

We are delighted with the strong support for the One-Day Conference at Birmingham on the 26th January 2012.  Prior to Christmas we had over a hundred bookings and we look like being close to capacity with bookings that have come in over the last few days.  Further information about the Conference is being sent out and a detailed programme will be sent out about a week before the event.

Diploma In Market Administration

It looks like we have achieved our cohort of students for the first round of the Diploma.  Prior to Christmas nine students had expressed an interest and we will be following up on further expressions of interest in the early part of 2012.

European Funding

Six NABMA members expressed an interest in the Interreg funding application and these expressions of interest have been forwarded via WUWM to our European partners who are overseeing the bid process.  Thanks go to Malcolm Veigus for co-ordinating the NABMA element of the process.  Further information will be shared early in January.

National Market Day

You will have seen the Mary Portas report and the proposal for a National Market Day.  A meeting of the Markets Alliance is being held on the 10th January 2012 and we are hoping to make announcements regarding the National Market Day at the One-Day Conference in Birmingham.

NMTF/NABMA Roadshows

Hopefully a meeting with NMTF will take place in early January to finalise details of these roadshows and we will be looking to move forward with four/five venues at the end of February and throughout March.  Further details will be given as soon as a meeting has taken place with NMTF.