Conferences

Programme:

08.45 Registration and coffee 09.30 Welcome & Introduction Nick will open the briefing and outline the themes of the day.   Nick Everitt Head of Market Intelligence IGD 09.35 UK Wholesaling Growth and Opportunities Drawing on IGD’s unique research into the market and the channels it serves, James will provide insight on the evolving structure of the market both now and in the future.   James Walton Chief Economist IGD 10.00 Sustaining the Costco Growth Model As the fastest growing wholesaler in the UK, and with planned openings ahead, Costco will play an ever greater role in the sector in the future. Steve will share his thoughts on how the business intends to evolve its offer and maintain its momentum, and what its needs from the supply base will be.   Steve Barnett UK Trading Director Costco 10.25 Driving growth in the delivered channel As the largest UK wholesaler P&H is seeking to maximise its scale opportunities to bring an improved offer to all its customer groups to create sustainable competitive advantage for the future.     Paul Hagon Managing Director Sales P&H 10.50 Refreshment Break 11.25 The Future of Group Buying Consolidation continues to create challenges for group buying operations. Rodney will address how the Today’s Group is rising to this challenge and how suppliers can engage with wholesalers through it to identify and achieve the key wins.     Rodney Hunt Managing Director Today’s Group 11.50 The Cutting Edge of Cash & Carry The Dhamecha business has been a dynamic story of growth based on traditional cash & carry values, despite lacking the scale of its national competitors. Pradip will share his experiences of how to find and sustain growth in a mature market.     Pradip Dhamecha Chief Executive Dhamecha Cash & Carry 12.15 The him! Cash & Carry Tracking Programme With the results of him!’s annual Tracking Programme unveiled in September, this is a timely opportunity to discover more about the purchasing habits and attitudes of retailers and caterers within the cash & carry sector and the implications for wholesalers and suppliers.     Tom Fender Director him! 12.35 Discussion: The Trading Agenda An opportunity for a wider discussion featuring the speakers from the morning session, including Steve Barnett, Rodney Hunt, Pradip Dhamecha and Tom Fender. Questions from the audience will be invited.   13.10 Networking Lunch 14.20 Best-One and Bestway Still less than 10 years old, the combination of a sophisticated convenience store format and a strong and flexible service package makes Best-One the fastest growing symbol group in the UK. In his presentation, James will illustrate how Bestway plans to develop the group for the future and how this relates to the evolution of the broader Bestway business.     James Hall Business Development Controller Bestway 14.45 Landmark’s Vision for Wholesaling As its membership continues to evolve, John will share how Landmark’s requirements from suppliers continue to move forward and how it seeks to ensure successful partnerships through the channels served.     John Searle Trading Director Landmark 15.10 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION & INTERVIEW: The Transformation of Booker As CEO, Charles Wilson has led the turnaround at Booker, which is once more a dynamic leading force in UK wholesaling. Charles will round off the day with a keynote address highlighting his priorities for the development of the Booker business, his perspectives on the future and the growth opportunities ahead. Charles will also discuss the issues in more detail with Nick and will take questions from the audience.     Charles Wilson CEO Booker 15.55 Closing Comments   Nick Everitt Head of Market Intelligence IGD