A bold destination choice where east meets west sees the merchant sector travelling to Istanbul for this year’s BMF-hosted All Industry Conference. PBM considers what delegates can expect from the merchant calendar’s showpiece event.
For centuries, Istanbul has provided a strategic link between Europe and Asia whilst its unique location means that, for the first time, the BMF Conference will take place on two continents. Divided by the Bosphorus Strait — now spanned by the Bosphorus Bridge — and boasting a history dating back to the 7th Century BC, Istanbul is a melting pot of many civilisations.
A place where east meets west, the city is set to provide the ideal backdrop to explore the Conference theme, “Creating Connections”.
The event will take place at the five-star Swissotel The Bosphorus, and with the BMF “determined to ensure the sustainability of our 2023 Conference,” the facility was selected both for the quality of its accommodation and its commitment to sustainability. The BMF has also pledged to limit its operational impact by using local suppliers, reducing shipping costs, emissions and single-use materials in addition to using recyclable materials for branding and signage.
Recognising that the journeys of those travelling “inevitably contribute to global CO2 emissions”, the BMF will plant a tree for every person attending the event offset emissions.
“We work in an amazing industry that thrives on networking and relationships and has long been adept at creating connections between merchants and building material producers. In today’s post-Brexit, post-pandemic environment, creating and nurturing connections has never been more important.”
Creating Connections
Drilling down into the ethos of the event in a message on the BMF Conference 2023 website, CEO John Newcomb and Chairman Richard Hill explain: “We work in an amazing industry that thrives on networking and relationships and has long been adept at creating connections between merchants and building material producers. In today’s post-Brexit, post-pandemic environment, creating and nurturing connections has never been more important. For it is those connections that will help us to negotiate new trading relationships, and successfully navigate increasingly complex global supply chains”.
These themes will be explored in a full Conference business programme, hosted by Mark Durden-Smith, the sports and lifestyle television presenter.
Industry Forum
One of the most popular elements of the BMF All Industry Conference is the Industry Forum, which brings together four influential leaders from different segments of the industry to debate the most pressing business issues of the day. Taking the stage this year will be David Berry, Chairman of the Fortis Merchant Group and MD of C&W Berry; Mike Ward, Territory Director UK & Ireland at Wavin and the Elected Director – Suppliers on the BMF Board; Howard Luft, CEO of Selco; and David Craddock, Founder of the low carbon specialist developer and construction group VerdeGO.
Interactive workshops
Away from the main conference hall, a choice of four interactive workshops will give delegates an opportunity to discuss some of the most pertinent issues facing the industry. Two 45-minute sessions will be held each day, providing a deep dive into the following key topics — The Value of Sustainability; Digitalisation & Technology, with a focus on Cyber Crime; Recruit, Retain, Revive — introducing a new generation to a well-hidden gem; and Energy Efficiency Policy: Fact, Fiction or Fad — what’s in it for us?
Each workshop will feature a panel of industry experts, drawing on their own experiences and offering both merchant and supplier perspectives on these vital subjects. The floor will then be open for questions from the audience, prompting what are sure to be stimulating discussions.
Keynote speakers
A diverse line-up of expert speakers will address delegates from the main stage throughout the duration of the event. Maintaining the tradition of heavyweight political speakers — including Michael Portillo (2013), Alistair Campbell (2015), Paddy Ashdown (2017), John Prescott (2019) and John Bercow (2021) — former Labour MP and Cabinet Minister Alan Johnson is sure to deliver what will be one of the Conference highlights.
Alan served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010, having previously filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Following the 2010 election, he was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer until January 2011. Since retiring as an MP before the 2017 general election, he has subsequently made regular TV appearances as a political commentator and has become an award-winning author, publishing a series of memoirs and two novels.
Ollie Ollerton, the entrepreneur, author and former member of the UK Special Forces now best known as part of the Directing Staff on Channel 4’s hit TV show, SAS: Who Dares Wins, will also be taking to the stage in Istanbul. Following an inspiring military career and alongside his media work, Ollie founded BreakPoint — a self-development company for the public and corporate world — and he will be sharing his experiences to explain how mental and physical strength can combine to create a powerful force within us.
In what promises to be an entertaining and enlightening session, the “world’s best pickpocket” has also been booked for the Istanbul Conference! James Freedman — said to be the only person to have picked the pocket of the Governor of the Bank of England, the Prime Minister and His Majesty the King — will be demonstrating his encyclopaedic knowledge of deception, having spent years studying the methods of psychology of conmen and thieves to become a “master of the deceptive arts.”
A regular on television, there is a serious side to James’ unique skillset as a crime prevention specialist and he has advised the Metropolitan Police in addition to being appointed as The UK Fraud Prevention Ambassador by the City of London Police. In this role he works with police across the UK to raise awareness of modern fraud and stealth crime, using his performance skills and expert knowledge to change awareness of risk and reveal simple ways to defend against modern fraudsters.
The BMF All Industry Conference 2023 takes place in Istanbul from 15-18 June, with the support of headline sponsor Knauf UK and other industry partners.
Click here for more information on the event and to find out more about the BMF’s services for merchants.
A version of this article appeared in the June 2023 edition of PBM. Click here to read the full issue online.
