The Master comments: “This year’s industry conference was well organised and effective. It encouraged suppliers, merchants and industry bodies such as the WCoBM to think outside the box when it comes to branding and communicating to their audience. The excellent and interesting speakers got me thinking about how we can promote our brand.
“The WCoBM includes many of the industry’s leading movers and shakers,” continues the Master. “In itself, that creates an ideal platform for networking and discussion at the highest level. Many of our members were at the Conference. But the significance of our Livery goes much further than a networking platform. One of our key objectives is to raise the profile of builders’ merchants and their pivotal role in ‘Supplying Britain’s Building Needs’. It was great to see our efforts in last year’s Lord Mayor’s Show given prominence in Liveryman Mike Rigby’s presentation. But it’s a drop in the ocean and needs continual reinforcement.”
As a Livery Company, the WCoBM has the ear of influential people in the City. So it’s a great opportunity to gain a wider profile and promote the industry. But the Master admits that the WCoBM’s branding and voice needs strengthening. “While maintaining the strong traditions established over the centuries, we need to have a greater voice in communicating the value of builders’ merchants to Britain’s building needs,” he says. “I see we may even bring a little ‘X Factor’ and ‘mystique’ to our industry that others can’t!”
The Master concludes: “The Conference was very successful in getting over 400 people from our industry to come together and talk ‘shop’, which is probably a reflection of how we are moving forward positively following recession. So congratulations to NMBS on another excellent value All Industry Conference.”
The image shows the Master (far right) with his wife Linda and Liverymen Simon Lawson and Howard Grant.
