Gift shop owners (and past Greats winners) Emma Woodward and Samantha Yair, owners of Aspire Style, a chain of independent lifestyle and gift boutiques, will be among the speakers at this year’s bira National Conference which takes place on May 10 at Jurys Inn, Hinckley Island, Leicestershire. (Aspire was also the winner of the British Independent Retailer Association’s bira Award for Independent Business of the Year in 2016).
The keynote speaker will be Levi Roots, who will be talking attendees through his recipe for success, as well as speakers from Trouva and Vend, who will talk about retail tech trends as well as using the internet to enhance business.
“Members from every sector will be coming together to network, share ideas and be inspired by the speaker line-up,” comments bira’s ceo Alan Hawkins. “Promoting yourself online, and using the tools available to you, will be covered as well as a not-to-be-missed cyber-crime prevention session, to make retailers feel safe using the internet.”
Alan adds that as bira heads into a new era, it’s a good time to look to the future. “Retail itself is changing at a record speed, and with the likes of Toys R Us closing its doors, it has never been more important to focus on what future retailing looks like and what retailers need to do to survive.”
The day will end with the annual bira Awards, hosted by radio presenter Reverend Richard Coles, formally from The Communards, and a recent contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.
Visit https://bira.co.uk/conference-2018/
Top: Emma Woodward and Samantha Yair, (centre and right), co-owners of Aspire Style, are shown at The Greats Awards in 2015 where they won the Best Display category.
