Records broken at Choice AGM Conference & Trade Show
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Choice Marketing members were in buoyant mood at their Annual AGM Conference and Trade Show after it was announced that their supplier rebates for the last 12 months would exceed a record £1.3million.
The event held at Jury’s Hotel, Hinckley included a record 75 Trade exhibitors which this year focused on the fast growing Giftware and Catering sectors.
 Mark Winchester was elected as the new Chairman of the Group. Tony Blake, the former Chairman and a founder member of Choice Marketing was appointed to the position of President. Mark and Tony are pictured left.
The 50 garden centre delegates heard that in the last 12 months most members had added good growth to their own businesses, outperforming the market once again.
During the year members raised £130,000 for their nominated charities through the Gardman poppy and daffodil feeder promotions. Choice Marketing is proud to have winning members within the team, with many centres continuing to excel at national and local level.
Group marketing is a key benefit for many members, with 2 million individually and professionally designed leaflets being distributed to garden centre customers, at key seasonal times. This is backed up with a full annual marketing programme, bespoke to individual members. Mark Winchester commented “we are fortunate to be working with an excellent full service marketing agency who fully understand our members and our industry."
Thanks were expressed to the buying forums who have again given clear focus to their individual sectors. The newly formed Christmas & Gifts forum headed by Mandy Barrie of Caulders Garden Centres, came in for special mention having worked tirelessly for developing the Group’s Giftware sector for the benefit of all members. Christmas & Giftware suppliers were a special feature of the Trade Show for the first time resulting in a good deal of new business being achieved.
The conference included market presentations from Westland Horticulture and Gardman. The guest speaker was the one and only Gerald Ratner who delivered a thought provoking and inspirational address on the ‘rise and fall and rise again’ of his jewellery businesses.
The annual dinner attended by 120 members and suppliers was a fitting finale for the Choice Marketing Group’s largest and most successful Conference in its 15 year history. Michelle de Lavis- Trafford thanked the supplier sponsors and all the participants for their contribution to the success of the event.
Garden centres who would like to know more about the benefits of membership of Choice Marketing should contact Michelle de Lavis-Trafford at info@choice-marketing.co.uk www.choice-marketing.co.uk
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