Gift Focus - Nov/Dec 2018 (Issue 110)

48 giftfocus THE GA AND BTAA ANNOUNCE MERGER The British Travelgoods, Handbags and Accessories Association and The Giftware Association have announced the merger of their operations and members’ services. The BTAA and the Giftware Association will combine day-to-day operations while retaining separate identities. Originally known as the Saddlery, Harness and General Leathergoods Manufacturers Association, The BTAA is celebrating its centenary this year and sees this merger as an opportunity to enhance and expand its services to its members. The Association has a rich history of serving the Travel and Leathergoods industries and feels that in today’s diverse market, the general interests of its members can be better served by sharing the experiences of the two prestigious organisations. The Giftware Association, having its own 71-year history, was set up to help members of the home and gift industry save money, make money and realise their business goals. With new initiatives, such as its Meet the Buyer Events, The Gift of The Year competition and The GA Yearbook, it has adapted to its changing environment in an effort to be an association fit for the future and is always looking for new services to benefit its numerous members. “We are incredibly excited to build on The BTAA’s amazing history and take it into the next era,” explains Sarah Ward, CEO of The Giftware Association. “We are looking forward to offering the BTAA members more initiatives and benefits that they can use to achieve their business goals while also offering them the same great service that they are used to. This merger provides a great base for us to grow the association and bring both industries closer together.” Janette Faulkner, chair of the BTAA said: “We are very excited by this merger and the opportunities that it affords us. We see it as a win-win for our members, who will keep the benefits of BTAA membership, plus the added services of our new, innovative partner.” In September, GA CEO Sarah Ward once again attended the Bank of England Genesis Initiative meeting, armed with the organisation’s members’ views to discuss topics, including SMEs’ capital intentions. Along with other trade associations and other big UK businesses, Ward discussed lending to SMEs and economic reform among several other subjects that affect today’s business environment. The Genesis Initiative was formed to improve the quality of debate among SMEs, driven by SMEs and supported by Parliamentarians, and their joint efforts contribute to the continued growth of the SME sector within the United Kingdom. John May, chairman of the Genesis Initiative, says: “Small business is the backbone of the British economy, and when it does well, the whole country does well. The role of Genesis is to act as an umbrella organisation, working on your behalf to optimise potential growth in the SME sector by fostering a can-do culture. We aim to participate fully in achieving economic and structural reforms that will enable business to flourish.” The Giftware Association recently sent out a survey and collated members’ views, which Ward presented at the meeting. Recognising the amount of information and big data that the GA had collated, Ward led the meeting into discussions with other trade associations about the economic state, and they all agreed that the present climate and the struggles that all businesses across all sectors are facing everyday are very real. The main findings of the day were that companies were relying on cash flow and reserves in the futures of their businesses rather than borrowing. There was also a lot of uncertainty around Brexit. Data shows that companies are sitting on the side of caution and waiting it out, with a lot of areas of their business not being affected over the past 12 months. Ward said: “Brexit is the talk of the table in most of these meetings, and now that we have established a connection as a respected association, we want to be able to bring our members’ views to the forefront on how the giftware industry is surviving and adapting but also the worries that we all face.” The Giftware Association relies on its members’ views to create these opportunities. It will be working more closely with the Genesis Initiative, so look out for more surveys and have your say. We bring you the very latest news from The Giftware Association Further information For The GA, log on to ga-uk.org GA news From L to R: Sir Ronald Halstead, EIA; Aslam Merchant, Pelican Manufacturing; Sarah Ward, the GA; John May, chairman, Genesis Initiative; Nick Levine, ICAEW; Paul Green, Galpeg Ltd; Rob Elder, Bank of England