PRESS RELEASE - THE GIFTWARE ASSOCIATION AGM

 

The Giftware Association hosted its AGM on 22nd June for the first time in person for three years, seeing some big changes to the make-up of its National Committee and officers.

The AGM was held at the GA’s Head Office in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, with a selection of members made up of suppliers, retailers, and service providers who braved the travel chaos to meet the team, network and learn from other members.

Chris Workman, Marketing and PR Manager opened the day by welcoming the guests and showcased a brief history of The Giftware Association to its newer members, as well as introducing the National Committee to the room. Chris handed over to outgoing Chair, Gert Schyberg from Sebnini and CEO Sarah Ward to conclude the AGM Formalities and the official business of the AGM.

Official Business saw Louise Welsby from Buy-From take over as the Chair of The Giftware Association, and Gert Schyberg step into the Deputy Chair role. Jeremy Corner from Blue Eyed Sun stood down from the National Committee and was thanked for his service and support over the years and Mark Jones from Gisela Graham will step into the role of Vice-Chair to form the new officer selection for the next two years. 

Louise said, ‘It is an honour to be the new Chair of the Giftware Association, the first service provider in the association’s 75-year history to take on the role. I am looking forward to continuing the excellent stewardship of Gert Schyberg and am keen to get to work on supporting the GA with new initiatives, including the development of their digital marketing and educational benefits.”

The GA also welcomed two new members to its National Committee ranks, both of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them. Tabi Marsh from Papiliio Heritage will offer a valuable retail perspective to the association and on projects moving forwards, and Stephen Illingworth from Widdop will offer invaluable support from his role as one largest gift suppliers in the UK.

Sarah ward said “The day was fantastic and great to meet new and familiar faces and we welcome the changeover in the committee and thank Jeremy for his time on the committee and the amount of time and knowledge that he has helped out with The GA. We wanted the day to be a bit different from a formal AGM and we succeeded I making that happen and connecting a lot of people.”

The Giftware Association likes to do things differently, so the AGM was enlivened by talks from three members, who each shared their incredible business journeys so far: Clare Harris from Talking Tables, Demi Pendakis from F.Y.G and Paul Sun from Gingko. The day was a jubilant celebration of the power an association like the GA has to really unite people, create community, and support business growth.

 

The minutes of the meeting and yearly report are available on the BATF website and can be found here.