That, and adding lots of huge signs directing people up there. Plus some more ideas we’re still looking at. So it’s time to start reminding your customers and business colleagues – you can never start too soon with spreading the BBEx word. And as soon as Christmas is out of the way, it’ll be time to send them invitations to help make this the best BBEx we’ve run yet.

We, of course, have a full programme of media promotions to put the word around the industry. But Mercator Media is an expert at organising exhibitions – you already know how well Jane Wilson and her team runs BBEx and Seawork.

There is, however, only one company that’s close to your customers. And that’s you, not Mercator Media. We try our hardest and have our usual plans in place for print and broadcast media coverage to attract as many people to the show as we can. And we’ll give you all the help we can – take a look below at the seminar/workshop plans we have to help attract the crowds.

But we need a little help from you as well. So start reminding them now. And send out invitations as soon as Christmas is over. February is not very far away...

BBEx seminars/workshops
We’ve been working on the seminar/workshop schedule for the event and it’s looking good. For example, with the Health and Safety Executive planning a series of visits to boatyards next year, we’re working on a series of briefings for managers, supervisors and contractors involved in painting, spraying and GRP lay up.

Part of this seminar programme may well include a workshop or two on using advanced composites, so keep watching BB and these regular NewsUpdates for more information.

Above all, make sure you get a briefing at BBEx before you get a visit from the HSE...

After the B A Peters crash this year there was a lot of talk around the industry on how best to protect client deposits and stage payments. So we’ve got Tim Reynolds (Dyer Burdett & Co) and Nigel John (company secretary of the British Marine Federation [BMF]) putting together a seminar on credit given/credit received, financial security and consumers money and successful trading in a challenging market environment

Training is always a touchy subject – it’s worth its weight on gold. But it can cost a lot of gold in the first place. So we’re putting together a session on how you can get the grants to slash your training costs. It can be done, they tell us...

The environment is getting ever larger in our lives, so we’ve taken some action. First, we’ve added an Environment Award to our Boating Business awards to be presented at BBEx (more below). And we’ve got the BMF involved, with Brian Clarke, the BMF’s environment executive, helping us judge the award. And he will give a BBEx seminar on how the average leisure marine company can take positive action to become more environmentally aware.

Finally, Jonno Barrett of Kudos Software has some intriguing thoughts on how you can steal a few ideas from the e-tailers. It’s not all about price, he says. So come along and see what web traders can teach the traditional business. The fightback starts here, he says.

BBEx Awards
This year we have two more awards to present. That’s in addition to our joint BBEx/MTA awards for the Scott Deverell Young Business Person of the Year, the Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the Retailer of the Year and the BB Lifetime Achievement Award. So that’s six awards in all.

But don’t worry: we promise the Tuesday evening FREE drinks/awards party will be a very quick affair.

The two new awards are our Web Design Award and our Environment Award. The first of these is being made in conjunction with boats.com and the second with the British Marine Federation (BMF).

So we need nominations for all our awards. You need to email your nomination(s) to awards@bbex.com and make sure you include full reasons – in 150 words maximum – for your nomination. You also need to make it clear who you are nominating and who you are. We also need contact details for you.

The BBEx/MTA Scott Deverell Young Business Person of the Year award is for the person aged 40 or under who has, as an employee, done the most for his/her company in building sales or initiating new sales methods of working or enhancing customer service. Previous winners include Paul Botterill of Barton, Andy Sims of Cooney Marine and Zeb Elliott, then of Halyard.

The BBEx/MTA Young Entrepreneur of the Year award is for the person(s) aged 40 or under who has set up their own successful business. Previous winners include Clive and Mark Johnson of Tacktick and Neil Chapman of Boatshed.

The BBEx/MTA Retailer of the Year award is for the person or company that has done the most business or developed new business methods or set new standards for customer service. Previous winners include BHG Marine and Norfolk Marine.

The Boating Business Lifetime Achievement Award is for the person who has made a difference over their years of working in the UK leisure marine industry – not necessarily one of the ‘names’ in the industry – just someone who has been around and made their presence felt. The winner of our inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award last year was David Coleman of Barton Marine. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house...

Our new BBEx/MTA Website Award is to recognise the website that has made the job of buying online easier, whether that’s from technical development or from the design of the site. The award is being made in association with boats.com and MD Ian Atkins will be on the judging panel.

Finally, our last new award is the BBEx/MTA Environment Award, which is being made in association with the BMF. Brian Clarke, the BMF’s environment executive, has drawn up the parameters and will sit on the judging panel.

The award will recognise a company which is actively implementing sound environmental management practices within their business, such as an Environment Management System, waste reduction/recycling strategies or identifying and solving issues related to their carbon footprint. Any submission needs to identify strategies that have been in place for at least two years and will need to describe the initiative undertaken, its benefits for the company and the benefits for the environment.

We already have some nominations in for the Young Business Person of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award. So get nominating - email your choices now to awards@bbex.co.uk