Welcome by Henk Achterhuis President, Dutch Market Traders Association (CVAH) and Bert Ubels President, Dutch Association of Local Authority Market Managers (NVgM)

 

Dear Delegates,

On behalf of the Dutch Market Traders Association (CVAH) and the Dutch Association of Local Authority Market Managers (NVgM) we are delighted to welcome you to Amsterdam and hope that you enjoy your stay with us.

More than 16 million people call the Netherlands home. It is the most densely populated country in Europe and one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

Every month half the consumers in the Netherlands visit a market. One in five consumers claim that they go to the market at least once a week.

We are proud of our markets, a total of 1000 a week. However, like retail markets worldwide, we are facing many challenges. Addressing issues at the conference such as the Market Place in Retail Policy, the Market Role in Urban Planning, Identifying the Market Professional and Ensuring Responsible Markets will focus on many of these challenges.
The programme includes two visits: the award winning Dappermarkt Retail Market and Food Centre Amsterdam Wholesale Market.

Therefore, we are pleased that we can host the WUWM Retail Conference this year. Sharing knowledge and information with each other and looking together at solutions.

The conference programme provides an excellent opportunity for both networking and attending presentations, together with an opportunity to see some of the important Amsterdam markets.

Hopefully there will be also be time to enjoy something more of what Amsterdam has to offer. 

Yours,

   
Henk Achterhuis    Bert Ubels
President CVAH     President NVgM

Introduction

After 50 years of wholesale market representation, the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) opened its doors to retail market membership in 2006. This was done out of increasing recognition for the valuable contribution made by retail market operators to the markets industry, and to support the common agenda wholesale and retail markets share today.

To reflect the growing strength of the retail membership within the association, the World Union of Retail Markets within WUWM was born 2009.

The World Union of Retail Markets within WUWM aims to:
> Provide information and knowledge exchange – between members,
as well as with other public or private bodies;
> Offer a strategy and comprehensive knowledge of the global retail
market industry;
> Support members in the operation and promotion of their markets;
> Support and initiate lobbying – including to public/private decision-
making bodies, parliamentary groups, legislators, and other market
related organisations;
> To promote and develop best practice within the retail market
sector.

This WUWM Retail Conference aims to further develop WUWM as a pro-active and leading platform for the global retail market sector.  The current focus is on consolidating the European arm of the network, ensuring a united voice exists for retail markets within the European Union. Important activities to date include the establishment of a retail market definition, a member survey highlighting the role and importance of retail markets in key European countries, and active European Commission consultation and lobbying as regards the European Services Directive, as well as the retail monitoring report consultation on “Towards more efficient and fairer retail services in the internal market for 2020”.

We invite you to join us in this WUWM Retail Conference and support the movement to ensure a strong voice exists in support of the retail market sector – regionally, as well as internationally.

This conference is open to participation from:
> Retail market authorities and decision-makers;
> Retail market traders (and their associations);
> Local authority representatives (e.g. Heads of Markets, Leaders of
Councils, etc);
> Town centre managers and town planners;
> Government agencies working for retail/commerce/food retail
businesses;
> Any professionals interested in the social and/or economic benefits
of markets.