Independent Achievers Academy 2018 finalists announced
In each of the 12 IAA categories, the top four retailers have been shortlisted and may be named the UK’s best for their retail discipline.
News
The IAA Gala is a celebration and culmination of a full year of learning and development for retailers across the country. The IAA provides tools and know-how to support this journey. We help retailers stay committed to – both in the communities that they serve as well as sales and profit.
The Gala brings together these high-achieving retailers as well as decision-makers and senior executives at FMCG brands.
Register
Click here to register your place for an evening that recognises the work of independent convenience retailers who are leading the industry.
Programme
6:30 pm Arrival and drinks reception
7:15 pm Take your seats for a sumptuous three course Gala Dinner and wine
Finalists ceremony
11 pm Drinks and dancing (DJ set)
1:30 am Last orders on drinks, ready for carriages at 2 am
Speakers
We’re excited to announce that Sahar Hashemi, founder of Coffee Republic, will be the evening's keynote speaker.
Sahar Hashemi OBE is one of the UK's most inspirational female entrepreneurs, a bestselling author and an internationally recognised thought leader and speaker on innovation and entrepreneurship. As a keynote speaker, she shares her captivating story of building two famous brands – Coffee Republic, the UK's first coffee bar chain, and Skinny Candy. Her most requested talks are around nurturing an entrepreneurial mind-set in large organisations, how to stand in your customers’ shoes and the journey of turning a kitchen table idea into a £30m business.
Partners
FAQs
Independent shop owners and managers with decision-making authority. You should be looking to take your business forward through actionable advice and innovative tips from industry experts and trusted partners.
Where will the Gala take place?
The Gala will take place at the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf.
How much does it cost?
If you qualify, the event is free to attend for retailers. Registration and qualification is available on a first come, first served basis. Should you want to attend with a guest, the cost of one additional ticket is £99 + VAT.
Is there a dress code?
Yes, the Gala is a black-tie-preferred affair.
Do you cover travel expenses?
Attendees are responsible for securing their own travel. We suggest organising/booking travel as soon as your place in confirmed to keep costs to a minimum. Please contact event@newtrade.co.uk for a list of our preferred hotel partners.
I can’t make it, is there another way I can take part?
Yes! We’ll be live blogging and tweeting from the Gala throughout the day, so be sure to keep an eye on betterRetailing.com/IAA and follow the hashtag #IAA18 on Twitter.
Who should I contact if I’ve registered for the event but I can now no longer attend?
Contact our senior events executive, Neli Dicheva, at event@newtrade.co.uk or call 020 7689 0500.
Where can I find information that isn’t currently available on this site?
Contact our head of events, Samantha Gunston, at samantha.gunston@newtrade.co.uk or call 020 7689 3387.
#IAA17
Benchmark your shop
Benchmarking your shop will give you an in-depth report on how you’re performing, and compare your shop with others across the country. We’ve split retail into 12 key disciplines to help make it easier for you to understand where you’re doing a good job and what areas there are to grow your sales and profits.
Meet the Top Retailers
Is your store one of the Independent Achievers Academy Top 100 stores? Local retailers benchmarked their businesses across 12 key disciplines and were visited by our assessment partners for an in-store assessment to understand how they can better serve their communities. To see the IAA Top 100 shops for 2018 map, click here.
Check out the 2017 IAA Stars
Click here to see who walked away with the highest recognition in the 12 core categories - as well as the overall best shop - of the IAA at the Gala Dinner on November 29.
Academy in Action
Find out how our partners are helping retailers like you to improve their store and work out what you can do in your shop by reading coverage on betterRetialing.com.
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Benchmark your shop and get examples of how leading retailers have succeeded across the 12 key categories of independent convenience retail