There is still time to book your place at the annual British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) conference and awards, due to take place on May 8.

The event, which is hosted at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, brings together top experts from the retail industry, from small independents and innovative start-ups, to global businesses and retail icons.

Designed to offer insight that will help shape the future of an independent retail business, the conference will also share ideas on how to further meet the needs of customers in the current era of change.

Speakers at this year’s event include Neil and Duncan Mackay, joint owners of Mackays of Cambridge; Dulux creative director Marianna Shillingford; Stax Trade Centres joint MD David Hibbert; business rates appeal adviser MarkRadford and Jonathan Reynolds of the Saïd Business School. The keynote speaker will be Laura Tenison MBE, founder of high street chain Jojo Maman Bebe.

Following the close of the conference, BIRA will host its gala dinner and annual British Independent Retail Awards. Independent businesses from across the retail sector will be rewarded in a number of categories at the awards event, including Charitable Champion, Team of the Year, and the coveted Independent Retail Business of the Year.

For more information and to register to attend the BIRA Conference, visit https://bira.co.uk/event/conference17/  or contact Pauline Swiech on 0121 446 6688 or events@bira.co.uk