Mica DIY brought members and suppliers together last weekend for the Mica Exchange, a new event replacing the company's traditional annual tradeshow.
After a members' dinner on Saturday night, retailers and suppliers gathered at the East Midlands Hilton on Sunday, March 6th for the Exchange, which was organised in the style of slow speed dating.

Retailers pre-booked 14-minute slots with suppliers, meaning they were able to catch up, build new relationships or place orders with all the suppliers attending.

These included big names such as Akzo Nobel, Crown Paints, Draper Tools, Henkel, Ronseal and Stax Trade Centres. Every supplier offered a special offer on the day for those members who attended the event.

The move away from the more rigid trade show format of the old 'Mica Market' received 100% positive feedback from both members and suppliers, according to Mica.

Stax Trade Centres joint md David Hibbert said the event was "a very enjoyable and intensive day that allowed a first class exchange of views with no quiet periods and the ability to sell offers at the same time." Chris Howard of Henkel added that it was "an excellent opportunity to further develop our business partnership with Mica members - much more productive than the trade show format."

Earlier in the day, members were given the chance to sit down with directors as part of the 'Mica Forum' to have their say on key issues affecting the business, which has operated as a full cooperative since its AGM unanimously approved the move last March.

Mica DIY ceo Steve Ball commented: "When you try something new like this, you never know how it's going to be received. We are delighted with the response from both members and suppliers. I would like to thank everyone who played a role in making the event such an enjoyable and successful experience."

The event concluded with a Gala Dinner on Sunday night, which included a talk from Dr Graeme Codrington on understanding different generations in the workplace, as well as the Mica Member & Supplier Awards for 2010.

The winners were:

Cooperative Spirit Award - Merlin Mica Hardware
Purchasing Commitment Award - Kennedys Mica Hardware
Promotional Excellence Award - Morris Redditch Mica Hardware
Mica Representative Team of the Year - Draper Tools
Mica National Accounts Manager of the Year - Robert Bosch
Mica Promotional Supplier of the Year - RKW
Mica Supplier of the Year- Stax Trade Centres

Mica DIY has returned to profit for 2010, its first full year of trading, and is looking forward to hosting the 2012 Mica Exchange next year.