2009 Review

Under a cloudy sky the retail industry’s great and good gathered on 23 September for the dazzling evening that was the Annual Retail Industry Dinner 2009, in partnership with MasterCard. Guests were promised a night that would dispel the general economic gloom and so it proved. A stellar line-up of guests included Rt. Hon. Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Rory Bremner, scourge-in-chief of politicians everywhere.

The evening was begun by the BRC’s Chairman, Luke Mayhew, who used his speech to urge government to refrain from imposing new regulations and from further taxing consumption at a time when both retailers and consumers were under strain. Rt. Hon. Lord Mandelson, the keynote speaker of the evening, followed and he acknowledged that government needed to be sure of the impact of any new regulations before introducing them. He spoke of the Government’s role in supporting consumption through its fiscal stimulus and of the continued need for this stimulus to ‘lock in’ economic recovery. He went on to praise the industry for its commitment to encouraging green consumerism and for enabling social mobility by providing large sections of the UK workforce with access to training and opportunities for professional advancement. To read the full speech made by Luke Mayhew click here and for Lord Mandelson's click here.

Rory Bremner then took to the stage to give his view of the current political scene. Gordon Brown was shown in Churchill (Insurance) mode, saying ‘oh yes’ to numerous bail-outs but ‘oh no’ to a general election. A previous Chancellor, Ken Clarke, made an unexpected appearance and gave us a possible insight into Labour’s electoral strategy when he confided in guests that nobody wants to be in government during a boom because you can’t make any money there. Perhaps the current administration sees a new boom in the offing? Rory rounded off his routine by congratulating the gathering for having survived the tough past year and by wishing everyone the best for the future.

After the speeches, guests got back to the serious business of having a good time. The casino allowed you to simulate the experience of losing a lot of money in a short space of time and the sparkle from the dancefloor showed everyone off to their best advantage. Eventually time had to be called but as guests made their way into the night they were surrounded by the glow of another successful evening. We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

Annual Retail Industry Dinner 2009, in partnership with MasterCard		Guests meeting
		James Timpson, BRC Director General Stephen Robertson and Lord Mandelson		Luke Mayhew, Chairman of the BRC
Rt. Hon. Lord Mandelson		Luke Mayhew, Lord Mandelson and Stephen Robertson		Rory Bremner, the after dinner speaker
				The band entertaining guests after dinner
				Midnight treat (cookies) sponsored by PRG-Schultz
		Guests enjoying themselves at the casino after dinner