COMMENT


COMMENT


Every vote counts S


o that all went swimmingly then. Big Ben didn’t ‘bong’ but, nevertheless, the UK managed to mark its departure from the European Union last month with our usual mixture of hubris, shrugging of shoulders and general nonsensical chatter, depending on your point of view.


Fiona Russell-Horne Editor-in-Chief - BMJ


Nigel Farage still managed to get his two- penn’orth on the TV and the reporters sent around the country managed to find their fair share of vox- poppers telling us why they were either celebrating or commiserating.


“


All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.


Friedrich Nietzsche


We are now in the transition period for the rest of this year, and this is when the politicians are really going to have to knuckle down and sort out the trade deals. Whatever we get, it will please only some of the people for some of the time and will displease some of the people for some of the time. Indeed, time will tell whether ‘Project Fear’ was really just doom-mongering as the Prime Minister would have us believe or ‘Project Reality’ as many of the Remain brigade were so certain of. I hope it’s the former, I really do, as this is what we have to work with now, regardless of which way each individual voted back in 2016.


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In the meantime, the rest of us have just got to get on with our lives and our businesses. So, as it’s that time of year, allow me to put in a serious plug for the BMJ Industry Awards 2020. These are the only merchant awards which are decided by the industry itself, by the colleagues and suppliers, peers and customers who are the ones that know you and your businesses best. The nominations have been made, the names entered and checked by our third-party vetting process. We’ve had so many entries this year which just shows how many people there are out there who really believe that their brands, their colleagues’ brands, their favourite merchants or


their top suppliers are worthy of an award. The secure, online voting portal is now open and I would encourage everyone who has been nominated to talk to their colleagues, suppliers and customers and get them voting.


The industry has changed massively in the 25 or so years I have been involved in it but some things stay the same: the enthusiasm and the passion of people working to make a difference for their businesses, to their customers, to their suppliers. It’s a people industry and I really believe that this is why so many of us have stayed in it for so long. Whether it’s on the management board, in marketing department, out in the yard, at the trade counter, in the back-office or on the road with customers, the ability and commitment of the people I meet to this amazing industry never fails to impress me.


That goes for suppliers as much as merchants, which is why the BMJ Industry Awards are also awarding accolades to manufacturer brands, as well as the top merchants. We aren’t just handing out a gong for ‘best supplier’, this awards programme highlights the huge variety of product sectors that merchants get involved with every day. We have really tried to make this an awards programme for the whole industry. It gives everyone a chance to highlight those companies and individuals that they believe make a difference.


So head on over to our awards website www. bmjindustryawards.co.uk/vote to vote for your favourites among our nominees and then, when you’ve done that, book your spot at the celebration lunch and come and have fun on a Friday with the rest of the industry. Book a table, bring friends, colleagues, customers and see the industry do what it does best - networking. Friday May 15th, The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London. Be there. You won’t regret it.


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