EAST SUSSEX: Unimer's board has called for the industry to pause and consider whether the economic climate is right for an overseas conference in 2012.

The UK's leading invoice clearing house board, recently met to consider the recent announcements of two conferences in 2012.

"The Unimer board fully supports the need for a conference in 2012," said managing director Howard Grant. "But we would respectfully suggest that the only way to organise and successfully deliver such an event is by re-establishing the co-operative approach, whereby all interested parties get together to assist each other in organising an all industry event.

"By all means utilise the existing hotel booking commitments already made, but bring all interested parties together, avoid division and unnecessary duplicated costs and conflicts of interest and ensure that there is a single, successful all industry conference.

"This we feel will be to the absolute benefit of suppliers/merchants and our industry in general.

"It is three years since the last conference and in the interim period the sector has managed its way through massive economic uncertainty and very challenging markets," Mr Grant explained.

"The Government has changed and the coalition appears to have a mind to drive forward on a number of economic fronts, some of these such as self-build housing and the Green Deal, will have a direct impact on the merchants and the suppliers to the sector.

"There is obviously a need to network and discuss the major issues and business trends that we face – both current and future – in the market in which we all operate.

"The 'Conference' successfully met the needs of the industry for the three years prior to the interruption caused by the recession. Through the organising body of that event, it demonstrated that NMBS, BMF and Unimer could work together to create and deliver a single quality event for the industry.

"Those conferences facilitated the kind of networking opportunities that are difficult to replicate at any other type of industry event and successfully consolidated the resource and effort necessary to achieve this."