The VA Conference - Thursday 29th March 2007

24/01/2007
The Va (formerly known as the Voucher Association) will be holding its fourth annual conference at The Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London. This ‘must attend’ industry event is suitable for everyone that has an interest in vouchers, gift cards and stored value solutions. The conference is aimed at established issuers as well as providers seeking to enter the vouchers and gift card market.

There are over 160 different gift vouchers and 53 gift cards available across the retail, travel and leisure sectors, which are redeemable against products ranging from electrical goods, clothing and days out to meals in restaurants and holidays.

The event will share best practice ideas, discuss issues of mutual concern and allow delegates to learn about developments and innovations that can help grow and develop the incentive and consumer market, which is worth over £3 billion in the UK alone.

The day’s event will offer a practical and business focussed programme designed to create an environment that stimulates discussion and debate among the audience.

An exhibition will be running alongside the conference sessions, where visitors will have the opportunity to speak to leading suppliers to the voucher and gift card industry.

Andrew Johnson, Director-General of the Va commented: “Recent sales figures from Va members recorded a very buoyant market with both UK businesses and consumers increasing spend on gift vouchers and cards. In addition, gift cards and gift card malls have taken the UK by storm and we have most definitely taken the lead in continental Europe.

“Those from the retail, leisure management, restaurant, visitor attraction and entertainment industry might not automatically see themselves as a voucher issuer or gift card provider. However, this conference will dispel these myths about who can or cannot provide or issue vouchers and gift cards and introduce new organisations to the benefits of entering into this expansive market.”

For more details on attending the Va conference, please e-mail dominique.holmes@quest-media.com

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B&Q, Other U.K. Retailers to Accept Post Office Gift Vouchers

Sept. 23 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. retailers including Kingfisher Plc's B&Q home-improvement chain and Kesa Electricals Plc's Comet business will accept gift vouchers to be sold at Royal Mail Group Plc's 14,600 Post Office branches across the country.

The vouchers will be available in sizes ranging from 100 pounds ($180) down to 10 pounds, according to an e-mailed statement released today. They also can be purchased by telephone and over the Internet from the Post Office or its partner, Gift Voucher Shop.

A similar program in Ireland has more than doubled sales annually since it was started in 2002 and now has more than 550 merchants as partners, the statement shows. Britons also can buy so-called experience and enjoyment vouchers for uses such as flying lessons or meals at restaurants including Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's Sticky Fingers.

``We believe the new service will be very popular with our customers and stimulate an increase in the total size of the U.K. gifting market,'' Derek Rocholl, head of payment services at Post Office Ltd., said in the statement.

The vouchers can be purchased by people who live outside the U.K. Customers can use cash, debit and credit cards and savings stamps to buy them at Post Office branches, which are visited by 28 million people each week, according to the statement. A 1.50- pound fee will be charged for every voucher.

Vouchers also can be redeemed at retailers including billionaire Philip Green's Arcadia Group, the owner of fashion chains such as Wallis, and department-store operator Debenhams, as well as the Yellow River Cafe, Jim Thompson's and Arbuckles restaurant chains run by Noble House Leisure Ltd.

Gift Voucher Shop started the Irish voucher program with An Post, the country's postal service.