It’s that time again!

Another year has passed and it’s time to prepare to travel out to Athens for the Unitas annual conference. We have selected another fabulous location in the heart of the capital at the wonderful Hyatt hotel, we know you won’t be disappointed.

Our aim is to provide a professional and enjoyable experience with plenty of business content and opportunities to network in a formal and informal environment, with a bit of fun thrown in.

Unitas and its membership have seen strong growth since we were last together in Tenerife and we aim to share how and why our members are experiencing this growth in such challenging times. Just as importantly, we will explore how our suppliers can work closer with Unitas and our members to ensure they are receiving their share of this fantastic performance now and in the future.

You will find the full speaker list on the app and website. Familiar faces such as Tom Fender and Jill Livesey will share the latest market data and insights across Retail and Out of Home. We will hear again from Paul Johnson, the Director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, on the wider economy and his predictions for the future. Among the other topics under discussion is the impact that emerging technology, including AI, will have on our channel.

I appreciate it is both a financial and a time commitment to attend our conference in Athens and I would ask all delegates to think what they want to get out of this event in advance of attending, to ensure you get a great return for this investment. Target the members or suppliers you wish to catch up with. The Unitas central team and I are available to help make these introductions if required. As well as the structured Meet the Member sessions you can use the Unitas Events App to check who is attending and request ad hoc meetings. 

Welcome to our first time delegates

So we’ve decided to take all that anxiety away and make sure no one feels alone or misses out on this once-a-year opportunity to immerse themselves and their brand in the world of Unitas. I have invited Clare Bocking to speak on the topic of people development, but also in her role as Chair of Women in Wholesale, Clare will offer her support to delegates attending for the first time, and especially any female delegates attending on their own. She will be present at the hotel checking-in process, and at the welcome reception on the first night to give them any information and support during their stay in Athens. Her role is to help them meet their business objectives through introductions to key sector contacts. Claire will be making contact in advance with conference debutants so if that’s you, look out for her email.

The Venue

The Hyatt is a fabulous hotel, having recently been extended and refurbished with a stunning rooftop pool and entertainment area. We are located just 10 minutes from the centre of Athens. However, Greece and Athens are not known for their golf facilities, so unfortunately this year we won’t be hosting our annual golf competition!

Dress Code

Whilst it is a business conference, we do want you to be relaxed. The dress code is smart casual throughout, apart from Sunday evening dinner which is casual. Please note, the venues for Sunday and Monday evening are located on grass areas so please consider this when choosing your footwear

Standards & Dignity Charter

Unitas is proud to have signed up to the industry Standards and Dignity at Work Charter which involves the sector coming together to define and encourage standards of acceptable behaviour, in the workplace but also at trade events such as this conference. We endeavour to ensure we always deliver a professional conference where every delegate feels safe and respected. Every delegate has the right to a respectful working environment and this includes our social activities. I would ask all delegates to familiarise themselves with the charter which can be found at this link

I look forward to welcoming you in Athens and I wish you all a safe and pleasant journey.

Regards

John