A digital version of Catalogue/e-business’s ECMOD 2008 Preview is now available. The guide includes a listing of exhibitors and a sneak peak of sessions featuring experts such as M&A intermediary Don Libey, merchandising consultant Andrew Wilson, marketing consultant Henry Heavisides and fulfilment professional Chris Pearce-Ramwell. ECMOD 2008 takes place 1st-2nd October at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London. Half-day sessions are priced at an affordable £145. For details or to register, go to www.ecmod.com. To view the preview guide, click here.  

Half-year pretax profits at Next fell 12.4 percent, to £173.5 million. Like-for-like full-price sales from Next retail stores were down 6 percent—but on the plus side, Next Directory catalogue and online sales rose 2.2 percent, to £379.9 million. The number of active Directory customers rose 1.5 percent, with the web accounting for 60 percent of orders. Total sales fell 2.4 percent, to £1,501 million..

Shop Direct Group has averted a strike by members of Usdaw, who work in the cataloguer’s call centres and warehouses. The parent company of Littlewoods had increased its pay offer to a 9.24-percent hike over two years.

In other Shop Direct news, the group communications director for Littlewoods, David Boardman, will be leaving to return to work as a consultant once the spring/summer 2009 collection launches. According to reports, Ann Bryon, of Screwfix and B&Q parent company Kingfisher, will replace him.

To better promote its corporate business, gardening gifts cataloguer Gluttonous Gardener will launch a b-to-b microsite and catalogue next month. Osmodus is designing the microsite, while Helen Bratby is designing the catalogue.

Congratulations to Aamir Ahmad, founder of home furnishings cataloguer/retailer Dwell: He has been nominated for a Lloyds TSB Jewel Award, honouring the UK Asian business community. The awards will be given out on 4th October in London.

A website specialising in die-cast models, ModelSupermarket.com, has launched in time for the run-up to Christmas. Designed and developed by Screen Pages, the site integrates with the MNP Order Active back office system.

Best known for its home furnishings offering, retailer/cataloguer John Lewis is investing roughly £1.3 million in a campaign to promote its fashion ranges. Top model Karen Elson will front the campaign, with adverts appearing in UK newspaper supplements this weekend and in the November issues of Elle, InStyle and Vogue.

To celebrate its rebranding and revamped website, creative agency TA Design is running a competition for a free catalogue makeover. B-to-c and b-to-b companies can enter at the TA Design website (www.tadesign.co.uk/freedesign/) or at the company’s stand at ECMOD, where the winner will be announced on 2nd October.

ECMOD2008 is fast approaching! Kicking off on 1st and 2nd October at Earls Court Exhibition and Conference centre this event has an action packed agenda not to be missed! If you are aren’t already registered as a visitor or a delegate then visit www.ecmod.com to sign up now!

Be sure to check out our top notch conference programme featuring expert speakers from the UK, Europe and the USA. It costs just £145 per person for a half day module. Now that is great value!

More and more exhibition stands are being snapped up by the day. The latest exhibitors to confirm their involvement at ECMOD include MGt plc, paysafecard.com, CreditCall eKashu, EC2i, Gilchrist, K3, Virtual Bureau Technology and MBP. Be sure to secure your involvement and reach all your potential customers in the catalogue, home shopping and multi-channel sector. Call the ECMOD team on 01271 866112 for more info. Visit www.ecmod.com for the full list of exhibitors.

Don’t miss out on the free seminar theatre sessions taking place over the two days. Sessions will be presented by Webmarketplace Solutions, Webmart UK, Database Group, Marketing Databasics, DJH Catalogues and Express KCS.

The Catalogue Exchange has come up with a fabulous free ECMOD offer for its members. A dedicated Advice Centre has been provided, courtesy of sponsor WWAV, to offer member company executives completely free 30 minute sessions with leading independent consultants. As it only costs £245 for a full year's membership of The Catalogue Exchange for businesses with sales of less than £1 million this represents an amazing added value. There is also a saving of ten per cent for all Catalogue Exchange members on conference places. For more info register to visit here and follow the link to the Catalogue Exchange site.

Celebration Bubbles

Come & partake of a celebratory glass as we toast the winners of the Catalogue e|business Supplier of the Year Awards. The winning companies will be revealed for each of the seven fiercely contested categories at 5.45pm on 1st October in the Exhibition Hall. A record number of nominations have been received for more than 75 different supplier organisations. Register to visit ECMOD here and join in the fun.

 ECMOD PartyParty!

It may sound corny but the ECMOD Party is so good we named it twice (OK so we stole the idea but you get the picture). Not only have we doubled up the name we are also offering double value with a fabulous two-fer aka BOGOF offer. The ECMOD PartyParty takes place on 1st October at the Copthorne Tara - just what we need after a hard day in the conference sessions and exhibition hall. Enjoy a welcome drink, great food, music and dancing in fabulous company. We sold out last year so don't delay book your tickets here !

Giftware/Graphic Designer

Giftware/Graphic Designer looking for additional assignments and new challenges.
Many years experience in the Giftware industry originating ideas, writing captions, creating designs, producing finished products etc. Products have sold through well known Retailers, Mail Order Companies and Online Shops.

For further information email: karen@ecmod.com

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