Getting Back to Business

June turned out to be quite a month for me and the RLI team. It kicked off with the launch of our inaugural RLI Connect event at Chelsea Football Club on the 5 June, and this was followed up on the 6 June with our annual Global RLI Awards Gala Dinner which took place at the Natural History Museum. As if that was not enough, as soon as the dust settled from these two highly successful events, I found myself back at the office working on the July/August issue of our magazine so that it was ready for print.

Now that the calendar has turned over to July, and the most recent issue of RLI has been put to bed (due out later this week), I can take a breather, get back to a semi-normal routine (that is my normal) and prepare myself for a fantastic few months starting in September. Who knows, I may even be able to squeeze some time in with my emails!

The summer months are one of the quieter periods of the year in the RLI office, although this certainly does not mean we will be grabbing an after lunch ice cream or having afternoon naps in the sunshine anytime soon.....

We have a whole host of changes planned here at RLI to implement over the summer. First off, work is well underway in the construction of the brand new RLI Connect site (due to launch any day now), so that we can start planning and booking people for the most highly anticipated networking event of 2014. Once this is up and running we are going to re-vamp our RLI website, making it easier and faster for you to find out all the essential retail and leisure news, along with top features and interviews from the most important people in the sector.

Alongside these changes work has started to make sure our September issue is bursting with exciting aspects, making you wish we had never been away. Already confirmed for the September issue are lead interviews with the UK high street retailer AllSaints and the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company, L'Oréal. On top of this, we will have an article on the world-renowned Genesis Colors and a special feature that focuses on Urban Regeneration, so be sure not to miss it.

Away from the magazine, September is going to be a great month for the industry, and I look forward to attending two massive events. First up is the BCSC Annual Showcase, which takes place at the London Olympia on the 11 and 12 September. This year promises to be better than ever with an exciting new direction and a global feel. The BCSC will welcome international investors and retailers looking for that key link to London, the world's retail capital. At this must attend event, I am pleased to announce that RLI - Retail & Leisure International will continue its partnership with BCSC, and has again been chosen to be a Media Partner at an event which will inspire and challenge attendees with an impressive collection of industry speakers from retail, development and public sector communities.

Following this star-studded event, the large events just keep on coming. Towards the end of September, on the 25 and 26, the annual India Retail Forum (IRF) takes place. Now in its tenth edition, this event will bring together more than 2,500 delegates, 175 distinguished speakers from around the world and 100 exhibitors of innovative products and services for the retail sector.

At this world-renowned event I have been given the opportunity to moderate a panel session. The topic is 'Making India the Next Big Player in Luxury Retail - Charming the Snakes and Scaling the Ladders' - Even while China has been hailed as the force du jour by the leisure industry, India is the next destination to watch out for with the luxury industry growing at 25 per cent and sales expected to touch $15 billion by 2015, nearly double of what they are today. Not surprising at all, given India's 81 million households which fall in the upper middle class and high-income bracket which surpasses the entire population of many Western nations. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Louis Vuitton's presence in India, which was the first luxury brand to set foot in the country. Luxury brands like Prada, Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney and Christian Louboutin are already here, or making a beeline for India. The luxury giants at this session will share their perspectives on what they perceive of the Indian market, how to grow the luxury segment, and understand from the other retailers the peculiarities of the Indian consumer, and what they should do differently from what they have been doing.

If anyone is interested in being a part of this exciting topic and would like a seat on the panel, please get in touch at jayne.rafter@rli.uk.com

For the immediate future I look forward to spending some time with the family, getting back down to the day-to-day schedule and sorting out my schedule between now and Christmas, which is looking even more packed than last year. I say bring it on.....

For more information on both of the exciting events taking place in September, please see the links below: -

BCSC Preview
India Retail Forum Preview