Forecourt Trader Summit 2024 Programme
Get ready for an even better lineup at the 2025 Summit! Expect valuable insights and captivating content. Stay tuned for updates!
Juliet Morrison - Forecourt Trader
Declan Curry
Sorcha Simons, Insight Manager - Lumina Intelligence
Steve Rodell, Managing Director, Retail - Christie & Co
The forecourt industry is enjoying some of its highest levels of buyer demand for petrol filling stations in recent years, with a dearth of sites available for sale. Leading business property expert Steve Rodell will advise on how to navigate a market which is typically seeing four or five serious offers for each business.
Bruce Nichol - BOSS (British Oil Security Syndicate)
Drive-off failure to pay reports have grown as a percentage of all forecourt fuel incidents in recent months, Bruce Nichol, operations director at the British Oil Security Syndicate will tell delegates at this year’s Summit. He will be revealing an exclusive analysis of the changing nature of forecourt crime since the pandemic, when no means of payment became the largest type of unpaid fuel incident.
An industry challenges panel will focus on two key issues: the rise in crime and moves by the Competition and Markets Authority to make fuel pricing on the forecourt more transparent. Panellists are Bruce Nichol, operations director at the British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS); Gordon Balmer, executive director at the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), Gareth Payne, head of HSE - roadside services at Certas Energy and retailer Ben Lawrence of Lawrence Garages.
Remarks from Tom Hurst, UK Country Manager at Fastned, a European ultra-rapid charging company and the UK's best rated charging network, on how it is working with others to expand its network in the UK and Ireland.
Jonathan Tout, Managing Director - Touts Cleeve
Forecourt Trader of the Year, Jonathan Tout, shares his secrets to success at his award-winning Cleeve site, which has become a community hub with its 82-seat restaurant, hair salon and 4,100 sq ft stylish store. With more than 75 local suppliers, its food art, and marketing programme planned five months in advance, the Somerset-based business leaves nothing to chance.
Katie Gallagher will be sharing the findings of research carried out with forecourt operators on behalf of Forecourt Trader around current trading and business challenges, site and forecourt shop services and attitudes to electric vehicles and alternative fuels.
Gerry Welsh - Certas Energy
The presentation from Gerry Welsh, head of emobility at Certas Energy looks at the unstoppable move to alternative fuels and electric vehicle charging. He will share some news about future fuels and lower carbon energy opportunities from the energy supplier. He will also talk about Evolo, a recently introduced business division of Certas Energy, which markets itself as helping businesses on their “energy transition journey” and includes the supply of EV chargepoints and solar panels.
The innovation panel will talk about how the forecourt operators continue to transform into serious grocery contenders, offering customers meals for tonight as well as now, and presenting premium and local ranges. Forecourts are now also becoming community hubs with add-on services including restaurants and even hair salons, as well as parcel lockers, cash machines and picnic areas, all areas which are predicted to take on greater significance with the growing need for electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints and the greater dwell times EV charging gives. Panellists are Forecourt Trader of the year Jonathan Tout, talking about his award winning site at Cleeve, complete with a hair salon, 82 seat restaurant and almost a fifth of its turnover coming from local lines. Pannellists include BP’s Joanne Hall, UK retail operations director, Paul Brant, retail director at Gridserve, GeoPura managing director Andy Cunningham, and Steve Rodell, commercial property expert from Christie & Co.
Food to go opportunity
The 10 minute film on Spar Mallusk will feature the inspiring food to go range at the Henderson Retail outlet, presented by Mark McCammond, retail director at Henderson Retail.
Keynote Speaker - Sonya Adams, Vice President, Mobility and Convenience Retail in the UK - BP
bp has an ambition to be a net zero company by 2050, or sooner, and is transitioning from an international oil company to an integrated energy company, that delivers solutions for customers. Hear more about what this transformation means for bp’s mobility and convenience operations in the UK, how the team is in action today developing new and improved offers, and tackling the challenges the forecourt sector is facing.