BAR Vice President Mike Andrews hosted a discussion at the BAR conference in Jersey to look at the future of the Association.
He said that although much of what BAR does and has done in the past is good, the world has changed in the last two years.
He invited contributions from the delegates and received an enthusiastic response with a wealth of ideas for the Board to consider. Self publicity was one. Although BAR has developed many initiatives throughout its history, perhaps some members are not fully aware of what they all are, and their importance to their businesses. These include, for example, the relationships with the insurance industry, QSS, the Advance Payment Guarantee and BAR Services. It was suggested that BAR appoint someone specifically to promote the services it offers within the membership.
There was also much discussion about the effectiveness of Area meetings that had waned significantly during COVID from what was already a low base. Perhaps the current generation are less willing to attend in-person meetings, late at night, after a full day at work. Online technology had proved its effectiveness during lockdown and should be considered for future Area meetings. These should be during working hours, planned well in advance and be shorter. There was a suggestion that there should be an element of compulsion to attend. The Area structure was also questioned with a suggestion to move towards fewer regions with meetings every six months or so that would attract a bigger audience ...
Photo: Mike Andrews.