Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
A veteran of the world of cookshop and cookware retailing is the latest addition to the line-up of speakers at this year’s Housewares Conference.
For almost 23 years Maureen Williams has worked for the AGA Rangemaster Group, where she is now head of cookware. Since the group’s acquisition of Divertimenti in 2005 she has also run the iconic cookshop business, of which she is managing director.
Williams says Divertimenti ties in perfectly with the conference theme of innovation, having been founded 50 years ago this year by Mike and Suzy Schneideman who had the vision to bring professional-standard cookware, tableware and kitchenware to London at a time when England was something of a culinary wilderness.
And, she says, the business’s ability to remain relevant over its half-century history is evidenced by the amount of coverage Divertimenti achieves in magazines and supplements – belying the fact that it has only two shops.
Williams’ fellow speakers at the conference will be Selfridges’ Chris Gardner, Garden & Leisure Group’s Carol Paris, Joanne Feeley of Trend Bible, BIRA’s Michael Weedon, Joseph Joseph founders Richard and Antony Joseph, and the team from social media cooking channel Sorted. Conference chairs will be Pam Plant and Kitchen Kapers’ Gary Gordon.
The Housewares Conference takes place April 16 2013 at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire, alongside the Housewares Innovation Awards. Host for the awards evening will be interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, while BHETA’s Will Jones will act as awards compere.
To book your own place at either the conference or awards or both please visit www.housewaresconference.net
