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LOFA Article for Garden Specialist Magazine
LOFA is the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association and represents over 80% of UK manufacturers and suppliers to the trade of garden furniture, barbecues and other products associated with outdoor leisure. These include parasols, gazebos and outdoor lighting.The LOFA seal, the logo of the Association, has come to represent quality and excellence. The aim of LOFA is promote the trade of garden furniture and barbecues but also has a wide range of benefits for members. The Association began on 2nd November 1967 , over 33 years ago, with Frank Odell as the first Chairman: there were 19 Companies represented then. LOFA now has over 60 members under the Chairmanship of John Smye from Cosmo Ltd. A Board, usually 12 members, governs the Association. The LOFA office is in Chichester and there is a full time Secretary, Richard Plowman. Representatives of the Association consult and negotiate with Government Departments e.g. DTI, on both UK and EU legislation that impacts on the Industry. The Association is also represented on BSI and CEN Committees developing standards in relation to the Industry's products. In addition, LOFA has signed up to Law Care, which provides all LOFA Members telephone and written access to a defined period of free legal advice. Members each year also receive, 2 LOFA Desk diaries and 2 LOFA Pocket diaries. LOFA runs regular round table meetings to give Members the opportunity of an exchange of views and information on matters of common concern. As well as an Annual General Meeting, and Christmas General meeting, traditionally, there is also a Weekend Conference, usually just after the GLEE Exhibition. LOFA was indeed a founder member of GLEE, the International Garden and Leisure Exhibition, now held at the NEC, Birmingham. The show, which is a must for all those interested in the garden and leisure business, takes place in September each year. The dates for 2001 are 16th to 18th of September and entrance to the show is free but is only for the trade. The majority of LOFA Members participate in GLEE and at GLEE 2001, Hall 2 will be exclusive to LOFA Members. The GLEE show is a great place to see the fantastic range of garden furniture, barbecues and everything else associated with outdoor leisure. You will be amazed at the range of styles, materials, fabrics and products on show. The LOFA Hall 2 at the NEC is specifically designed to show garden furniture and barbecues at their best and is often the main venue for the launch of exciting new products and lines for the next season. Right in the centre of Hall 2, you will find the LOFA lounge and on show this year will be the exciting developments of the LOFA web site. The much expanded and improved web site www.lofa.co.uk will be up and running by the end of May. The original LOFA web site was launched back at GLEE in 1997 and it listed all LOFA Members' details and product range. Just before Christmas 1999, the LOFA website was totally re-configured, to facilitate simple, direct requests to members for catalogues of their products. The website also provides for a direct link for those Members who have their own website on the Internet. The new developments will make www.lofa.co.uk the main entry or portal site for anybody wanting to know about garden furniture and barbecues in the UK. There will be information on the site for the public to help in their choice of furniture, barbecues and other leisure outdoor products but also advice on how to look after and care for the products. There will be a bulletin board to give the latest news as well as a press page and a photographic library. All the current excellent features will also be retained giving swift and easy access to our Members' web page and their own sites. If you have not visited this web site, you are really missing out. Do it now and bookmark it or add to your favourites list- www.lofa.co.uk LOFA are planning a marketing campaign to promote the web site with a national targeted mail drop with consumers this year and will be advertising in the RHS show catalogues at Malvern, Chelsea, Hampton court and Tatton Park. LOFA is expecting a huge increase in visits to the web site as the popularity of gardening, but more importantly, outside living continues to increase. To help further understanding of the market, LOFA is undertaking a major market research project this year to gain detailed knowledge of the trends in the garden furniture and barbecue sectors. The answers to questions such as: what is being bought; what price; where; how often, and how satisfied are customers with their purchases, will hopefully be obtained. Summaries of this fascinating insight into consumers' behavior should be available on the web site in June. If you want to know more about LOFA or if you are a UK based manufacturer or supplier of garden furniture and barbecues and have no more than a third of your sales direct to the public then you might qualify to join LOFA, please contact: Richard Plowman |
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