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Competition Policy: serving the public interest? PDF Print E-mail
Announcing a one-day conference: speaker sessions and roundtable discussion on: 
Competition Policy: serving the public interest?

Venue: Canada House, Trafalgar Sq., London 
21 June 2010 (10am for 10.30)

Keynote speaker: Professor John Bridgeman CBE
(Formerly Director General of Fair Trading, MD Alcan)

Contributions from: 

Bert Foer : President, American Antitrust Institute
Professor John Kay : London Business School/Director: Institute for Fiscal Studies/London Economics
Professor Alan Riley : City University Law School/ Res Publica
Dr Paul Gorecki : Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin (formerly with Economic Council of Canada)
James Lowman : Association of Convenience Stores
Barry Lynn: New America Foundation
Michael Hallsworth: Institute for Government, London
Courtesy of kind support of the Federal Government of Canada, cost per delegate is held at £100 ea (to include buffet lunch). However, seating capacity is strictly limited
Please email Professor Alan Hallsworth ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
to reserve your place and for updates, additional speakers etc.

Please put COMPETITION EVENT in the subject line

Purpose of the day
In addressing rising concerns about the environment, sustainability and resource depletion, analysts turn increasingly to behavioural economics for interpretations of the human factor. Critics argue, fairly or otherwise, that Competition Policy, conversely, remains dependent upon Chicago-School visions of market competition. Some who accept the broad sphere of rational choice nevertheless argue that there should at least be US-style routes to contesting the power of market-dominant firms. Others question the metrics and the evidence base that underpin specific decisions about the competitiveness of markets. It can also be argued that any wider vision of a public interest (dropped from Competition policy by the 2002 Enterprise Act) has been reduced to consumer interest. 
Who, then, is best placed to define or defend the consumer interest?

Leading speakers will offer a range of perspectives on these topics. Following a networking lunch, the afternoon will include a roundtable session to extend the debate more widely.
The event seeks to appeal to all who have an interest in how consumer markets are, could, or should be regulated.

Supported by LoCSA and the BACS Business group
 
Canadian Business and Economic Studies Group PDF Print E-mail
The Canadian Business and Economic Group was formed in 1985. The group organises events in partnership with other organisations and normally has one or two major events in a year. A recent focus upon retail activity has led to high levels of attendance at themes that are topical in Canada and the UK. An event organised with a theme that focused on WalMart drew in participants from the retail trade, including managers from Asda and Tesco.

In May 2004 a joint event was co-hosted by Canadians in Europe, and took place at the Commonwealth Club. Peter C Newman spoke about his extensive writing on the Canadian business establishment, and about gaining access to business elites. In July 2004 an event at Canada House focused on retail change. Contributors included Professor Jen G. Jones of Ryerson University, John Bridgeman CBE, Britain’s former Director General of Fair Trading and a member of the Board of the Foundation for Canadian Studies. Papers were also presented on a programme of ESRC funded research into retail management.

On 15 February 2006 the group organised a meeting on the survival of the small shop. Dr Tony Hernandez from CSCA, Toronto provided current data on the fast-changing retail scene in Ontario. Other contributors included Jim Dowd MP (Labour, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group, whose own report on British small shops launched the same day. Giving an overview, as in 2004, was John Bridgeman CBE and an audience of more than 50 Parliamentarians, Business people, Academics, Consultants and Government Officials joined in a round table event to close the proceedings. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the timing impeccable, with widespread media coverage of the small shops debate.


Small shops seminar, Canada House


Future themes will include Business Enterprise and the Winter Olympics, Vancouver 2010.

Convenor: Professor Alan Hallsworth, Surrey University
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