In the run-up to the BMF’s 50th anniversary next year, ‘yes we can, indeed we must’, perhaps best sums up the underlying message from this year’s British Motorcyclists Federation’s Annual General Meeting.
 
Held in Tuddenham, Norfolk, in the BMF’s Eastern Region, members and delegates from BMF clubs heard that while the BMF’s lobbying work was highly regarded and the BMF still had a reputation to be proud of, membership, in line with that of many other membership organisations, was falling and so therefore was its income.
 
The BMF’s portfolio of shows and events, although continuing to produce a profit, had not reached their projected figures either and this had only compounded the situation said Anna Zee, the BMF’s chairman.
 
Addressing the latter, Martin Chick, the MD of the Mulberry Group, the BMF’s new event contractor, said that the BMF had a powerful brand but it was not being used to its best advantage. “As a motorcyclist, my passion for and love of motorcycling will be very much at the forefront of the Mulberry Group's approach to BMF events. I know what motorcycling means to people and I know what makes a good event, but equally, I want to improve the image of the BMF and we’ll help to do that by delivering on our promises.”
 
BMF Chairman Anna Zee agreed and in thanking the BMF’s outgoing event contractors, Live Promotions, said that they had come in three years ago at a very difficult time for the BMF but now the BMF was looking to improve its own performance too and considered that Mulberry had much to offer as a partner in this mission.
 
On a similar theme, Dorian Burrows of the BMF’s Marketing Committee stressed the need for broadening the BMF’s appeal. Communication was key to involving existing members and reaching out to all motorcyclists he said, but the message had to be right and it had to be relevant to today’s more informed motorcyclists.
 
As a way of streamlining BMF operations, the meeting was told that the posts of Affiliate Member Services and Individual Member Services had been amalgamated into one and that a separate post of Events Director had therefore been created. Pete Laidlaw was duly elected to the new post of Member Services Director and Tony Young was elected to the new post of Events Director. The post of chairman was uncontested with Anna Zee being elected for another year.