President's Dinner Dance

Saturday 17 November
A fine end to the AGM weekend - my Presidential Dinner Dance at the Titanic Belfast. What a venue and evening!

Our VIP guests were Dame Mary Peters and Sammy Wilson MP, who both spoke during the evening. I was delighted to make all the Award presentations to the winners who were able to attend and celebrate another successful year for CIAT. We danced to the Belfast Jazz Orchestra and I much enjoyed networking and catching up with fellow members and all our guests. It was great to see guests from fellow Institutes such as RIBA, CIOB, ARB, LABC and ABE.

With Sammy Wilson MP

The venue

For those of you who were unable to join us, here is my speech:

Minister, Dame Mary, distinguished guests, fellow members, friends and my family – what a privilege it is to be standing here in this magnificent building, in such a vibrant City. A City which 100 years ago constructed and launched the Titanic from its dockland, and it is because of its centenary that we are here tonight.  As the Institute’s President I am now just starting my second and final year and it gives me immense pleasure to recognise the progress that our essential discipline continues to make in what continues to be difficult times for both our members and the construction industry. Hebrews 12 v1 reminds me that we need to ‘run with patience the race that is set before us’.

However, I know that Architectural Technology is strong and ever more important and will continue to thrive and evolve as the Institute moves towards its 50th Anniversary in 2015.  With its ambitious and young vibrant members I am extremely confident in the future of the discipline for us and all our members, which in turn will ensure the built environment is one fit for now and the future. 

With our fundamental review of how the discipline has evolved, continues to develop and strengthen we look forward to a strengthened membership of a significantly high calibre who will be leaders in their fields.  I would like to thank Professor Sam Allwinkle for the immense amount of work, time and dedication he has, and continues, to put into leading this project.  It is certainly a very exciting time for specialists in Architectural Technology.

We continue to work with Governments and industry partners from across all nations and we are very aware that Westminster is not the only government we should be working with.  Here in Northern Ireland I know that our members have strong links with the relevant departments and also fellow professional bodies and I would extend a personal welcome to those guests from within Northern Ireland who are here with us this evening.

BIM and the Green agenda both for the existing building stock as well as new build, together with the review of Building Regulations and planning issues continue to dominate the topics for action and are topical to all our members wherever they practise in the world. 

As we all now work and live in a global economy we continue our development of international profile, both within Europe working with The Association of European Building Surveyors and Construction Experts (AEEBC) as well as other countries and organisations around the world.  At this time I would also recognise that it is the Republic of Ireland’s 25th Anniversary and soon it will be the Hong Kong Centre’s 30th Anniversary.  Both Centres we support strongly and I have just returned from a very successful visit to Hong Kong and the team at Central Office are working incredibly hard on particular issues currently effecting members in the Republic of Ireland.

Our relationships with fellow Institute’s and organisations have thrived and we now have a Memorandum of Understanding with the RICS which sits alongside those we have with the RIBA and CIOB.  We also partner with other organisations to continue the enhancement of our position and influence.

I am also particularly delighted to be the first President to be fully engaged, along with the Institute, with social media - love it or hate it, it is here to stay and we must engage and use it to our advantage. I shall be blogging about you all! 

2012 has been a significant one in the mission is to position CIAT externally and internally; in June, the Institute was delighted to learn that our Chief Executive received an MBE in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday Honours, for services to the Architectural Technology profession. October saw our Vice-President Education; Norman Wienand being awarded the title of Professor of Architectural Technology at Sheffield Hallam University, again recognising the position and profile of the discipline.

Before closing, I would like to thank all involved with making this weekend a success especially the CIAT staff both here and back in London and for their ongoing commitment to the Institute. And the Northern Ireland members who have worked incredibly hard over the last few years.  I must also thank all here at the Titanic Building and the associated team for this fabulous evening.
 
It is also essential that we recognise and thank Barry as Immediate Past President. Barry was an incredibly active and motivational President - he set out his ambitions and clearly met them as President.

His desire to enhance communication was demonstrated at all levels from one to one with members through to our impressive use of the social media and industry respected films which I now embrace.

His enthusiasm and attention to the Institute and its members was all the more impressive as he had to fly over from Jersey on a very regular basis which normally required a very early morning or overnight stay or both.  All of this whilst still running a very busy practice with your co-director.

In recognition of his immense contribution, commitment and dedication to CIAT, its members and the discipline of Architectural Technology which during his four-years as President-Elect, President and Immediate Past President would not have been possible without the support of his family and especially his wife Daphne.

I now take great pleasure to invite Barry and Daphne to receive these gifts as a small appreciation of their contribution.

In closing, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the guests to our celebration and I ask the members to please stand and drink a toast to the guests.

Thank you