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President's Message

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

July 2010

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

Dear Friends,

Well, what a busy month it has been. First and foremost please allow me to start with my inauguration, which was held at the House of Lords on the 18 May. This prestigious event was hosted by Lord Howie of Troon, and included the attendance of Lord Morris of Manchester, Sir Sydney Chapman and the Earl of Lytton to name just a few. It was such a pleasure to meet so many professionals within the industry, and has given me so many fond memories that I shall never forget. During my inaugural address I stated that 'it is a great honour and a privilege to be elected as President of the Association of Building Engineers, and I will endeavour to carry out this role in the respect and justice it deserves'. The event also gave me a further opportunity to thank Beryl Menzies for all her drive and passion she has shown throughout the past twelve months as our President.

As mentioned last month, I had the privilege to represent the Association at two events organised by the Construction Industry Council (CIC). The first was the opportunity to meet Sir Michael Latham, to celebrate his long involvement with the industry as he stands down as chair of ConstructionSkills. The dinner was chaired by Gordon Masterson and attended by 14 members of the CIC, which included debate and a Q&A session for Sir Michael, and a lively discussion ensued. Sir Michael was then presented with an Honorary Affiliate membership of CIC, being only the third recipient to be awarded this achievement. Previous presentations have been awarded to Donald Bishop CBE and Paul Everall CBE in the past.

Within a day of becoming your President, with the company of Kate Ilott (Deputy Chief Executive) I attended the Construction Industry Council third Members conference and AGM. The event is held for Presidents and senior staff to review the CIC achievements and set the member priorities for the coming year. Robin Worthington, the Group Property Director of Cadbury who was the guest speaker at the dinner, provided an insight into operational management decisions including numerous anecdotes with respect to the takeover by the US food company Kraft. Following on from the CIC event, back at headquarters I have been attending committee meetings, including chairing my first full Council Meeting where I had the pleasure of installing Stan Barker as our new Vice-President.

Back at headquarters at the end of May, ABE Enterprises and the University of Leicester's 'Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security Space Technology Exchange Partnership' (G-STEP) organised a successful action oriented dialogue on Earth Observation and Built Environment Risk. Further details of the successful event are contained with the Enterprises report and at www.abe-enterprises.co.uk. In early June, I was invited to attend the 23rd Annual Exhibition & Seminar of the Northern Region in Gateshead. The event was opened by The Mayor of Gateshead, Michael Hood, and chaired by Malcolm Parker, Chairman of the Northern Region. The excellent event also included a seminar on the 'Future of the Construction Industry 2012 and Beyond'. I was looking forward to attending, however, regrettably, with the issues of the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, my diary had been turned on its head and unfortunately I could not attend. Instead, I represented the Association at the General Assembly of the Association of European Building Surveyors and Construction Experts (Association d'Experts Européens du Bâtiment et de la Construction) in Helsinki, Finland.

As previously mentioned the AEEBC is a pan-European association, which comprises 17 member organisations from across Europe, lobbying on matters such as mutual recognition and freedom of movement on behalf of members. This includes advising the European Commission on policy around critical matters such as energy efficiency, safety, health and welfare, sustainable development and urban regeneration.

A detailed article will appear in the journal in the coming months. In brief, the General Assembly was hosted by the Finnish Construction Managers and Engineers (RKL). In addition to the main programme, presentations included an update with respect to the re-cast of the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPDB) and the EU General Directive 2005/36/EEC on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications across Europe. Furthermore, there was a professional excursion, which included a visit to the Finnish Parliament. The tour was conducted by the RKL President, MP Eero Reijonen. This included full access to both the new and old Parliament buildings, including meeting and debate rooms. The second visit was to the Alvar Aalto designed Finlandia Hall (Concert Building). The visit included an escorted tour of the building, explaining the design concepts developed by the famous Finnish Architect.

As I draw to a close, it is my pleasure to announce that the Association of Building Engineers 48th Annual Conference which is entitled 'Olympic Impact', will be located within the heart of the Docklands area of London close to the Olympic Park. The event will be held on 11-13 November 2010, and has the added bonus of a site tour of the Olympic Park. Details of how to book can be obtained from the website or headquarters. I look forward to seeing you there.