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INSIDE AN INSTITUTE BRANCH MEETING
Paul Spencer, Chairman of the South Central branch of the Institute of Architectural Ironmongers reports from a recent meeting and aims to dispel some of the myths about these gatherings.
The South central Branch of the Institute was started in 2004 and holds a meeting on the first Thursday of most months at a Hotel near Ringwood in Hampshire.
The Institute is working hard to expel the image that many people have of the institute as a stuffy gentlemen’s club. Meetings provide a mixture of both educational and manufacturer marketing presentations. The educational presentations are to keep everyone up to date with current regulations and changes within the industry. As Chairman of the South Central branch, I try to have a variety of presentations covering as many subjects as possible that are hopefully of interest to everyone who attends.
The meetings are informal; suits are not required as the dress code is smart casual and actively encouraged. I aim to be at the venue about an hour before the meeting starts to greet everyone. We have a hot meal before the meeting followed by a couple of minutes of Institute news before the guest speaker begins.
Some presentations are open to much debate and discussion and can be longer than anticipated; but they are by no means boring thanks to the passion & interest from the people attending. Most presentations are between 30 & 60 minutes. We recently invited the BWF (British Woodworking Federation) to provide a presentation on doorsets and BS476.The presentation was one of the most interesting ever held at the Branch and although the original presentation was due to last about an hour, there were an overwhelming number of questions and opinions from the floor. It eventually lasted over 3 hours, with discussions continuing well into the evening once we had all retired to the bar.
These meetings are for the students, Reg AI’s, buyers & specifiers, in fact anyone who is involved with the industry should attend. If you are not a Diploma holder, student or a member you can become an Affiliate member of the Institute. Meetings are designed to try and improve the quality of specifications within our industry; and not to steal projects or ideas from competitors. The manufacturers & suppliers provide an important part of the structure of the Institute meetings, providing ideal opportunities for networking among the Architectural Ironmongers.