Executive Board Report 2019/20
Harriett Hindmarsh, Chair of IBP and Gerald Bowey, CEO, ibp Services share the direction of travel for 2020.
Celebrating Success
This report, like so many things we take for granted, has changed in its key messages since we have all been affected by the fall out of the Covid-19 virus. We started our fiftieth year in good order and even better spirits with over a 120 members celebrating the landmark anniversary with a musical appreciation of the past five decades – A Musical Construction – which offered a rare and possibly the last opportunity for younger members to meet some of the surviving early trail blazing founders,
Perhaps the message. received from Brian Daniels, chairman in 1982 while heading the corporate affairs team at Redland, best sums up the feeling on the night: “It is wonderful that IBP has reached its fifth decade, As a member 50 years ago I am amazed how the various boards and committees have made IBP into the highly professional organisation it is today.”
A copy of the evenings programme can be view on the website, go to the menu: Downloads, Social Events.
50th Anniversary discussion – ‘Can Traditional Media cut it with Generation Z’
IBP and FTI Consulting staged the highly successful `Can Traditional Media cut it with Generation Z’ as part of IBP’s 50th anniversary celebrations, with the ambition of understanding how traditional media brands are winning new followers.
Chaired by Giles Barrie, Managing Director, FTI Real Estate team and former editor of Property Week introduced the Guest of Honour, Times Business Editor and former Property Week reporter Richard Fletcher and a panellist for the evening seminar held at FTI Consulting’s City of London office and attended by 100 guests. Other panellists, representing a new crop of journalist and communicators included Josh Spencer, Social Media Journalist, The Economist, City University graduate 2018, Ella Jessel, senior reporter, The Architects’ Journal and IBP Young Journalist 2018 together with IBP Young Communicator 2018 and FTI Director, Ellie Perham-Marchant explained how they are appealing to newer readers through a range of digital strategies, including Snapchat and Instagram combined with good-old fashioned news-getting and investigative journalism. This in turn poses new challenges for the communications world, as they interact with journalists posting on new platforms in real time.
The event was recorded and is available on the IBP website: https://ibp.org.uk/videogallery/can-traditional-media-cut-it-with-gen-z/
Futures Group – ‘Writing brilliant features with the FT and Wired’
The final Futures Group of 2019 took place on 9th December. Titled ‘Writing brilliant features with the FT and Wired’, the event was held in collaboration with City University and sponsored by Trilogy Property, hosted at their recently completed development, Republic, at East India Dock.
The event proved to be highly popular, with over 150 attendees ranging from students from City University to editors and journalists from built environment B2B titles together with architecture and property correspondents from the national media
Prior to the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to network and it was great to see so many new faces. For many of the student attendees, this event was the first time they had come across IBP.
The proceedings were kicked off by Nick Duxbury, Group Creative Lead at Redwood BBDO, followed by a warm welcome from the event host, Robert Wolstenholme, Founder and CEO, Trinity Property.
Three top feature writers were on the panel: Emma Jacobs, Features Writer at The FT, Matt Reynolds, Science Editor at Wired and Martin Fletcher, Freelance Features Writer for the Times, FT, Telegraph and New Statesman. Each speaker gave practical advice on feature writing and highlighted why some of their most well-read articles were particularly successful. This was followed by a Q&A from a highly engaged audience, and many stayed back afterwards to ask for further advice from the panel.
The event was recorded and is available on the IBP website: https://ibp.org.uk/videogallery/ibp-futures-group-2019/
Journalism Awards
We ended 2019 with an outstanding crop of awards, presented by Nick Ferrari, for both Journalists and PR Practitioners in a special joint event to reflect and celebrate our memberships best work. The full report can be found on the homepage with links to the awards bulletin. Special awards for Outstanding Contribution, over their careers, were presented to veteran editor, journalist and author Peter Bill and North West PR guru Clare Moody, bringing a very successful and enjoyable year to a close.
First Futures Group Webinar
In 2020 we held our first webinar, in association with City, University of London, with an outstanding panel of national journalists on the fallout from the Covid-19 Government briefings. They shared their candid views on government press officers toeing the departmental ministers line to hide the truth from “prying” journalists: https://mediaspace.city.ac.uk/playlist/dedicated/1_glbdffox
As each of us strive to regain a semblance of normal life and rebuild relationships IBP is working on this year’s journalism awards. Having celebrated 50 years of activity our focus continues to be to support journalists and good journalism. Now, more than ever, members should get involved and shape the organisation for the future needs of the built environment media and communications profession as we all emerge from isolation and plan for future growth. IBP’s clear message to members is to support each other by Celebrating Success.
I can only end by echoing Brian Daniel’s comments, I am amazed at how the members of the board continue to work tirelessly to encourage, support and reward outstanding journalism and communications in the built environment. Equally we are fortunate that our sponsors appreciate the role of IBP in delivering the annual awards and for their support in hosting categories.
Gerald Bowey
CEO, ibp Services
For AGM Papers click here