The IBP annual Summer Dinner was, for the second year running, held at a prestige London venue – Somerset House – and proved to be another outstanding success.
Rod Sweet, Construction Manager
The ”In House Magazine of the Year” award went to ”Tarmac World” which is circulated to 12,000 employees and pensioners of Tarmac. It is edited by the Internal communications office and produced by an external agency.
Tarmac World readership surveys showed that 88 per cent of the recipients read all or most of the magazine. “The judges liked its energy, its variety and its active regional correspondents and they felt it was an easy read,” concluded Murray.
The annual Journalists versus PRs cricket match, sponsored by Clancy Consultants Ltd., did not begin with a flourish. But by the end of the afternoon at Thames Ditton Cricket Club’s ground in Surrey it had turned into what more than one of the participants called ‘a classic’.
There were good, solid starts to each innings. Grieff and Cassie, opening for the PRs against some distinctly sharp medium fast bowling by Gaved and Lynch, seemed well in control and as the innings progressed useful contributions from Dixon, skipper Andy Walker and Chris Helsen pushed the total well into what looked like being the comfort zone.
And then came Helsen senior! I never saw David Helsen in his ‘pomp’ but these days his batting is uncompromisingly simple. He plants his front foot down the wicket and whacks whatever is bowled to him. So it was this time. He blasted his way to 29 and indeed carried his bat so that the PRs set a challenging total of 153.
The buzz went round the fielding PRs. “That should be enough.” So it should have been. After his usual poised start, Chris Hart fell victim to an unnecessary run out but then Dawson, Windle, Rogers and Lynch chipped away at their target – and suddenly it was in reach.
Walker, Dixon, Cassie and Chris Helsen had produced excellent bowling performances but they couldn’t quite get the final break through and the Journos finished at a dash.
It was all genuinely exciting stuff and the feel good factor that comes with a game of cricket keenly fought out between two well-matched sides was clearly evident in the bar afterwards.
Andrew Moffatt of Clancy Consultants Ltd. did the presentational honours and David Helsen, fresh from his batting triumph of the afternoon, was once again the genial host, dispensing drinks with the same skill with which he had wielded the willow. It had been a great match and was declared by a very large majority as ‘the best so far’.
The continued high standards of construction and property journalism demonstrated by entrants to the IBP 2005 National Journalism Awards Competition have made the 2005 competition a particularly rewarding one, according to the expert judges.
Time and again the judges reported that they had experienced the greatest difficulty in separating out the entries to select individual winners, so good were the standards of journalism demonstrated in the articles submitted.
Gerald Bowey, Chief Executive Officer of IBP, commented: “Some 354 articles were submitted and they more than maintained the high standards achieved in recent years.
Left to right: Rex Pengilly, Gerald Bowey, Peter Roper (seated), John Yadoo, Christopher Warman, Robin Adams (seated), Simon Fullalove, David Lawson, Richard Northedge, Paul Hyett, Lee Mallett, Richard Saxon (seated), John Waples, Adrienne Margolis, Andrew Scoones, Clive Branson (seated), Michael Day, Victoria Thornton (seated), John Grigsby, John Slaughter, Richard Aylwin, Chris Marsh (seated), and Alan Hughes. Not in the photograph: Dr Frank Duffy, Peter Murray, Peter Day and Mindy Wilson.
“What has happened this year is that more entries were made in the news reporter and feature writer categories while entries to the Commercial Property Writer have trebled over the past two years.
“The Chairs of Judges clearly felt that journalists should be encouraged to also enter articles in generic categories such as construction and housing and we have identified a definite need to consider their output of articles carefully with a view to entering as many categories as possible.”
Among the qualities that most impressed the judges from the considerable range of subjects and issues presented to them were insight and balance, political astuteness, good imagination and the innovative use of newly available sources such as the Freedom of Information Act.
They were clearly delighted at the number of good old fashioned scoops among the articles entered and were greatly impressed at the strong visuals and powerful headlines which supported many of the entries.
In the key category of Young Journalist of the Year the judges delivered a clear, although good natured warning to existing practitioners, however successful and experienced, that a growing group of talented, highly motivated and energetic youngsters were already snapping at their heels.
It was especially gratifying to see the judges’ comment on the IBP Journalist of the Year that the entries presented construction and property journalism at its very best.
It is clear from the 2005 competition that these prestigious awards are increasingly sought after and provide a ‘must have’entry on the CVs of the most ambitious and successful journalists in the industry.
Add to this the highly successful launch of the inaugural IBP Regional Journalism Awards scheme in Manchester last month and it is clear that IBP’s mission to acknowledge and reward high standards of journalism in construction and property is going from strength to strength.
Clive M. Branson, Editor of Commercial Property Register, who was presented with the IBP Special Lifetime Achievement Award
Clive M. Branson, Editor of Commercial Property Register was presented with the IBP Special Lifetime Achievement Award at the awards dinner by Giles Barrie, Editor of Property Week and deputy chairman of IBP.
The Award, is in recognition of Clive’s long and distinguished services to journalism, encompassing special reports at the Financial Times, the City Desk at the Daily Sketch and Daily Mail; freelance work on the Sunday Times, Sunday Standard, Financial Weekly and the Investors Review.
At the Builder Group Clive was Editorial Director and Editor of Chartered Surveyor Weekly (now Property Week) and subsequently launched both World Property and EuroProperty and was Property Editor of the European before taking up his latest editorship at Commercial Property Register.
Clive was made a Vice President of IBP last year after serving fifteen years as a deputy chairman. Clive has work tirelessly as a judge of the National Journalism Awards for many of those years and has encouraged and supported the aims of IBPto recognise and reward good journalism.
<b>The judges’ verdict</b><br>Judging for the IBP National Journalism Awards took place at The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London WC1, on Monday, October 17. The judges’panels for each category comprised experts in the fields of journalism and the construction, design and property professions. Their verdicts are as follows:
ARCHITECTURALJOURNALIST
Winner: Martin Spring, Building.
Judges comment: ‘He demonstrated a combination of apertinent choice of topics, a highly professional, clear and readable style and a neat turn of phrase. This makes this hardy perennial such a valuable and reliable contributor to architectural journalism.’
ARCHITECTURALCRITIC
Winner: Hugh Pearman, Sunday Times.
Judges comment: ‘Whether pin-pointing poor circulation in a Renzo Piano building or commenting on Rem Koolhaas’s obsession with form, he writes in a style that is as intelligent as it is intelligible to the wider readership.’
CONSTRUCTION JOURNALIST
Winner: Mark Leftly, Building.
Judges comment: ‘His work has a broad and interesting canvas with UK European and international issues of interest to the reader. He writes in a refreshing, easy to assimilate style drawing a good balance between both sides of any argument.’
NEWS REPORTER
Winner: Phil Clark, writing for Building (now Editor QS Week)
Judges comment: ‘We were particularly impressed by the use of the Freedom of Information Act on which Phil jumped in and showed the way. He has an ability to create a fascinating insight into relationships between client and builder.’
FEATURE WRITER
Winner: George Hay, Building.
Judges comment: ‘He walks an astute path through the politics of the construction industry. This gives him an edge over other entrants. His article on Israel tackled a difficult subject and was particularly well-presented to the reader.’
BUSINESS / FINANCIAL JOURNALIST
Winner: Jenny Davey, The Times.
Judges comment: ‘She has delivered a series of scoops for The Times written in a clear style and without the intrusion of comment. Her story about the sale of Wentworth was as exclusive as the golf club itself.’
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WRITER
Winner: Claer Barrett, Property Week.
Judges comment: ‘Her article on Southern Cross, a serviced-office company that collapsed, was a welcome and rare piece of investigative journalism and was proof that such stories can be pursued despite legal and financial constraints. It was clearly written and well supported by evidence.’
HOUSING JOURNALIST
Winner: Jo Smit, Building.
Judges comment: ‘We were impressed by the variety of topics and her willingness to address the big issues. She demonstrated consistent quality in terms of style and impact, particularly in the ‘Precious Heat’ piece.’
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY WRITER
Winner: Piers Wehner, Estates Gazette.
Judges comment: ‘His diversity of topics, depth of research backed by good headlines and his ability to attract and maintain interest were commendable.’
YOUNG JOURNALIST
Winner: Rob Sharp, Architects’Journal.
Judges comment: ‘He demonstrated the energy, drive and determination that young journalists must have to succeed. We were impressed at how he successfully used and interpreted the access to people that he gained.’
MAGAZINE (WEEKLY)
Winner: Construction News.
Judges comment: ‘We especially rated its concise news stories backed by solid analysis. It is highly readable withgood content and has a history of breaking great news stories.’
MAGAZINE (NON-WEEKLY)
Winner: Icon magazine
Judges comment: ‘This a beautifully designed and well written magazine which knows its market very well.’
IBP JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Winner: Claer Barrett, Property Week.
Judges comment: ‘Her exposé of the collapse of Southern Cross was a template for good investigative journalism. It is encouraging to see that highly controversial articles like this still have a place in construction trade journalism. Claer was rightly congratulated by the High Court for her work.’
IBP is actively working on plans for a new Induction Training Course which would be designed to offer new entrants into construction, design and property journalism and PR a valuable basic grounding in the operation and practices of this complex industry.
The course will be created as a high quality, value for money product which would fill a perceived gap in basic training provision in the industry.Course content will comprise a detailed overview of the industry, its operations, its key role in the UK economy and its crucial contribution to the quality of life in the workplace and in the home. The second component would be an analysis of communications both within the industry and to the ‘outside’audiences.
“The underlying purpose of this course is to provide an opportunity, not available elsewhere, for new entrants, whether from university or from other industrial sectors, to receive concentrated grounding in how the industry operates and communicates so that they are well prepared to make their own contribution either as journalists or PR practitioners.“Specialised training provision of this nature will be a new departure for IBP and provides clear evidence of its intention continually to develop its services to all members and benefit the wider industry”, said Gerald Bowey, Chief Executive of IBP Services.
A major new initiative to promote the interests of freelance journalists serving the construction industry is being launched by IBP following the recommendations of a Working Group chaired by Vice President, Clive Branson, Editor, Commercial Property Register.
The aim of the register is to establish an on-line listing of freelances, active in the architectural, building and property sectors, in which they will be able to record their areas of expertise, preferred methods of working and day/project rates and charging methods.
A freely available central reference source the register will be developed as part of the IBP website and this will be actively promoted by IBP to Editors and PR Practitioners to help them to identify and clarify their freelance requirements. IBP Services Chief Executive, Gerald Bowey, said: “This is a long overdue initiative that will help to boost both the interests of freelance journalists, writers and photographers, who make such a valuable contribution towards promoting the interests of the construction industry, and regular commissioners of freelance work. This exciting new IBP development will provide an easily accessed register of expertise – for all to use.”
Leonie Austin, the new Director of Public Affairs at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors spelled out three main priorities in her new role when she addressed the IBP AGM.
She intended to help the organisation to build on its relationship with government , punch up its dealings with the media and address its dialogue with its own extensive membership. Leonie Austin, who has joined RICS after a three-year spell as Director of Communications at the Cabinet Office and, before that, as Chief Press Officer at the Department of Trade and Industry, brings a wealth of top-level experience to bear on all aspects of her new work.
She will be able to influence RICS policy on government legislation, relations with the business community and the general public in essential areas like consumer protection. In particular she wants to raise the profile of the organisation both through the media and through promoting the profession to the general public which uses its services and as a career prospect, through education and training, to produce the surveyors of the future.
Certainly the effectiveness of her presentation to the AGM, her first public statement since taking up her new role, indicates a good move by the RICS. With 110,000 members based in over 120 countries around the world covering everything from major construction projects to surveying the seabed for minerals, from managing agricultural land to auctioning antiques or protecting the environment, Leonie Austin has a daunting brief and she is clearly determined to bring the whole weight of her experience to bear as quickly as possible.
It was the question that had been hanging in the air for at least five years during IBP’s ‘Meet the Editors’sessions – and it was finally asked, in all its brutal simplicity, at the forum held at The Building Centre in September: ‘Would it be better, worse, or the same if PRs did not exist?’.
The many PRs in the audience must have held their collective breath. But in the event they received a ‘thumbs up’from the majority of Editors present, the concensus views being that good PR fostered relationships with journalists, provided useful information and photographic services and facilitated meetings with key industry personnel.
But there were countervailing views which the PRs no doubt heeded carefully. In particular Giles Barrie, Editor of Property Week and Peter Bill, Editor of Estates Gazette, gave a definite ‘thumbs down’. Barrie said that, while the best PRs did a great job, too many got between the journalist and the story. Peter Bill felt even more strongly. It was better if PRs did not exist because he detected ‘a fundamental difference between what we want as journalists and what you want as PRs’.He could not see this situation changing.
The particular distinction he drew was between the quality of PR in the property sector , which he described as ‘alarmingly good’, and that in the wider construction industry which was frequently ‘’defensive and unhelpful’. Earlier the question and answer session, had been lively and cheerfully combative. Why were the Editors not out there selling the industry to the media? This brought a sharp response – we are out there, appearing on radio and television, getting articles in national newspapers and generally trying to promote the industry. Only Aaron Morby of Construction News sounded a warning note, saying it could be unhealthy for the media simply to talk to construction journalists instead of industry personalities. ‘This is just plain lazy on their part,’ he said.
Elsewhere the discussion took familiar turns with Editors appealing for more and better access to those closest to projects who knew what they were talking about; the development of more industry personalities who were good communicators; better targetting of stories by PRs who have researched where best to try to place their material. Above all, the Editors warned, PRs should not try to dissemble and Phil Clark, Deputy Editor of Building, had a heartfelt plea: ‘Don’t tell me that a story I put to you isn’t a story. That’s a red rag to a bull!’.
From the PR side the most powerful complaint was again that of negative journalism. Too often, it was felt, the journalists were only interested in ‘bad news’stories and ignored the many positive stories about the industry PRs had to offer. This met with a broad rejection from the Editors and it was clearly an argument that was not going to be resolved at this session .Finally an issue that had been touched on at previous sessions – copy checking where a PRs’ client wanted to approve copy before it was published – emerged with some force.
Editors were resisting this practice but were uneasy about its increasing momentum.This seemed one topic that should be firmly flagged up for discussion next year. Watch this space.
Earlier, Dominic Morgan, Principal of Tamesis Business Communications, presented a detailed study of the Chiswick Park ‘Enjoy Work’office development by Stanhope. The concept was to provide an enjoyable working environment backed up by lifestyle support services such as language courses and sporting facilities.The PR challenge to Tamesis was to try to get this ‘unprecedented concept’ to a range of audiences which reached well beyond the traditional property agency targets.
So their PR programme comprised a Workplace Satisfaction survey jointly with ‘Management Today’, a campaign to promote the Chiswick Park project as ‘Britain’s most enjoyable workplace’ in careers sections of the national press; exploiting the location for film, TV and advertising shoots and the use of the park as a venue for site tours, conferences and meetings.
The views of the Editors could perhaps best be summarised as ‘mixed’, but Dominic Morgan was at least able to set out his PR stall to a wide-ranging and clearly intrigued audience – an opportunity he simply could not get in any other industry forum outside IBP. As Patrick Gulley, IBP Chairman, said at the outset: ‘We have today a unique gathering of the Editors of all the main publications of the architectural, construction and property press (together with a wide range of PR practitioners) under one roof. To have so many communicators together is quite unusual and something I am convinced that only IBP could achieve.
IBP’s popular Editors Forum is to be held as part of an intensive half-day seminar organised in association with the Building Centre Group and held at The Building Centre, London, on Thursday, 16 September, 2004.
The seminar will concentrate on the practical effects of a recent major property/construction media story to form a media case study – in this case Stanhope’s Chiswick Park in West London – and presented by Dominic Morgan, Principal, Tamesis Business Communications and former Deputy Editor of Property Week.
This is followed by the Editors Forum chaired by Richard Northedge, a leading business and finance journalist, and featuring Aaron Morby (Editor, Construction News and newly-installed President of IBP); Giles Barrie (Editor, Property Week); Peter Bill (Editor, Estates Gazette); Robert Booth (Editor, Building Design); Antony Oliver (Editor, New Civil Engineer); Ben Roskrow (Editor, House Builder); Phil Clark (Deputy Editor, Building); Ruth Slavid (Acting Editor, Architects’ Journal) and Justin Stanton (News Editor, Contract Journal).
This event invariably results in a lively and interesting exchange of views between editors and delegates with no holds barred. It is a must for media and public relations professionals alike.
After four years of domination by Ben Roskrow and his journos, the annual IBP PRs versus journos cricket match resulted in an impressive win by the PRs at the Thames Ditton Cricket Club near Hampton Court Palace.
Led for the first time by the ebullient Andy Walker, the PRs overcame the early losses of Chris Helsen and Richard Watkins with a blazing 33 from Damien Grieff – including a remarkable over when every other ball seemed to have been smashed for a boundary. This gave the PRs the powerful momentum they needed and after Grieff retired, Walker and Andrew Geldard drove the innings along with a valuable stand marked by their widely contrasting styles – Walker vocal and aggressive, Geldard deft and stylish.
When Walker was bowled by Roskrow, going for a huge hit, Geldard and the tail took the score along to an impressive 147 which was always going to be a daunting task for the weakened journos side. Fortified by the Thames Ditton club’s excellent lunch, the journos set off at a good rate against some genuinely sharp pace bowling from Helsen. Then, just as Chris Hart was getting going he glanced a rising ball from Helsen and Adrian Marsh clung onto a flying chance behind the stumps.
Since he seemed to be largely unsighted behind Hart’s turning body this was a truly brilliant catch – and it was probably a match winner. Indeed the journos never managed to get back into the hunt and a serious of disastrous runouts – Gatty (18), Roskrow (16) and Akram (15) when they were all going well – undermined the innings. The journos ended up with 112 – well short of their target and so concluded an exciting and keenly fought match with a win for the PRs which has helped to restore some degree of balance between the two sides. Next year’s fixture should be well worth watching!
Sincere thanks are once again due to the Thames Ditton Cricket Club for their hospitality and facilties, even during their re-building process! David Helsen, it goes without saying, was a charming and very hard working host and glasses were raised in grateful thanks to John Theakston, who as Chief Executive of the former Swan Hill company, had sponsored the fixture since its inception. One last tribute to all concerned – the match finished in nice time for the Euro 2004 football match featuring England in the evening!
Team PRs
Richard Watkins (Ogilvie Primary); Chris Helsen (Helsen Communications); Damien Grieff (Berrymans Lacer Mawer); Edward Dewar (TTA Public Relations); Andy Walker (Association of Consulting Engineers) Captain; Andrew Geldard (Wilmott Dixon); Andrew Sommer (TTA Public Relations); Adrian Marsh (Adrian Marsh Associates); Mark Bailey (Lewis Live Group); Andy Cassie (CIB) and Barry Smith (SAMS).
Team Journalists
Chris Hart (Housebuilder Publications); Aaron Morby (Construction News); Howard Elson (SAMS); Glenn Gatty (HBP); Jack Russell (SAMS); Ben Roskrow (HBP) Captain; Peter Docherty (TTA PR) Brian Green, Andrew Gaved (Construction News); Iqbal Akram (Helsen Communications); Alan Dawson (HBP).
In-House Magazine presented at summer dinner The new IBP award for ‘In-House Magazine of the Year’ was presented at the re-vamped IBP Summer Dinner which was held at the truly spectacular venue of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London, on Thursday July 8.
Around 70 members and guests dined in the Macmillan Studio,where star ballerinas like Darcey Bussell and Sylvie Guillem normally rehearse their work for The Royal Ballet, and on a fine summer evening with panoramic views over London the company visibly enjoyed the evening.
Chief guest speaker was Jon Rouse, Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation, whose wide-ranging address entitled ‘Castles in the Air? Making sense of today’s housing market’ included a formidable analysis of the structure of the housing market and the conditions which have created the present state of it – possibly poised on the brink of a slowdown and soft landing or with the prospect of a sharp fall.
Mr. Rouse would not be drawn too far into that situation although he did confess to a degree of worry over land disposals by some house builders. His emphasis over the vagaries of the planning system also met a sympathetic response around the room. But it was the breadth and vision of his analysis that stood out and would have benefitted many more people in and around the housing industry had they had the opportunity to hear it.
Regrettably, although he appeared to be reading from a prepared script, Mr. Rouse declined to release it for publication. That speech was one of two highlights of the evening – the other was the presentation of the new award. This was introduced by Gerald Bowey, who said that while it was good to be able to display an award, certificate or trophy in a lobby,and while they can be regarded as a serious promotional tool, can they have a real impact on an organisation internally?
He said: “Wins can have a positive effect on bosses and employees alike in terms of morale, motivation and promotion. For instance, a recent survey of winners of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise -arguably one of the most prestigious of business awards – showed that 90 per cent of winning companies said that the award had given‘ a significant boost to staff morale and pride in their organisation’. Therefore IBP had made a good start to developing added value for its membership with the establishment of the new ‘In-House Magazine of the Year’ award for organisations’ internal and promotional magazines and newsletters.
“We aim to promote this initiative on a broader basis next year by encouraging additional categories, for example for membership publications produced as part of a subscription benefit.” Gerald Bowey thanked Building Design Partnership for hosting the pre-dinner reception, and to sponsors Art For Offices for hosting the launch of the award scheme last March. Finally he thanked Wordsearch and in particular Peter Murray who organised and chaired the panel of judges who included critics Stephen Bayley and Rowan Moore and IBP award-winning journalist, Marcus Fairs, who analysed the style, content and degree of innovation across all 25 entries and made the award for the best in writing, design and presentation of the winning ‘In-House’ journal.
Peter Murray then announced that the winning publication was Costain’s ‘Blueprint’ (see photograph). Three other publications – Wates’ ‘Teamtalk’, the Derwent Valley Newsletter and the BDP Review were highly commended by the panel as being of a very high standard. None of them, however,quite matched ‘Blueprint’. In closing the evening, new IBP President, Aaron Morby of ‘Construction News’, said he thought IBP had produced a brilliant new award, which had attracted a wide range of entries of an encouragingly high standard, and which would add to the reputation of the organisation as ‘more than just a network’ but an invaluable source of information and support for journalist and PR practitioners alike’.
