This edition of Dispatch is our last, with the next and upcoming NZIOB newsletters being branded The Source, which will be in the style of our refreshed website that went live yesterday. While this edition is the final newsletter under the Dispatch name, it also marks a departure from the COVID-19 themed communications that we have been producing for members these past three-months. Our focus for this edition is to promote a shift back to ‘normal’ operations, starting with a series of stand-out site visits planned for July. The webinars introduced during the pandemic will continue, albeit not at the same level of regularity.

Virtual and traditional event formats converge for this year’s Annual General Meeting in Christchurch. The live-streamed AGM component of the evening will be sandwiched between a site visit to, and a presentation on, the Christchurch Cathedral project. You can read more about the AGM further down the page. The virtual convergence ramps up for the 2020 New Zealand Building Industry Awards, which will be held simultaneously across venues in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

The NZIOB’s response to COVID-19 has influenced the Institute’s membership services and strategic direction. Along with the development of virtual events, three other aspects came through strongly during the COVID-19 period:

1. Industry information provided to membership across COVID-19 Levels 4, 3, and 2, included high-level updates from the government and the Construction Sector Accord. Member feedback was very positive about this development, and though the NZIOB newsletter is about to be rebranded, we will retain its exclusivity to members (put in place these past three-months) and will ensure that the industry commentary continues.
2. The high numbers of webinar attendees, and the breadth of industry that attended these events, reinforced our view that the NZIOB has a role to play in providing educational content for the full industry. Along with webinars, we will look to develop our formal training offers further; both through our practitioner-focused Building Legends programme, and potentially through collaborations with others on topics that all construction industry business owners and/or managers could benefit from, regardless of what area of the supply-chain they operate in.
3. The volume of NZIOB events will increase and we will take every opportunity to provide NZIOB members with a value proposition. Whether it be holding events that are limited to members only (as we will be doing with an upcoming America’s Cup precinct site visit in Auckland), or providing tangible discounts for members versus non-members to attend our events, we will be doing so.

Coming out of COVID-19, the NZIOB’s key drivers are to enhance the NZIOB membership value and experience, while playing an active part in creating a construction industry that is resilient, profitable, productive, and innovative. With a membership comprised of industry high-achievers representing the full supply-chain, we are well placed to work for you, and with you, to create an industry that is truly, built to last.