On 15 March 2024, following an awesome day at BuildUP24, the Institute held our first Internal Hui.

This was a half-day event for all those in the Home Team, National Board, Regional Committees, and Young Professional Advisors to get together in person. The Institute is made up of many passionate volunteers across the motu. Each region focuses on their own patch, so this was an opportunity to get to know those from other regions and understand the big picture strategy too. The plan is for this Internal Hui to be repeated every two years alongside the BuildUP event.

The Internal Hui was a chance to get to know others better by putting faces to names along with getting on the same page with where the Institute is strategically heading. With that in mind, presentations were given on:

• the Institute’s strategic direction, purpose and values,
• revisiting the core event brands,
• the ‘40 Years’ book launch and the interesting stories behind it,
• the brand refresh project and next steps.

Summary of the brand refresh journey to date:

Mid 2022 – Institute Board decides they want to futureproof the Institute by growing and changing. They want to grow the number of members and diversify the membership to make sure the Institute remains relevant in the future. Pamela Bell is recruited as CE as someone who is focused on innovation and inclusion.

Late 2022 – Member meetups and surveys are completed to hear what the members want. Belonging, Connecting and Giving back are highlighted as the three core reasons people are involved with the Institute. Many members say they don’t like the word ‘institute’ because of the historical connotations.

Early 2023 – Intent to refresh the Institute’s brand and name is indicated to all members through Strategy Refresh video. A key message from the video was that we want the Institute to be a place where anyone in the industry can connect and feel they belong.

Mid 2023 - End 2023 – Naming sub-group established by the National Board and several workshops held to start the search for an appropriate name. Three different options were considered – an acronym, a single word that sums up the work focus, or a Māori name.

A single name suggestion remained elusive at the end of this process. Agreement was reached to find a word or two in Te Reo Māori that could capture a story, or essence, or meaning at the heart of the organisation. This idea of a name encapsulated in a narrative is called a pūrākau.

Why?

• A pūrākau can enable a single word to hold a greater meaning giving it more depth.
• The Institute team wants to ensure that the work invested in the naming journey makes a significant difference to the organisation – this is seen as critical to future proofing.
• A Māori name speaks to the future and the next generation of both the construction industry and the country.

What’s next?

A naming sub-committee (with board members represented) continues to meet regularly to keep the process moving. Conversations have been had with Māori representatives at MBIE to seek their advice on process and collaboration with mana whenua in Pōneke | Wellington are underway.

Once one or two options have been shortlisted, a consultation process with Board, Committees and broader membership will begin where feedback will be sought and considered. We want this to be a collaborative process for all our members to be able to be part of. We will keep you in the loop.