Member-run volunteer events give back to the industry

At CIOB we have a range of member events that support our Royal Charter's aim of promoting the science and practice of building and construction. 

Site visits are a direct way of learning construction practices, while continuing professional development (CPD) events explore the science. Networking events are also a great way for members to come together and share ideas from personal experience.

We could not have the volume or geographic spread of face-to-face events without our member volunteers creating and facilitating events. This is also a great way for our members to enhance their professional development, industry standing and to give back to the industry.

We very much welcome members to volunteer in this way – with a polite request that staff produce marketing materials to adhere to our brand guidelines, and handle registrations so that we can ensure we are compliant with personal data and privacy legislation. We also need to ensure that costs are budgeted for.

A great example of a member-led event was a Circular Economy Showcase held in Brisbane in August 2024. Joel Thompson MCIOB sourced a panel of speakers representing the stakeholder viewpoints of a client, consultant and contractor, and an academic. 

Joel also sourced the venue and identified a sponsorship lead. Reflecting on the event, Joel commented that “facilitating the Circular Economy Showcase was incredibly rewarding. It was inspiring to bring together diverse perspectives, offer a valuable experience for our members and colleagues, and celebrate the remarkable outcomes achieved collectively by the Waterfront Brisbane project team and supply chain.”

Martin Fenn MCIOB has led a series of CPD events on Modern Methods of Construction since 2020, reaching out to partner organisations for collaboration, sourcing speakers and acting as the chair or co-chair for each event. Martin also curates the tone of each event, which in his own words are “designed to be interactive and engaging for all involved”. 

These MMC events aim to help educate industry whilst fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing on a global scale.  Additionally, inspiring the construction sector to integrate innovative technologies and practices into mainstream construction.

With members in over 100 countries and territories, not all locations have a sufficient membership base to support CIOB-only events. 

In Christchurch, New Zealand, our hub chair Michaela Cook FCIOB has contacted other associations facing the same challenge and banded together to form an informal local Construction Events Co-op, to share hosting events over the year. Michaela commented “many of us are already working collaboratively as individuals and at organisational levels in the industry, it makes sense to cross-promote events to strengthen professionalism in construction, thinking globally and acting locally”. 

This is an approach that at CIOB we are keen to replicate in other regions.