CIAT goes back to the 1920s in Belfast

Report by Rori Millar ACIAT.

YATN (Young Architectural Technologists’ Network) which is part of the newly formed aspirATion group were delighted to host their first formal evening at the end of February. The event was hosted in Belfast’s prestigious 'Titanic Belfast' which was also the venue for the CIAT President’s Dinner Dance in 2012.

We were proud to welcome representatives from CIAT including; Eddie Weir – Vice-President Practice and the Northern Ireland Regional Chairman, Karl Grace - Immediate Past President, Paul Laycock - Vice-President Education, as well as James Banks - Membership Director, Will Price - aspirATion Group Chair, David Traynor - NI Regional Councillor, as well as other members of the regional membership.

Our principal sponsor for the evening was Xtratherm, who have worked closely with YATN and have supported the network from its conception. We were delighted to host Xtratherm’s Group Technical Manager, Danny Kearney at the event.

After a champagne reception against the incredible backdrop of the Harland and Wolff Slipways where the ill-fated vessel was constructed, guests made their way into the Andrews Gallery where they were treated to an outstanding four course meal.

The current YATN chairman William Holland addressed the audience about the group’s formation and their future vision for YATN, and reiterated the group’s appreciation for the continued support of the CIAT Regional Committee.

The evening’s main keynote speech was delivered by Eddie Weir who spoke about 'Succession Planning' within the Northern Ireland Region and how important YATN was as a platform to ensure our region’s continued growth:

Succession planning recognizes that some jobs or positions are the lifeblood of any organization and that these positions are too critical to be left vacant or filled by anyone other than those who are best suited to perform the role. Effectively done, succession planning is critical to continued success and creates an effective process for recognizing, developing, and retaining top leadership talent.

Talent is one of our Institutes most important catalysts, and it’s not just about a handful of leaders at the top. Excellence across a range of skills and functions creates a real competitive advantage... and sudden gaps or departures can quickly erode it. That’s why we believe in creating and enhancing pools of talent that are deep, rich, and wide ranging.

We recognise that getting involved within CIAT at a regional or national level may be a daunting experience, but we see that YATN is the perfect platform of Architectural Technology students, Associates and newly Chartered members to gradually introduce themselves at this level…. and at the same time form bonds and friendships which hopefully will be everlasting.

Karl Grace addressed the audience reminiscing of his time within the Institute and his term as President; he remarked that he wished that a platform like this had existed when he joined. He then spoke about the wider impact of YATN on CIAT and how proud he was to see so many potential future presidents in attendance.

Following the speeches, the YATN committee conducted a raffle which many companies happily contributed to:

• Cunningham Jewellers
• CIAT
• Drumbo Greyhound Track
• Belfast Giants Ice Hockey
• Boojum
• Rick Browne Kayaking
• Galgorm Castle Golf Course
• Grand Opera House
• EBSNI
• Chapterhouse Theatre Company
• Café Clements Belfast

Prizes included a year’s membership of CIAT, a £200 watch, hotel vouchers for Galgorm Resort and Spa, a four ball golf day and tickets to various shows/events.

Entertainment on the night was provided by one of our own Northern Ireland Region committee members Bill Johnston and his band ‘Manouche’ who played a mixture of swing and jazz. The. Guests then had the chance to dance the night away as a DJ took over for the remainder of the evening; I am delighted to say that by the end of the night everyone was up dancing.

YATN was conceived just over one year ago and we have been fortunate to get a very strong committee involved, who have all worked tirelessly for the past few months to bring our vision for this event to fruition. We would like to thank Xtratherm and Titanic Belfast for their help in making the event possible, but most of all we want to thank everyone who attended. On Behalf of the YATN committee we hope you enjoyed our evening and will continue to support our future events with as much enthusiasm.

The event comes off the back of a busy 2015 for CIAT celebrating the last 50 years’ achievements, if however, this event is anything to go by the next 50 years are going to be just as incredible. 

As a national/international group aspirATion across its 16 regions will be planning many events like this bringing together future professionals, technical expertise and celebrating the best in construction. It’s a perfect time to get involved and help shape the group for the future.

If you are a CIAT member who qualifies for aspirATion make sure you contact your Regional Chairman to see what role you can play in the group’s future.

We welcome greater links with other institutions as well as trade professionals so please get in touch to see how you can get involved too.

Contact James Banks, Membership Director, for more details: [email protected]