Sponsorships are a cost-effective way of reaching professional audiences. The relationships formed and developed with associations and other bodies provide both cost-effective communication channels and extra credibility for our messages.
Recent sponsorship activities have included:
- Professor Alex de Rijke’s Parliamentary Dinner
- Professor Alex de Rijke’s Perth and Sydney Seminars
- Planet Ark Cities of the Future Seminar
- WoodSolutions Milano Study Tour
- AIQS Awards
- MBA Awards
Professor Alex de Rijke’s Australian Tour
A passionate advocate for the use of timber, Professor Alex de Rijke is a former Dean of the School of Architecture at the Royal College of Art (United Kingdom) and principal of dRMM, which was awarded ‘Architect of the Year 2013-14’. Professor de Rijke is a renowned timber architect and a pioneer in the use of cross-laminated timber, and is responsible for the often-quoted statement, “If the 19th century was the century of steel and the 20th century the century of concrete, then the 21st century is about engineered timber.”
Through the WoodSolutions program, FWPA sponsored Professor de Rijke’s recent visit to Australia, which included a range of high profile activities, some of which are listed below.
Parliamentary Friends of Forestry and Forest Products 2015 Industry Dinner
In November, Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) sponsored the Parliamentary Friends of Forestry and Forest Products 2015 Industry Dinner, addressed by Prof. de Rijke, at Parliament House.
The co-convenors of the Parliamentary Friends of Forestry and Forest Products, the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Mr Tony Pasin, MP, Federal Member for Barker, co-hosted the dinner which was attended by over 100 people, including some 40 Parliamentarians.
Senator Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, who has responsibilities for forestry within the Agriculture portfolio, also addressed the dinner.
AFPA Chief Executive Officer Mr Ross Hampton said, “Professor de Rijke’s experience and passion for working with timber is helping to stimulate the dialogue around using timber as a construction material, and revitalising inner cities to become more sustainable, renewable, and environmentally-conscious.”
Perth and Sydney Seminars address professional design and construction audiences
Organised by WoodSolutions and promoted through professional associations to architects, engineers, building designers and the broader specifier audience, these half day seminars were well-received. The events demonstrated the specifiers’ demand for information and the and opportunity to provide high profile speakers talking about the benefits of wood and wood products and relevant case histories.
Planet Ark Seminar: Cities of the Future – the property industry’s move to mass timber construction
Held at Melbourne’s Library at the Dock (a landmark innovative CLT/Glulam project), this seminar featured Prof. de Rijke as the keynote speaker and created the opportunity for people involved in all aspects of property development – from design and construction to finance and insurance – to exchange views and opinions.
The event underlined the value of FWPA’s relationship with Planet Ark and the many opportunities it creates.
WoodSolutions Milano Study Tour
The 2015 Milano Expo, which featured timber pavilions from many countries, provided the first destination for the WoodSolutions Milano Study Tour. Comprising a small, but influential group of 20 architects, engineers, property developers and members of the timber industry, the tour visited engineered wood projects and manufacturing plants and met some of the key people behind them.
Rated as an outstanding success by those attending, the study tour implements a proven strategy of informing and influencing those who, in turn inform and influence their professional peers.
WoodSolutions AIQS Awards sponsorship
Sponsoring the 2015 Infinite Value Awards, WoodSolutions presented the Sustainable/Green Project award to Renee Whitten, Consultant, North Projects Pty Ltd for their winning project; Airport Drive Extension and Steele Creek North Enhancement.
The Sustainable/Green Project award recognises a project that has made significant impact in the environmental space and in which the principals of sustainability have been at the forefront of its design and execution.
Quantity surveyors play an important role in the specification of building materials. Their natural aversion to risk can see them place a premium on untried or unfamiliar materials or technologies, often to the detriment of projects seeking to incorporate innovative wood products. WoodSolutions sponsorship of AIQS events are designed to provide information to help overcome this aversion and encourage the volume growth of wood products.
WoodSolutions MBA Awards sponsorship
The annual MBA awards are a prestigious event for this significant organisation within Australia’s construction sector.
Sponsoring the WoodSolutions National Young Master Builder of the Year award provides the opportunity to promote the use of innovative wood and wood products to a receptive audience – young builders who are willing to experiment with new materials and explore more sustainable construction options.
FWPA Board Member, John McNamara presented the award to Ray Kershaw, the director of Mondo Exclusive Homes in Doubleview, WA.
