Notice Board
THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURAL IRONMONGERY :
What ’ s next for the GAI and IAI ?
» THE NEXT PHASE OF THE closer integration of the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers ( GAI ) and the Institute of Architectural Ironmongers ( IAI ) has been announced at the GAI Members Day .
Following a major strategic review , both organisations will be coming together to offer architectural ironmongery professionals a single body to deliver enhanced membership benefits and a more compelling offering for individuals in the sector and their companies .
In a joint presentation at the GAI Members ’ Day , Deborah Cannon , chair of the IAI , and Mario Del- Signore , president of the GAI , teamed up to communicate their vision for the transformation of the Guild and Institute .
“ It was very clear that members , non-members and students supported the idea of merging the Guild and Institute to create a single new organisation , with a new brand and an improved governance structure ,” explained Deborah .
“ While we ’ re going through a period of change , we ’ ve been listening to the Institute members about the things they value most : access to , including CPD content , local branch meetings and the recognition of Registered Architectural Ironmonger ( RegAI ) status .
“ As we move towards the new , single organisation we will be looking at how this works for individuals . We ’ ll also be creating an even stronger branch community by involving more people , in more places , around the world , by developing hybrid events and by introducing alternative communication routes to support networking .”
Going forward , the organisation will be focussing on five key areas : member engagement ; membership benefits , services and business support ; external influence ; technical leadership and knowledge ; and customer service . Mario Del-Signore adds : “ The GAI ’ s new strategic plan aligns everything we do under a single brand and will bring multiple new benefits to businesses and individual professionals in the architectural ironmongery and door hardware industry .
“ Our new strategy can be summed up in a simple phrase – delivering more , better . This is a three-year plan , and we are already working to deliver it . We have listened to the needs of our members and are delivering against them .”
www . gai . org . uk
JUL / AUG 2021
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