UK joinery trade to converge for BWF Members’ Day

19 May 2017


The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) is gearing up for its annual Members’ Day 2017, which this year is themed on ‘Setting out for success in uncertain times’.

The event, on June 15 at Hellidon Lakes Golf & Spa Hotel near Daventry, will see keynote speaker Dr Tom Woolley – the architect, author and academic – cover the landscape of health, sustainability and the huge opportunities for timber products in construction.

Leading economic commentator Alastair Stewart will also offer an outlook for construction in a post-Brexit Britain and how this is likely to impact upon the woodworking sector.

BWF president Sean Parnaby urged joinery companies to attend and said the event was an excellent opportunity to form a vision for the future.

“Despite inherent uncertainty there are clear opportunities ahead for our sector to exploit changes in the market, advancements in materials, environmental reporting and e-business and to use these to grow our customer base,” he said.

“This is a chance to arm the joinery sector about where to be alert and make it ensure even the smallest business can embrace digitalisation.”

Workshops will see technical specialists and guest experts covering topics ranging from optimising design of stairs and windows, identifying, measuring and managing risk, changes in the house building market, how to make work on big contracts run smoothly, the latest on apprenticeships and skills development and how to keep the joinery workforce safe.

Other speakers include Peter Caplehorn from the Construction Products Association, who will explain how the UK’s construction products manufacturing sector is evolving, looking at the impact of BIM and the digital economy.

Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) interim chief executive Sarah Beale will give evidence on how a reformed CITB can better support woodworking businesses in the UK.

A session at last year's Members' Day