Inspired to lead

Every year, pandemics aside, Master Joiners host a Conference, carefully crafted to showcase our work at the Awards dinner, inform via relevant industry presentations and provide opportunities for networking. Master Joiner members meet regularly at regional events, but the Conference brings us together in one place for a few days of learning and exchanging ideas and innovations. The Conference forms an invaluable part of the Federation’s calendar.

This year the Annual Master Joiners’ Conference is being held in Blenheim on the 8th to 10th of September. The theme of our conference is Inspired to Lead, and the program is designed to deepen your knowledge, expand your perspective, and inspire you. The program is designed with workshops, breakout sessions and, of course, opportunities to mingle.

The Conference begins midday Thursday with local joinery factory tours and a complaint workshop facilitated by Trevor Slater from the Resolution

Institute designed to show you how to receive a complaint and stop it escalating.

On Friday, after the opening address from the National President, we have the keynote address from Dr Paul Wood on the topic of authentic leadership. Dr Wood is an expert in helping people navigate the path to high performance, satisfaction and well being. He is a regular media contributor and a best selling author. Dr Wood will use his own journey, from delinquent to doctor of psychology, to illustrate the attributes and ingredients that assist us to bring our best as we lead others, and ourselves, through change, challenge, and adversity.

Dr Wood will then facilitate a workshop “What got me here?”. Delegates will have the opportunity to explore and discuss how they got here in terms of their own performance and satisfaction.

Our Friday breakout sessions after lunch include:

• • kitchen cabinetry

• • compliant timber joinery

• • workplace wellbeing strategies

• • succession planning

• • creating alternative pathways for secondary transition, building a talent pipeline

• • building a value creating team that is aligned to your vision.

Friday afternoon has our second keynote address Leading High Performance Teams, presented by Stephen Nelson, Chief Executive of Badminton New Zealand and Board Chair of Maycroft Construction. The day ends with the President’s closing address, Leading for the future.

Surrounding the business side of the Conference we have our networking opportunities. On Thursday night, The Gathering is the opportunity to catch up with members you may not have seen for a while. On Friday night, we have the Quiz night, always good fun. And on Saturday, our highlight event, the Annual Excellence Awards Gala dinner, held in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.

A special thank you to our host sponsor, Laminex, and all our sponsors without whom the Conference would not be the same.

And finally, it will be spring in Marlborough. If you feel in need of a break after the long winter months, what could be better than a few perfect days in Blenheim