At Building’s first ever Construction Client Convention last Tuesday, Nigel Griffiths pledged his support, major clients learned the importance of their role, industry firms networked for new contracts and our editor did what he does best …
Construction minister Nigel Griffiths pledged to

“do what I can” to make the Construction Clients Group, the industry’s fledgling client organisation, a success.

Griffiths was speaking at Building’s inaugural Construction Client Convention last Tuesday, which was attended by key figures from about 250 senior clients and construction firms.

In a keynote addresss, Griffiths said he would seek a meeting with Constructing Excellence chief Dennis Lenard and leading housebuilders to “discuss the barriers to improvement”.

Griffiths said the convention was “important, because it signifies that clients recognise the role they have to play”. He added: “This is a premier event and I am proud to be associated with it.”

The convention was chaired by Tony Douglas, managing director of BAA’s £4bn Terminal 5 project, and also featured a string of masterclasses and a panel discussion chaired by CITB chairman

Sir Michael Latham, with Argent’s Roger Madelin, Cambridge University’s David Adamson and Hammerson’s Geoff Wright.

Building editor Adrian Barrick presented the findings of the magazine’s first-ever survey of the top 100 clients, which was published in last week’s issue. As part of the survey, the clients were asked to nominate their favourite peers.

This poll named the Private Sector Client and Public Sector Client of the year, presented by Griffiths. The first gong went to BAA and the second – in a delicious moment for the audience – was handed to Tony Wilson, head of major developments at … the BBC. “Building is delighted to engineer a rapprochement between the government and the BBC,” said Barrick.