SAPCA NEWS Highlights of the SAPCA Conference 2011 T
he Sports and Play Construction Association’s (SAPCA) annual business conference took place in
Stratford-upon-Avon on 31 January, with the theme of ‘Meeting the Challenge’. Under the skilful chairmanship of
former Olympian and UK Athletics CEO David Moorcroſt OBE, the event focused on the future provision of sports and play facilities, including the likely impact of cuts in spending, and how the industry should best manage and respond to the challenges facing its future business. Following SAPCA chair Tony Hession’s
introduction to the work being undertaken to strengthen the association’s regulatory role and its drive to raise industry standards, keynote speaker and former business manager to Sir Clive Woodward, Jeff Grout, delivered an inspiring session on the vital importance of eff ective leadership for continued business success. He also emphasised the essential need for clear business objectives, supported by strong team motivation and communication.
T e future procurement of sports facilities was discussed during the conference open forum Duncan Wood-Allum, of the Sport,
Leisure and Culture Consultancy, presented an insightful analysis of the impact on sports facility provision of the current local government environment, and the implications for the industry. He stressed the importance, in a changing market, of companies being innovative and fl exible, and why it would be necessary to understand changes to the way the public sector would procure products and services.
Leſt : Wood-Allum on sport facility provision in the current fi nancial climate. Below: T e aſt er- dinner auction raised £3,000 for ParalympicsGB. Right: SAPCA chair Tony Hession
Other key sessions included: a view
from Graham Finnie of sportscotland on the future for sports facilities north of the border; guidance was given on the new Construction Act from Colin Jones of Hewitsons solicitors; a study of the future market for synthetic turf from Sylvia Tabero of AMI Ltd; and a review of the fi ndings of SAPCA’s Recent Technical Audit from Colin Young of SAPCA. T e conference concluded with a lively open forum on the future procurement of sports facilities, and the challenge to the industry to deliver “more for less”, such as through framework agreements. While recognising the pressure on sports bodies and local authorities to maximise the spending power of reduced capital budgets, the debate highlighted the vital importance of ensuing that the quality and longevity of sports facilities should not be compromised by a drive to achieve short-term cost savings.
14 Read Sports Management online
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Issue 1 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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