Wood Protection Association 2024 Awards Event & Conference
GO TO:
Wednesday 15th & Thursday 16th May 2024
Windmill Village Hotel, Coventry
Every year provides great opportunities for WPA members and guests - not only to celebrate all that's good in the timber industry but to meet new contacts, catch up with old friends, learn about innovative technologies or new industry regulation.
The annual WPA event has been running for 10 years now - and every year just keeps getting better! By listening to our members' views, we do our best to keep the event fresh and interesting - by tweaking the format and focussing on particular conference topics.
If you're a member of the WPA or simply just part of the timber industry, why not see what it's all about. Read the following and if you like what you see - book your place.
Sponsorship
A huge thank you to our main event sponsors: Arxada, BSW Timber, Koppers and Power Poles UK. We couldn’t host this event without their generous contributions. Bond Timber graciously continue to sponsor the Golf Competition – marvellous hosts for the past 4 years. We also give thanks to Fencing News – Conference sponsor and ardent WPA supporter.
Main Event Sponsors:
Daytime Activities
Guests to the WPA 2024 event can choose to arrive early on the first day and participate in one of two outdoor activities - it's a great way of getting to know people outside of their working environment.
Golf Competition
Played on the Hotel's 18 hole Windmill course, this hotly contested Stableford competition provides enthusiastic host, Willie Classon, with lots of material for his golf winners presentation later in the evening. The prized trophy is engraved with the previous year's winner and passed onto the incoming victor - but there's many team and individual prizes too (including food and drinks hampers, generously donated by the sponsors).
Hot Shot Tournament
Introduced last year, Laser Clay shooting in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside, proved extremely popular, we also tried our hand at air rifle target shooting too. So we've expanded it into a 2 hour activity this year, incorporating archery. Let's see who's been practising and if anyone can beat last year's champion, Emma Haley.
Awards Evening
The evening begins with a drinks reception, followed by the presentation of trophies to our Golf and Hot Shot competition winners. After a BBQ style dinner, the WPA Awards presentation begins. Our ‘master of ceremonies’ and after dinner entertainment is comedian Josh Daniels.
WPA 2024
Award Categories
All our awards will be judged by the WPA Management team
DEADLINE for submissions: 7th May 2024
Project of the year
Any construction or landscaping project in the UK or overseas, that utilises wood treated with a preservative, a flame retardant or wood modification process. Any size project completed in the last 2 years or currently under construction can be nominated. Any business may submit an entry - they do not need to be a member of the WPA.
WPA Benchmark Treater of the Year - conferred award
The nominations for this award will be put forward by the WPA Benchmark auditors.
They will be looking at the quality management schemes in place, the skills of plant operatives and treatment system processes and records. With this award we recognise those companies that go above and beyond and whose quality processes stand out.
Best Kept Preservative Treatment Plant - conferred award
The nominations for this award will be put forward by the WPA Benchmark auditors. They will be looking at standards of cleanliness, safety, efficiency and record keeping.
Product or Services Innovation
This award is aimed at WPA member companies who have developed innovative products or services or adopted new business processes which have improved standards of performance or environmental or regulatory requirements or increased sales / marketing opportunities.
Excellence in Training and Development
People are the greatest asset of any business. With this award, we're looking to celebrate member companies who value and nurture their staff by providing opportunities for career, skills and workplace environment development through training and enrichment activities.
Rising Star
This award recognises individuals who have shown exceptional promise and whose dedication and hard work has made a real difference to the WPA member organisation they work for.
Conference Sponsors:
WPA 2024 Conference
Our half day Conference is held on the Thursday morning. Our speakers and topics are:
Stephen King Chairman of the National Softwood Division of TDUK:
Influencing demand for sustainable timber and treated wood
The National Softwood Division of TDUK represents the voice of timber importers, distributors and traders across the UK. It acts as the guardian and promotor of standards, quality and sustainability in the softwoods supply chain and is a major influencer of TDUK strategy in these areas. Stephen’s presentation will focus on the prospects for softwood sales growth in the future and how the associated opportunities for treated wood products might be opened up.
Nick Boulton – TDUK Head of Technical & Trade Policy:
Sourcing, categorisation and dynamics of the UK timber supply chain
The value of wood and wood products placed on the UK market has been estimated at almost £6 billion but what is the balance of products we are buying and where does our wood come from. Nick's presentation will look at why we source the products we do, how well they suit our market in terms of quality and the patterns of future supply we may see going forward.
Peter Clark – CEO, Association of Fencing Industries (AFI):
Confidence in preservative treated wood from a fencing contractor’s point of view
For some time now the AFI has been calling for action by the wood treating industry to reassure fencing contractors that preservative treated wood will provide an acceptable service life. The AFI says that wood is the fencing material that most contractors prefer but a 'spate of premature failures, customer complaints and business losses' has led to loss of confidence in the fitness for purpose of treated wood after CCA. Peter gives conference an update on the experiences of its contractor members and end users.
Neil Ryan – Director WPA :
Highways Fencing: is wood at a fork in the road?
Preservative treated wood has been the material of choice for motorway and trunk road fencing for decades. But times are changing. Competitive materials are increasingly being specified. National Highways has commissioned a review into the fitness for purpose of its own Sector Schemes, which were established to ensure the quality of materials used in highways contracts. At conference Neil will discuss the recommendations of this review and discuss what needs to happen to enable those who want to take the high road to business success, in the market for quality assured highways treated fencing materials.
Book your places
WPA members: £280 + VAT pp
This is a 24-hour delegate rate and covers:
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the evening event – barbecue dinner with drinks, live entertainment, entry to raffle prize draw
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overnight accommodation, breakfast,
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conference attendance and lunch.
Conference only (with lunch)
WPA members: £75 | non-members: £100
Daytime Activities (including refreshments)
Golf : £35 (ex VAT)
Laser Clays & Archery: £40 (ex VAT)