A year in focus

The first to address the AGM was Darryn Kerr, chair of the Executive Committee. In a presentation briefly highlighting the Institute’s financial position – he said IHEEM remained “in a sound position overall” – he began by commenting specifically on last October’s Healthcare Estates event, at which he said not only had the exhibition sold out, but an increase in delegate numbers had been recorded. While acknowledging that this year’s move to Manchester was “a bit of a risk”, he said the Committee had felt it was “a sensible decision based on not having been able to secure the dates we actually wanted at Harrogate this year”. Less commercially successful than the conference and exhibition, however, despite a strong speaker array, had been the Institute’s 2009 seminar programme – one key contributory factor being that IHEEM was now operating here “in an extremely competitive environment”. Further improving the marketing of the seminars, to differentiate them from rival events, so that, in particular, average attendance was raised, was identified as key. Looking at the Institute’s finances and membership position, Darryn Kerr said the 2009 year had seen an £8,000 increase in net assets on the previous year’s £664,437, while individual voting member numbers had fallen – from 1,711 in 2008 to 1,645 last year. He also noted that the Institute’s reserve funds were currently only earning a 0.5 per cent return-on-investment, something he said required addressing urgently. The Institute had also seen a slight increase in its support costs. “Overall,” he said, “we remain in a strong financial position, but we do need to look at ‘doing more for less’, and, as our top priority, at increasing membership.”

Analysis of the options

Manju Patel, chair of IHEEM’s Business Development Board, told the AGM one of the year’s most important activities for her Committee had been analysis of the many potential business initiatives open to IHEEM. She explained that the various options were categorised into those considered financially viable, and those which were not, with the latter discarded. She said: “Work by one of the team, Ian Hinitt, looked, in particular, at how we might improve branch activity to help halt our gradual membership decline and boost new member recruitment. One initiative we intend pursuing is CPD roadshows, which we hope will generate considerable interest, both among existing, and potential, members. We will also be looking to produce induction packs on the Institute for NHS Trusts, and, working with the Education Committee, at staging meetings with branch secretaries and chairs to see how we can better support them. Some of the branches that hold the more successful events can certainly assist those that have seen lower attendances. “Our research suggests there is also a sizeable group working in strategic planning and project management roles, both in the NHS and private sectors, not properly catered for by other Institutes. We intend targeting them, potentially via establishing a new professional register.” Manju Patel added that, in the interests of cost-cutting, the Committee would also be looking to hold more meetings via “teleconference”. Education Committee chair Bill Millar began his address by explaining that, with the organisation of the Annual Conference and Exhibition “taking more and more” of the Committee’s time, the recently established Strategy Group’s proposal to review the Education Committee’s structure, and potentially establish a separate Conference Committee, made sound sense, in that it should allow more focus both on maximising income from the Harrogate event and, for instance, from the IHEEM seminar programme, which had not fared so well financially in 2009. During 2009, a “a very busy and successful one” for the Committee, members had carried out “a significant piece of work” assessing alternative venues to Harrogate, partly due to the unavailability of the desired dates there for 2010, partly because it was felt that in Harrogate the event had “no room to expand”, and partly because some delegates had “identified difficulties” in getting to the Yorkshire spa town. It was hoped the new Manchester location, with the event in one hall, in contrast to Harrogate’s three, the city’s excellent transport links, and its good overall “ambience”, would make the 2011 exhibition and conference the best yet.