October Conference
This very successful annual networking event, usually held in October, is always well supported and brings over 200 people from the trade to a first class regional venue. Members network with each other and discuss items of interest and future developments for the trade as a whole.

President’s Ball
This bi-annual event in honour of the incoming President is usually held in Dublin at a premier venue. A banquet and entertainment package encourages an atmosphere where members meet each other and enjoy a very pleasant evening. Our next President’s Ball will be in early 2013.

Overseas Study Tour
An annual study tour to an overseas venue. A group of members travel on a work study and information tour in may each year. Over 100 hardware people from all over the country travel in a very special atmosphere in order for forge links and gain knowledge that will assist them in the future business.

Social Weekend 2011 – Galway 

The Irish Hardware & Building Materials Association celebrated yet another successful annual social weekend in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway city.  Weekend sponsors Dulux Paints, Bostik and Tegral welcomed guests from all around the country to a new venue for the Association’s Social Weekend, but in a city in which the IHBMA have enjoyed many previous social weekends.

National President Brendan Maher and his wife Olive, where delighted with the turnout to the home of McDonogh’s Trade Centre where Brendan is General Manager.

Golfers enjoyed a very successful and kind weather day in Athenry on Friday, where IHBMA Golf Society President, Willie Dixon, took first prize and Sandra Barrett, Irish Cement took the ladies first prize.

On Saturday the golf resumed to an initially damp morning, but eventually clearing to a nice day at the Galway Bay & Country Club Course in Oranmore, where a team of Joseph Wallace, Sean Cleary, Dan Lynch and Alex Taylor took first prize with a terrific score of 91 points.

Non golfers participated in a walking tour of Galway city under the guidance of Liam Silke from Galway Walking Tours.

There were two evening functions over the social weekend, an informal buffet on the Friday evening and a gala dinner on Saturday night with local merchants from the Galway area joining social weekend residents.

During his presidential speech on Saturday night, Brendan Maher welcomed all to Galway, and thanked them for their attendance yet again at the Association’s annual networking event.  Brendan also took the opportunity of thanking all members of the IHBMA for their continued support of the Association, especially given the current economic climate.  He stressed that the association was working actively on their behalf, including in the area of Prompt Payments Legislation, also in lobbying Government to reduce the administrative burden that affects all businesses within our sector and in helping members of the Association to communicate in a more effective way with the Association and indeed with each other through the medium of the IHBMA website – www.ihbma.ie.

Brendan also thanked the three sponsors of the event – Dulux Paints, Bostik and Tegral, without whom, he said, events like these could not take place.  He encouraged all members to support these companies and all other companies within the Association, who have given great support to the Association over many years.

To view images from the event please click here