The Lighting Live Annual Conference in Glasgow will see the Presidential baton pass from Perry Hazell to James Duffin.
From celebrating the ILP’s centenary year through to ensuring the changes spelled out in the ILP’s Strategy 2026 route map become tangible and meaningful to members, it has been an eventful Presidential year, concedes Perry Hazell.
‘It has been a standout year in many ways,’ he tells Lighting Journal, as he and incoming President James Duffin came together to speak to the journal ahead of the Lighting Live Annual Conference in Glasgow this month.
Perry, business manager, Asset Management Services, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth, at London Borough of Southwark, will of course use the conference to pass the Presidential baton to James, senior lighting designer at Enerveo.
‘For me, the centenary celebrations were a real highlight. I thought bringing the Centenary Lighting Summit to London and having the focus there that we had on STEM engagement was brilliant,’ says Perry.
‘That led, too, to the work we’ve been doing around Project Light Ville, which I feel has the potential to make a huge difference going forward,’ he adds.
‘The last 12 months have been a time of significant change, so there has been a lot of reflection. It was fantastic, for example, to have so many past presidents at the Centenary Lighting Summit and to be able to speak with them and understand how the industry has changed,’ agrees James.
‘The education piece, as Perry has outlined, has also been fantastic; that is something that of course is going to continue. We’re aiming to have students again attend Lighting Live in Glasgow; there will also be papers around apprenticeships and a number of first papers presented by those new to lighting,’ he says.
MEMBERSHIP AND WLP
Perry also points to the development of the Industry Partner Recognition Scheme, which members will be updated on in Glasgow, Pete Raynham’s work as Vice President – Membership, Qualification and Registrations on rethinking the membership structures, and the launch of the WLP as further highlights.
‘On membership, the work we’ve been doing on encouraging more people to go through and review their membership grades – even if that’s all they do – has been invaluable. It has been phenomenal. It has gone from just a handful of upgrade applications to dozens at a time,’ he says.
‘More widely, Peter’s review of the membership grades as part of the SIP work within the Strategy 2026 has been immensely valuable.
‘So what does the professional engineering institution part look like? What does “professional” membership need to look like as well as just “membership” more broadly? The idea of potentially being able to decouple the professional membership side of things so that people who are unable to evidence that in their professional life, but who still have a lot to offer the Institution, can become members and benefit from membership. That has been really good.
‘In terms of the WLP, it has been inspiring to see the number of female engineers and lighting designers, female lighting professionals, now engaging with the WLP, along with of course many male members.
‘Male members of the WLP in fact are not just allies of the group but integral to the group, as we seen in the event last autumn for Movember. It has really enabled us to have different conversations that we might not have had before,’ Perry says.
Even though Perry concedes its tone has been ‘fun and jokey’ there has also been a serious point behind his regular ‘Hazell’s highlights’ this year in Lighting Journal.
‘The articles have been a great way of showing what the President is up to and what the Board has been doing. It has been great to be able to show just what a big job being President can be but also how rewarding it can be,’ Perry explains.
LISTENING TO, AND WORKING FOR, MEMBERS
James emphasises these will continue, albeit in the form of ‘Duffin’s diaries’. ‘I think it is important for the membership to understand what the President is doing, what the Presidential team, the Executive Board, Board of Trustees are all doing. That we are not just there as figureheads. That we are listening to, and working for, the membership as well as holding down our day jobs,’ he says.
What, then, will be James’ focus for the year ahead? What changes can members expect or look forward to?
‘One of the big things that will change over the coming year is the way that the membership interacts with the Institution through our digital portals,’ James explains.
‘Initially it will be changes that may not be that visible for members – streamlining the back-end for ILP staff and that sort of detail – but once the new website comes online towards the back end of this year and early next, it will be slicker and easier for people to start their membership upgrades, find documentation, ask questions to the technical committee and so on.
‘There will also be improved ways for members and volunteers to communicate with each other. There is going to be a real focus on using digital platforms to improve communications further, whether it’s for volunteers or the wider membership,’ he adds.
‘Trying to fill that skills gap is very much going to continue. Listening to the membership, which we’ve shown through the change back to Regions, will be another ongoing priority. Speed of communication and response, while it has improved, will also continue to be a focus,’ James continues.
‘For me, it is three words: continue, communicate, and improve,’ James says in conclusion.
‘That is what the last year has been, and that is what I intend the next year to be. Over the past year, it has been about focusing on continuing to do what we do well, communicating with people, and then improving based on that communication. And that is what I also want us to do going forward.’
Clearly, the pace of change and progress is set to continue. Roll on Glasgow!
This is an abridged version of the article that appears in the June edition of Lighting Journal. To read the full article, simply click on the page-turner to your right.
Image: Perry Hazell and James Duffin at last year’s Centenary Lighting Summit in London. Photograph: Simon Callaghan
