At 精东影视鈥檚 first ever Construction Client Convention last Tuesday, Nigel Griffiths pledged his support, major clients learned the importance of their role, industry firms networked for new contracts and our editor did what he does best 鈥�
Construction minister Nigel Griffiths pledged to

鈥渄o what I can鈥� to make the Construction Clients Group, the industry鈥檚 fledgling client organisation, a success.

Griffiths was speaking at 精东影视鈥檚 inaugural Construction Client Convention last Tuesday, which was attended by key figures from about 250 senior clients and construction firms.

In a keynote addresss, Griffiths said he would seek a meeting with Constructing Excellence chief Dennis Lenard and leading housebuilders to 鈥渄iscuss the barriers to improvement鈥�.

Griffiths said the convention was 鈥渋mportant, because it signifies that clients recognise the role they have to play鈥�. He added: 鈥淭his is a premier event and I am proud to be associated with it.鈥�

The convention was chaired by Tony Douglas, managing director of BAA鈥檚 拢4bn Terminal 5 project, and also featured a string of masterclasses and a panel discussion chaired by CITB chairman

Sir Michael Latham, with Argent鈥檚 Roger Madelin, Cambridge University鈥檚 David Adamson and Hammerson鈥檚 Geoff Wright.

精东影视 editor Adrian Barrick presented the findings of the magazine鈥檚 first-ever survey of the top 100 clients, which was published in last week鈥檚 issue. As part of the survey, the clients were asked to nominate their favourite peers.

This poll named the Private Sector Client and Public Sector Client of the year, presented by Griffiths. The first gong went to BAA and the second 鈥� in a delicious moment for the audience 鈥� was handed to Tony Wilson, head of major developments at 鈥� the BBC. 鈥溇笆� is delighted to engineer a rapprochement between the government and the BBC,鈥� said Barrick.