Last week all the NAWIC chapters got behind the annual 'We belong' event.
The idea behind the event started a few years ago when the chapter chairs and operations team were thinking of ways to bring women together from across the sector, to network, meet new women in construction, share stories, ideas, encouragement and enjoy each others company.
Women are invited to attend, in a 'come as you are' fashion, from the site to the office and everywhere in between.
The event has gone from strength to strength and apart from the shared date, time, shared sponsorship and general purpose for the event, the chapters enjoy putting their own stamp on the evening.
This year all 9 chapters put on the event, with brand new chapter, Manawatū using it as a launch pad. Numbers varied between regions, as some chapters draw from a smaller member area, but by all accounts it was reported to be a fun event, bringing together familiar faces and lots of new comers.
A huge thank you to
PlaceMakers
and their staff at each venue for helping make these events so successful and fun.
Here are some of the highlights.
"The Queenstown Lakes chapter had a successful, fun filled event at PlaceMakers Queenstown. We started with a short talk about the history of NAWIC, what we do and what we are trying to achieve, followed by a talk from the PlaceMakers team. We had an evening of nibbles, networking and games, with the highlight being a fastest driller relay race. A couple of lucky ladies walked away with some great prizes, including a Ramset drill, Milwaukee chilly bin, ladies tool belt and PlaceMakers gift vouchers. It was great to see so many new faces at the event, and we hope to see them all again soon!"
"In Wellington we had a wonderful site visit around the new PlaceMakers Kaiwharawhara showroom and yard. This was followed by short talks from two of our NAWIC Excellence Awards winners and some industry partners who spoke about their journeys and their place in the construction industry. "
"Fantastic event hosted by PlaceMakers, our sponsors for the evening, fueled by great food and exciting discussion. The networking games really brought out the best in people, and there were NAWIC attendees who specifically came because of this. A lot of people hadn’t been to an event in the past 2-3 years but remembered this being a highlight, and felt encouraged to come back out and meet new faces."
"The Canterbury chapter had a fabulous turnout to our We Belong in Construction event and PlaceMakers put on a delicious spread and great setup for our three incredibly inspiring speakers. With questions ranging from the challenges our speakers had faced throughout their careers, to top tips they'd give fellow women in the industry, each women there was able to take away some individual inspiration. It was a fantastic evening and all those that attended had a blast."
"A great turn out for the Manawatū ‘We belong in construction’ event yesterday, made into an extra special event with the launch of the Manawatū chapter! A huge thank you to everyone who came along to support us, and a massive thank you to PlaceMakers for providing our venue and being incredible co-hosts."
"The Otago Chapter had a wonderful time at the national we belong event. Kushla Glover was our winner for the fastest cut-nail-screw competition & gets bragging rights for a year. Thank you to all stallholders, & sponsors of prizes.
A special thank you to PlaceMakers for hosting & our Chapter Chair Philippa for working so hard on this event."
"Thanks to all the members and non-members who attended the awesome We belong in construction event hosted at PlaceMakers Mount Maunganui. We have a very competitive scavenger hunt around the store, resulting in an intense tie breaker and some happy winning faces at the end. A massive thank you to all the PlaceMakers staff and all involved for helping make it a great event."
"The Waikato Chapter achieved its biggest turnout yet for the We Belong In Construction event hosted by PlaceMakers. Guest Speakers Liz Watson (Council Member and Past NAWIC Award winner), and Jasmin Lawrence (Project Manager and NAWIC Awards Highly Commended Rising Star 2023) spoke about the Fletcher BUILDhers Project currently underway in Auckland along with the highlights and challenges of being a women in the construction industry, which was both inspiring and motivational. Thanks to PlaceMakers for their fabulous hosting both in venue and catering, and to the current and “future” members of NAWIC who attended. It was great to see such an awesome and supportive crowd."
If you would like to see what events are coming up in your chapter, check
out our events page and subscribe to your chapter Humanitix page!
