The Framers Forum

The Northern Ireland Branch of the Fine Art Trade Guild will be holding its next Branch Meeting on Thursday 18th October 2008. The proceedings will kick off from 7.45 pm and the venue is the Belmont Hotel in Banbridge.

The theme of the evening is “20 Easy and Less Easy Ways to Improve Revenues and Margins in a Framing Business” and the branch is very pleased that the following guests have agreed to attend:

Martin Harrold, the MD of Lion Picture Framing Supplies.

Pete Bingham (who some of you may of heard of).

Also in attendance will be Samantha Marshall, the Membership Manager from the Fine Art Trade Guild.

Guild members, from both the North and South of Ireland and perhaps further afield, are invited to support this event. Please bring along your staff or potential members.

This promises to be an interesting and varied evening including a question and answer session to allow you to put your burning questions to our expert guests. Refreshments will be served during the course of the evening.

It would help with the planning and catering if it is known who will be attending, so if you are interested in coming along please contact the Branch Master on 07802 834187.

What a great night that will be, If the guild put meetings on in Cornwall like this, I would join.

In these internet broadband days, lots of people video presentations, seminars and lectures for later distribution via the web. For those people who are not close to active chapters of the Guild, I think it would be a great idea to tape meetings and have the vids available on the internet.

Phill
In fairness to the Guild after a lot of pressure from me, they did organise an evening such as this last year at the 'Mountbatten Centre' Plymouth.

Unfortunately only a handfull of people seemed interested, so it was cancelled due to lack of interest.

That event would have covered, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset framers which number quite a few (hundreds).

Our new branch master has certainly hit the ground running with his first meeting. Well done Rolf!

What a line-up. Martin Harold is not only a successful businessman who understands our business inside out, but he also has a wealth of practical hands-on framing experience. And Pete (Pure Agony) Bingham the guru of framing gurus.

A rare opportunity, with the emphasis on improving business skills rather than framing skills, and one that any framer with the means to make it to Banbridge on Thursday 18th should not miss.

The next branch event is to be held on Thursday 20 March 2008 at the Scenes Gallery, 17 North Street, Belfast, BT1 1NA, commencing at 7.45 pm.

The branch is trying out alternative locations and would like to thank John McAfee for providing the venue for this meeting. This meeting will also include the judging of the FATG Regional Framing Award.

The Agenda for the evening will be:

• Introductions
• AGM (to re-elect branch officials)
• The GCF and Advanced GCF qualifications – Steven McKee
• Regional Framing Award: “Lean on Me” by Nel Whatmore
• A demonstration of Pre-View by John McAfee will also be available

Please lend your support to the branch, bring along your staff, friends or potential members. This promises once more to be an interesting evening of education, competition, networking and socialising.

All members attending the evening will be involved in judging the entries for the Framing Award. The winning entries will go forward to the National Award. Success in the regional competition will provide the opportunity to advertise your success and your business.

For more information and to confirm attendance please contact the Branch Master, Rolf Lawson, either by telephone on 07802 834187 or by email on rolf@ppframing.co.uk

Thank you to all who attended last nights event, but could you not have eaten more of the sandwiches and cake? I am going to have to eat them for my lunch today - darn

I realise it was holy week and that some were washing their hair, but an effort was made to hold an event in Belfast for all those who have whinged about travelling and only 10 people turned up. Not going to encourage our grand dragon to hold another event in the big smoke in a hurry.

Rant over.

Thanks Rolf and Stevie for organising the whole shabang.

Thanks to Sarah and John for hosting the event. I think Sarah may have overdosed on the Salami sandwiches.

Hi Sarah,

Sounds like you did a sterling job. Sorry to read that the turnout was so disappointing after all your hard work.

Hey moggy,

It was a bit disappointing but we had a good natter and it was a quiet enough night to be able to judge our regional framing awards. (fix )

Hope to see you up here soon!

Just bringing this to the top again.

The next meeting of the NI Branch of the FATG is on Thursday 30th October 2008 courtesy of CP Productions in Lisburn. The evening kicks off at 7.45 pm and the main presenter of the evening is Gordon Cunningham GCF of Cathandon Quality Framing Services in Stirlingshire. He is going to talk about the Morso, setup, maintenance and of course blade sharpening, a subject that is close to all our hearts.

For Guild members in NI (or Eire) please lend your support to the branch, bring along your staff, friends, competitors or potential members. This promises once more to be an interesting evening of education, networking and socialising. Guests are also very welcome. Light refreshments will be available and there is of course a small charge to cover costs.

For more information and to confirm attendance please contact the Branch Master, Rolf Lawson, either by telephone on 07802 834187 or by email at rolf@ppframing.co.uk