Architectural practices will find out how to identify their USP and stand out from the crowd at this year's Guerrilla Tactics, the RIBA's small practice conference.
On 9 and 10 November 2011, Guerrilla Tactics brings together leading names from the industry and the commercial world to help practices unlock their specialist potential, more important than ever at a time of diminishing workloads and fee cutting.
Four lively conference debates on 10 November will look at how practices can differentiate their services to attract new clients; how and why others have decided to specialise; how research in practice can create a niche business; and how to master PR and marketing:
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Eggs on one basket: Julian Harrap, Julian Harrap Architects; Nick Hancock, Nick Hancock Design Studio; and Cressida Toon, Sonnemann Toon Architects, discuss working in a specialism – chaired by Ruth Slavid, freelance architectural journalist.
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Food for thought: Andrew Waugh, Waugh Thistleton Architects; James Pickard, Cartwright Pickard Architects; and Indy Johar, 00:/, talk about building expertise through research to create a unique skill set – chaired by Sarah Wigglesworth, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects.
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The next big thing: Craig White, White Design; Fergus Feilden and Edmund Fowles, Feilden Fowles Architects; and Nick Willson, Nick Willson Architects, look to the future to find out where work might be found – chaired by Eleanor Young, RIBA Journal.
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Smoke and mirrors: Jane Wentworth, Jane Wentworth Associates; Will Hunter, Architectural Review; Kevin Carmody, Carmody Groarke; Stephen Witherford, Witherford Watson Mann Architects; and Joe Morris, Duggan Morris Architects, show how to master the brand successfully – chaired by Carolyn Larkin, Caro Communications.
On the first conference day, 9 November, Guerrilla Tactics offers CPD seminars with leading specialists – enabling delegates to benefit from the RIBA's simplified new approach to the CPD Core Curriculum. Seminars will be structured around six themes - need to know; winning work; running your practice; be resourceful; sustainability; and materials and technology – and delegates can select topics ranging from lighting to fee-setting, and from BIM to CDM.
Finally, Guerrilla Tactics will round off with 'The Live Pitch' – the most zany yet. Small practices will be pitted against each other for selection by a panel of real clients to become the architect for a – literally – 'out of this world' project: the design of a hotel on the moon for Virgin.