The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) Conference took place 2 August at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. The Conference inspired quantity surveyors from across the country.
 
Academic excellence and outstanding professional achievement was rewarded at the ASAQS Gala dinner. Prof. Kathy Mitchell received the prestigious Meritorious Service Award for her contribution to the profession and built environment. Quantity surveying university students from across the country also competed for the Future Leaders Award, Candidate Achievers Award and the Gold Medal Award.

The awards are not only aimed to reward and congratulate students for academic excellence, but also to inspire them to take over the reins as future leaders in the quantity surveying profession.
 
The theme of the Conference, Agility, Swift and Strong aimed to embrace the winds of change to better decide whether you should build walls or windmills. All the speakers said changes in the technological, economic and political landscape need to be embraced by the Quantity Surveying profession.
 
Larry Feinberg, Executive Director of the ASAQS said over the past three years they have been incrementally growing the value proposition of the ASAQS annual flagship Conference.

“Certainly not in the last 3 decades has it been more important for practicing quantity surveyors to understand and embrace the ever changing technological and political landscape and become adaptable and agile in using these new powerful tools to their own advantage,” he said. At the ASAQS annual flagship Conference numerous tools were discussed.
 
Uwe Putlitz from JBCC discussed Life is too short to deal with avoidable (building) disputes. Another highlight at the Conference was the presentation by Craig Howie from AECOM on Building Information Management (BIM) and how this new technology is creating new potential opportunities.

“In the near future clients and other practicing professionals within the built environment will most likely increasingly require the professional team to employ BIM and pass on the savings that this platform can generate when used on large construction projects,” Feinberg said.
 
Rudolf Pienaar spoke on Growthpoint's sustainable journey and how the industry can bring about change through green building. “Green building and sustainability are no longer just catch phrases for the privileged few that strive to reduce carbon emissions.

The word sustainability in the public domain is fast becoming synonymous with cost and energy savings and I am by no means alone when I say that I can see a much larger role for QS’s to play in advising their clients of potential long term savings,” Feinberg said.
 
Dr. Ron Watermeyer discussed government’s Standard for an Infrastructure Delivery Management system (SIPDM), how the processes work, how target contracts can be utilized and how this has benefited projects he’s been involved with. 
 
The ASAQS thanked the over 230 delegates for their contribution and reiterated that the QS profession is going from strength to strength.