The second Board of Trustees meeting of 2014 took place in the 83rd-floor conference room at the Grand Hyatt Jin Mao in Shanghai, in advance of the 2014 CTBUH Conference taking place downstairs. This meeting concerned strategic initiatives of the Council, and saw several Trustees taking on new roles.

Outgoing Chairman Timothy Johnson recognized incoming Chairman David Malott, and the Board welcomed its two newest members, Mounib Hammoud and Vincent Tse, thanking them for their commitment to serve during their upcoming term.

Conferences and Sponsorship

Executive Director Antony Wood presented an overview of the Conference that was about to unfold, noting that 52% of delegates were from China, and that up to 40 developers would have representatives attending – about 15-20% of overall attendance. It was also expected to perform incrementally better financially than the 2012 Conference in Shanghai. Wood said future Conferences will be even more globally focused, and the structure of sponsorship will be adjusted to accommodate sponsors who recognize the importance of CTBUH events regardless of location, and support them accordingly. A direct consequence of solid earnings from Conferences is that the CTBUH now has 22 staff in its Chicago headquarters office, which allows the Council to create more valuable offerings throughout the year, Wood said.

Wood also reported that the 2015 Conference to be held in New York, USA will be planned for October 2015.  As of the date of the Board meeting, no venue had been secured.  The focus will be on more international sponsors, rather than relying solely on regional or local companies.

Expansion in Asia

Expansion is already underway in China, with the establishment of a CTBUH Asia office at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning on the campus of Tongji University in Shanghai, Wood reported. A director of this office had not yet been appointed – that position was formally advertised at the Shanghai Conference and is envisioned as a joint position of CTBUH Asia Office Director and an Architectural Professorship at Tongji University.  CTBUH will seek the sponsorship of seven China-based companies to sponsor ongoing office operations for two years, in exchange for a seat on the Asia Office Steering Board. The Board agreed to form a sub-committee to officially establish a representative office in China.  The subcommittee will include the Chairman-Elect, the Executive Director, and Trustee Vincent Tse.

Brand Protection

As CTBUH becomes a more prominent organization, the Trustees have sought to apply for trademarking in several countries. Malott reported that applications were now in place in Australia, China, the European Union, India, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. Future applications are planned in Brazil, Canada and Indonesia.

Chapters and Committees

The CTBUH maintains both country Chapters and regional Committees. Wood provided a distinction between the two: Chapters have by-laws, officers and bank accounts, while Committees are looser, more informal organizations. Australia and Canada are the only two formal Chapters at this time.

Malott announced plans to drive a new template for Chapter by-laws, so that more Chapters can be established smoothly. The Board also agreed to fund Chapter support, for which Chapters will compete for the funds based on submitted plans; Chapters will also receive bonus funds for securing organizational members.

Advisory Group and Leader Responsibilities

The Board meeting also focused on narrowing the mission and purpose of the Advisory Group with more specific tasks and deliverables, and clarified that Leaders are expected to fulfill commitments they have made at the beginning of their terms, or risk being removed from their positions by the end of 2014.

Secretary Appointment / Thanks to Trustees/ Next Meeting

Trustee Craig Gibbons was appointed to be Secretary for the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

The Chairman took a moment to again recognize Board members William F. Baker and William G. Maibusch, whose terms will expire in October 2014.  The Chairman and entire Board thanked them for their continued service since their initial election in 2008.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held at CTBUH Headquarters on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago USA on Monday 9th March 2015.  The agenda will in part include a comprehensive review of the financial reports for 2014, and the proposed budget for 2015.