IBD Sections to Become Stronger with the Creation of Global Technical Communities

This has been an intense and fruitful first half of the year so far. With the rollout of all our exams in the digital form and the green light from our members on 14^th June to formally apply for the Charter Status, we have achieved the huge milestones that our outgoing Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Avis, set up as our main objectives.

While creating the Chartership application, we had the chance to review some of our byelaws, all approved and hugely supported by our members. One of these byelaws is the definition of the IBD Section. Without a shadow of a doubt, our eight sections across the world are the core of the IBD  and has so done since the Institute was established at the end of the 19th century. The commitment, dedication and engagement of the Member volunteers running the Sections and organising regional technical and social events to foster knowledge sharing among professionals where there is a concentration of members in the same location is admirable and much appreciated.     

As we expand across the world and evolve with the times to meet the requirements of our members and their businesses and provide new ways of connecting, exchanging experience and expertise and learning from each other, this is a great opportunity to enhance the role that IBD Sections have traditionally played.

That’s the rationale behind allowing for the creation of virtual or non-geographic based sections to facilitate community-based special interest groups.

This change allows for additional ways that members can interact based on their subjects of interest as worldwide communities that cross-current geographical boundaries. This has not been fully scoped out and we will be seeking member input into this. My thoughts are to facilitate the creation of first touch points with professionals in other areas who would like to learn and interact with peers based on career stage, interests, challenges to resolve, or common technical language.

For instance, distillers in Australia and Scotland could share a webinar on innovative ways to produce a new product and take it to the market. Members from the other side of the world could come together to learn from each other. Technology certainly could help with that. Connecting people is something that the IBD does well.

Or it could be that our Members speak another global language. The re-launch of our General Certificate in Brewing in Spanish with a new and self-directed learning material last year has opened up for the IBD the Hispanic-American markets with huge development potential and new members thirsty for being more involved in our organisation but separated by several thousand miles and the Atlantic.

How can we serve them well? Perhaps an online Global Technical Community in Spanish could be the first touch point to help them stay with the IBD after they have finalised their exams with us and connect with each other. With the time and after establishing the personal connections, local members could meet up to celebrate exam success and completion or simply enjoy a good beer. And that could be the origin of another successful section.

These online communities based on interest will come in time to complement, reinforce enhance and expand the reach of the brilliant job that the IBD Sections are doing.  

Douglas Murray

IBD Interim Chief Executive Officer