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World Association of Professional Investigators


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WAPI News

The 2005 WAPI Annual Banquet

THE 2005 WAPI ANNUAL BANQUET

Saturday October 29th, 2005

Crowne Plaza Hotel - Birmingham NEC

Well it's all over now!!

On Saturday evening, October 29th 2005 a total of 122 Guests attended the third WAPI Annual Banquet at Birmingham's Crowne Plaza Hotel.

And what a fine evening it was! - a surprise visit by none other than the immortal Marilyn Monroe! - who re-created those "heady days" of the era, those present hopefully enjoyed her songs and the many photo opportunities.

Our Guest of Honour - Birmingham Lord Mayors Deputy, Councillor Peter Hollingworth, representing the Lord Mayor's Charity (The Acorn Children's Hospice) welcomed everyone to the City of Birmingham - the centre of the UK, and we were delighted to raise a total of £1090 from the Raffle to be presented to the Lord Mayor for the Acorn Children's Hospice.

Our Guest Speaker DS Ian McCullins made a really interesting presentation on a serious topic - ID Theft, interspaced with a few Irish Jokes!!

On behalf of our GC, I wish to express our thanks to our Sponsors, and the Donors of the Raffle Prizes, all of which made the Event the success that it was.

Last and not least our congratulations to the winners of the three Annual WAPI Awards 2005.

Matthias Willenbrink - Germany - Outstanding International Investigator 2005

Alf Goldberg - Scotland - Outstanding UK Investigator 2005

Emma Roche - Southampton - Outstanding Newcomer 2005

Very well done!

Emma was publicly awarded her NVQ Level 4 Certificate in Investigations - the first female to achieve under the new syllibus! - an example to all?

The WAPI GC also presented Tony Imossi with a token of our Association's appreciation for his hard work as the Chairman of the ISG - Investigator Sector Group. Thank you Tony.

Last, but not least - I would like to express my appreciation to our GC Members who worked so hard to put this together, and who each took some active part in the running of the event which went like clockwork - Thanks to you all.

Ian (D. Withers)
Chairman - WAPI

 View the Photographs of the WAPI 2005 Banquet - Courtesy of sfdigital.co.uk

Ian D. Withers - Chairman of the World Association of Professional Investigators welcomed the evening's Guest of Honour, Honoured Guests and Guests as follows:-

Lord Mayor's Deputy Councillor Peter Hollingworth our Guest of Honour, Honoured Guests, WAPI Members, and Ladies and Gentlemen.

In my capacity of Chairman of WAPI – The World Association of Professional Investigators – I am privilaged to welcome you all here at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Birmingham'e NEC
We are indeed fortunate to have as our Honoured Guest, the Lord Mayor’s Deputy - Councillor Peter Hollingworth.

You are most welcome Sir.

Our Guest Speaker has flown in here especially from Belfast, DS Ian McCullins a serving Police Officer with the PSNI - You and your lovely Wife Julie are very welcome……

Our Banquet is filled with Professional Investigators from all over the UK, and further afield – Ireland, Germany, France, and Malta – Have I missed anywhere?

The end of yet another year in the life of WAPI draws to a close, we now celebrate our fifth birthday!! Five years as an Association.

WAPI has continued to grow, Membership is now hovering towards the 350/400 mark! - not bad for only 5 years!!

We had a Vendor Booth at the Las Vegas World Investigators Conference organised by PI Magazine Owners Jimmie & Roe Mesis, (Jimmie I am proud to say is a WAPI Honorary Member) they both send their greetings to everyone, and to demonstrate their support this evening, have kindly sponsored our background wandering mistrel! and the cooling lemon sorbet course to be served very soon - honest!. Las Vegas ? The WAPI Stand achieved 21 new sign-up Members there and then - and over 500 Membership Packs were taken! A very well deserved thank you to our Vice Chair & Membership Secretary Beverley Flynn and her most able Assistant Emma Rowley - Thank you both! Emma pop up a moment, you really worked hard for WAPI in Vegas, and for Emma Rowley (who manned the Las Vegas WAPI Stand) and Nan Murray (who dealt with the Banquet Reservations and Sales) this is a little token of our thanks - a handmade selection of local choclates was presented.

To say that this year 2005 has been traumatic for our Sector would be an understatement!! I have the privilage of representing our Membership on the ISG - Investigator Sector Group, my time this past year has been cut-out attending the regular Meetings which discuss and represent the concerns of our Members and indeed the wider Sector to the SIA - Security Industry Authority. The single most important Issue during this year has been the Competence Criteria, and it is still not yet resolved!

I also represented the ISG at Meetings with the SIA, and as an ISG Member, was priviledged to have participated on the Working Group with others from the ISG to determine the new - NOSSIES - National Occupational Standards for the Investigator Sector. These new standards will become the datum for most tasks undertaken by Investigators in the UK. They will form the backbone of future competence criteria and assessment.

I am delighted that Alan Martin of SITO (who writes the finished Standards) - and his Wife are here this evening - Welcome Mr NOS!

I would like to express my thanks on behalf of WAPI to my Fellow ISG Members - some of whom are here this evening. the ISG has enabled our Sector to sing from the same songsheet in the Licensing Debate, and I do hope that the ISG will continue to serve the represented Associations, as well as the non-aligned Investigators out there - I would urge all Professional Investigators to seriously consider joining one of the Professional Associations, preferably WAPI ! - Seriously though, it really is vitally important to demonstrate to the SIA a strong Sector Mandate.

I would like to ask Tony Imossi to step up to the Podium, as the Chairman of the ISG, he has faced a challenging task, pretty thankless, all for no fees or even expenses! or so he claims? - But between peer pressure and the demands of the SIA it really has been a tough year for Tony! So on behalf of WAPI, I would like you Tony, to know that we do appreciate all the effort that you put in for the Investigator Sector, and on behalf of WAPI I would like to present you with this small token of our appreciation.........(an inscribed plaque was presented)


Honoured Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen - this is one evening in the year that we can all get together at a social gathering, to meet and greet old friends and colleagues - make new friends and contacts, and most importantly – to have some fun! - especially for our other half's, we hope that the Ladies will enjoy our Banquet, our Speakers and maybe a wee surprise as well! Our Nine Piece Band will start at around 10pm for your continued enjoyment - to dance the night away!!


So without further ado, may I invite you to join me in a Toast to our Honoured Guests.

 

 

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