1202 delegates attended Transport Manager in 2015, 86% surveyed would recommend to a friend or colleague with a 90% satisfaction rate from those who attended on the day. We have a great formula to know what works for FTA’s Transport Manager Conferences and 2016 would be no exception.
…and then Brexit landed.
So making this year’s Transport Manager events relevant, varied and informed took a bit of outside thinking. I started this role in June having worked in the industry for 8 years and wanted to deliver a Transport Manager that focussed on the prominent issues of the moment.
But with the ‘B’ word the only thing on everyone’s lips I can’t say that planning this year’s programme hasn’t been a challenge.
Then we listened to what you were asking us – what issues are top of your agenda, what stories regularly feature throughout our industry and what our customer service and member relations teams are resolving on a daily basis. And the same themes came through every time:
- You want to be compliant through your processes and understand any changes on the horizon.
- You want to be excellent in your daily operation, from the moment your fleet sets off to the standard of customer service you expect to the technology you use to track driver progress.
- You want to be connected with likeminded people in the logistics industry, if someone else is solving the issue you have on a daily basis then you want to know about it.
- You have a responsibility – to protect your customers, your staff and your industry in any obstacles that might stand in the way
When we defined those four themes the rest fell in to place. This year’s programme takes you from a view with your local Traffic Commissioner to how you can influence key issues at board level to fuelling change solutions to enhance performance and vehicle technology to preparing for the year ahead – to name but a few.
As always places are in high demand so whether you’re a one man band or looking to send thirty delegates – we’d love to see you there.
And with so much going on throughout September to December this blog is my own way of keeping you up to date. Sharing the inside track on how we deliver Transport Manager, the thought process behind the expert speakers to our all-important sponsors to the year ahead action plan that you leave with. But perhaps most importantly the success stories as they happen.
Bring on the next four months…
For more information on this year's conference visit transportmanager.fta.co.uk
(The views and opinions expressed by the authors of these blogs are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Freight Transport Association)
Take a look at our infographic and see how logistics continues delivering the summer.
Sat on centre court at Wimbledon, with strawberries and cream in my hand and the sun shining – if only for an hour – it’s difficult to imagine that the nation is going through times of such uncertainty. Lots of questions to be answered and assurances to be made throughout our industry and…
And then our man came on to court. Huge cheers from the crowd and we’d begun – thoughts of uncertainty soon disappeared. Through all the different walks of life, different opinions and difficult choices over the last few months we were all here for the same reason.
Shoe laces were retied, sports bottles chucked under the chair, towels flung to the ball boy and tennis balls flying around the court I couldn’t help but feel proud that none of this would be happening without the other guys. The guys that you don’t see – but who those in logistics know are always present. The shippers that ensured the fresh fruit was transported at exactly the right climate to cater for the thousands of spectators, the lorry drivers that travelled numerous nights to deliver enough equipment to make the tournament a success and the duty of the operations manager to keep everything on time and deal with any hurdles along the way.
So yes, we have a lot of work to do up ahead to get the big questions answered but for just one day this was certainly my reminder of the impact the logistics industry has on everyone and everything. Days out to tournaments that unite the UK like no other, keeping my family safe and prepared this summer from delivering flip flops to sun lotion to beach towels and allowing me to step away from the stress of daily life with picnic hampers full of fresh produce.
I might work in the logistics industry from 9 – 5 but the logistics industry continues to work for me 24/7.
#deliveringthesummer
(The views and opinions expressed by the authors of these blogs are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Freight Transport Association)
