Member Engagement
“ Steve Parker, Director General, accompanied by policy and compliance advisor (Customs), Igor Popovics, visited Northern Ireland in June for the fi rst Member meeting since the beginning of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the retirement of previous regional consultants meant that in-person BIFA Member meetings in certain regions had not taken place for some time. Last month a number of regional meetings were scheduled, some of which are reported on here. Regional re-launch
Midlands In the Midlands region our first meeting for some time was held at the Lea Marston Hotel where Members were welcomed by Andrew Melton, Denise Hill and Carl Hobbis from BIFA. Andrew outlined his role as Regional Representative for Northern England & the Midlands, and how he can help Members with industry issues. He also provided an update on the latest issues being discussed in the various BIFA policy groups. Denise advised that her role is intended to revitalise engagement with as many Members as possible in a way that is appropriate to local needs. Carl provided an update on training, apprenticeships, the Young Forwarder Network (YFN) and new website. It was encouraging to see several Member companies in attendance as well as a representative from the local Chamber of Commerce. Andrew will be looking to involve other local stakeholders in the future. It was agreed the location was excellent, especially for any golfers who may be looking to arrange a round after future meetings! Manchester Mid-September saw many members attending this first meeting in the Manchester area at the Village Hotel in Cheadle, where they enjoyed a great breakfast and networking opportunity. Andrew Melton welcomed Members and provided BIFA updates, Claire Capaccioli shared information on BIFA training and development, YFN and website developments, while Denise Hill outlined her
role to improve Member engagement. Cameron Smith, the local YFN chair, spoke to those present in an enthusiastic, passionate and impressive manner about the benefits he has enjoyed since becoming a member of the group. The networking opportunities and educational talks have proved very useful in helping resolve operational concerns and building his confidence in dealing with everyday issues. Solent An online MS Teams meeting was held in mid-September with a few Members from the Solent area in attendance. Denise Hill introduced Paul Cunningham to the group on day two of his employment with BIFA. Paul will be taking over the area, along with responsibility for the South and South-West Regions, as part of his remit. Denise advised that she is working in conjunction with CNS to run a Southampton Port Information Network (SPIN) meeting which will be held face-to- face on 8 November at Chilworth Manor Hotel. Please go to https://bifa.org/events/ to reserve your place. Get involved! All BIFA members are reminded that more than one person can attend the regional meetings and are also encouraged to bring along younger members of the team in future. BIFA Regional meetings will be listed at https://bifa.org/events/ and you should book your attendance either through the Eventbrite or MS Teams link given or directly with the named Regional Representative.
the Windsor Framework. A further visit is planned for 24 October – go to www.bifa.org/events to register for the meeting. We are looking to hold events in Scotland soon and will contact members when we have the date confirmed. BIFA events As an engagement team, we have been very busy organising events such as our Business Leaders Forums, Multimodal, charity dinners in Liverpool and the London East regions, as well as virtual YFN meetings, airside tours and, of course, our flagship event the BIFA Freight Service Awards. A huge thank you to Sharon Hammond, events executive, whose knowledge, passion and attention to detail is key in ensuring these events run smoothly. Shelby Merchant joined the team in May as an apprentice and is learning the ropes alongside Sharon and is a welcome additional resource in the team. Looking forward, it is our plan to conduct more face-to-face meetings across the UK but where appropriate and requested by Members an online forum will be held. Our website Events section shows all of the upcoming meetings for the remainder of the year, and we will be publishing 2024 dates shortly. If you are interested in holding an event or have any feedback you would like to discuss with us, please contact me, Denise Hill, at d.hill@bifa.org
BIFA regional Members meeting in Manchester
October 2023 | 21
www.bifa.org
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker