NN1 Personnel Northampton Transport Conference – what did you miss?

July 3rd, 2019

On 18th June 2019 we hosted NN1 Personnel Northampton Transport Conference. As it was our first event of this kind, we held it FREE of charge to all our attendees.

The Theme
The theme for our conference was ‘Learn, Network, Grow’ which is exactly what we did on the day. Our attendees – mainly transport operators from the local businesses – had the chance to discuss challenges in the transport industry and hear about current legislation, law changes, FORS. There was lots of socializing and networking in the room, as well as a chance to grab a coffee and a quick breakfast


We knew the event would be something special for NN1 Personnel and it didn’t disappoint us. Imagine the whole room filled with a well-mixed audience of expert speakers, solicitors, HGV drivers, transport operators, haulage business owners, employers …. all working in the transport industry, exchanging views, expertise, and contact details.

Let me tell you what else you missed if you had not attended the conference.

The Venue
We chose a well known and central location for our conference. Holiday Inn was just off A45 in Northampton which meant quick easy access and lots of free parking spaces

The Programme
The conference covered a range of topics presented by our expert speakers.

Our first speaker of the day was Mike Hayward from Woodfine Solicitors. Mike is a member of a regional FTA Freight Transport Council. He acts for those in the transport, haulage and distribution industry. Mike gave us more insight into some aspects of Operator Licensing.

Mike talked about the trigger points for enforcement and showed some real-life examples of non-compliance.  Mike gave us an update on criminal culpability and how to avoid DVSA Prosecutions.

We also had Maria Gallucci from Woodfine Solicitors, a specialist employment lawyer. Maria was speaking about how the employment issues can be related to poor drivers performance which can then lead to the penalties and prosecutions.

Our next speaker Duncan Ward, a Road Harm Victim Support Coordinator. He represented Voice Northants – a free confidential support service for victims and witnesses of crime, he spoke about practical and emotional support for victims of road harm and trauma.
What’s more, during the coffee break we had a chance to try the Drunk Busters Impairment goggles, to see the effect of alcohol or tiredness on drivers’ vision and safety.

After the break, Jim Wright from Wright Logistics Services Ltd gave us some great practical insights about all things compliance. Jim is a compliance specialist and qualified FORS auditor. It was good to hear about the latest law updates as well as see some examples and costs of non-compliance in the transport industry.

Last but not least was our expert speaker Nigel Morris from MHA Macintyre Hudson. Nigel is an Employment Tax Director. Having previously worked as HMRC Inspector, Nigel is a real expert in the new IR35 private sector tax law reform that will be affecting all but the very smallest transport companies from April 2020. He briefed us on the latest issues and practical approach to the new IR35.
Don’t you wish you had come to our conference?

That’s not all. After our expert speakers, it was the time for NN1 Personnel to say few words as well. We are in the transport industry after all, and we also had some to share with our attendees. Owner of NN1 Personnel, Damian Sodel told us about his dream and the journey to becoming an award-winning recruitment agency together with his wife. He also gave us some advice on how £1 yesterday’s doughnuts are not the way to care for your clients/contractors relationship. Great example!

Our last speaker of the day was given by lovely Justyna Sodel. She gave us some expertise on attracting good quality drivers, drivers retention and told us a secret to maintaining 100% attendance figure among drivers.

It was a great morning packed with lots of valuable content. “This conference was very focused on the subject, comparing to other similar events we attended recently. This is just what we needed” said Amanda Wells from Route Logistics.

We wish we had more time to cover it in more details. Here is a room for improvement for our next Transport Conference.
Thank you to our audience and speakers for spreading the word about the conference and for engaging and posting on social media on the day. It really made our day and the whole conference experience even more valuable and enjoyable.

It was something new for us, and we found the whole conference experience amazing. Organizing the venue and speaker, sending invitations, and hosting the event on the day was something new to our business, and only gave more ideas for the next conference and reassured us that events like this are needed in Northamptonshire.

Please keep an eye on our website as we will soon be posting blogs with details on each presentation from our Transport Conference

The Feedback

The feedback we received on the day was amazing. Thank you, everyone, for your thought and suggestions for the next event.

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you and congratulations on such a fantastic event today to yourself, Damian and the wider NN1 team. We really enjoyed it, found all the speakers really insightful and had a great time networking.” Helen Chick, NX Group

“It was good to hear from the different speakers and there is always something new to learn. I was particularly impressed by the sincerity which shone through from both you and your husband. You work on the same philosophy as my family and I do with our business., looking after the drivers and treating them as individuals.” Steve Porreta, Porreta & Sons Ltd

“Kept interesting and timely. Very well done” anonymous, feedback form

“Great location, All of the speakers were informative and interesting. Great event” anonymous, feedback form

“Excellent event. Woodfines – excellent. Lots of content. Damian and Justyna have done a superb job” anonymous, feedback form

“Excellent speakers and perfect topics” anonymous, feedback form

“Perfect venue for Northants. Great selection of topics and speakers. Really well organised and promoted” anonymous, feedback form

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