Autumn Conference Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th October 2021
Royal Beach Hotel, Portsmouth
Wednesday 13th October
From 1300 Early check in at the Royal Beach Hotel and the Queens Hotel for some bedrooms. Overnight bags can be stored at hotel receptions if bedrooms are not ready.
1300-1400 Conference Registration in Royal Beach Hotel reception. Light refreshments provided in hotel bar.
1400 Buses leave for optional visit to First Bus’ Hoeford depot, followed by a tour of the Fareham to Gosport Eclipse busway with a return to Portsmouth via the Gosport Ferry.
1900-1930 Conference Registration continues in Royal Beach Hotel reception
From 1900 Pre-Dinner drinks (cash bar) in Royal Beach Hotel bar.
1930 Dinner in the Invincible room on the ground floor.
After-dinner speaker – BBC South Transport Correspondent, Paul Clifton
Thursday 14th October
From 0645 Breakfast in the Victory Suite on the lower ground floor at the Royal Beach Hotel
From 0730 Breakfast in Restaurant 1865 at the Queens Hotel
Check out after breakfast and bring bags to the Royal Beach Hotel conference room Invincible on the ground floor
0845 Welcome from YBMN Patrons James Freeman and Roger French
0900 Keynote Speaker: Janette Bell, MD First Bus
0945 Young Bus Manager: Aled Williams, Senior Regional Operations Manager South, Bus Èireann, talks about the challenges of running buses in rural Ireland
1005 Young Bus Manager: Laura Dixon, Engineering Change Lead, First Cymru, talks about being an engineer
1025 Coffee break
1045 Martijn Gilbert, MD, Go North East and this year’s President of The Omnibus Society
1105 Chris Cheek, MD, Passenger Transport Intelligence talks about future bus trends in the post-pandemic world
1130 Start of ‘Dragon’s Den‘ preparation
1230 Lunch in Victory Suite, lower ground floor
1315 ‘Dragon’s Den‘ feedback in front of four ‘Dragons’:
Louise Collins, Senior Stakeholder Manager, Transport Focus
Martijn Gilbert, MD, Go North East
Alex Hornby, CEO Transdev
Peter Shelley, Rapid Transit Development Manager, Portsmouth City Council
1430 Keith Greenfield, CEO, Wightlink will offer an an alternative perspective
1500 Round Up
1515 Departure
Coffee and tea available in takeaway cups