Early-bird registration for IPAF’s Elevation extended until 24 August

The full programme for the International Powered Access Federation’s (IPAF) inaugural Elevation conference, networking and gala dinner event on 25 September is confirmed, with places filling fast and the special early-bird booking discount now extended by popular demand until 24 August for the event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Coventry, UK.

The afternoon will be given over to a condensed conference with each speaker giving a 20-minute presentation. The full programme of speakers is as follows:

• Mark Noonan, Industry Relations Director, CITB: CITB Update – Engagement and future plans;
• Jo Fautley, Deputy CEO, Build UK: Catalyst for change: Transforming construction;
• Malcolm Bowers, Director, Lifterz: The changing dynamics of platform rental;
• Nigel Taylor, European Director, Serious Labs: VR today, tomorrow and the future;
• Angel Ibañez, IPAF’s Global Representative for MCWP & Related Products: New IPAF hoist course.
• Paul Lindup, Network Rail’s head of Infrastructure, Construction and Engineering Air Operations: MEWPs vs drones;
• Jan-Willem van Weir, AWP Product Manager, JLG: JLG site of the future;
• Ray Cooke, Construction Sector Safety Unit, HSE: Work at height – the importance of planning it right;
• Giles Councell, IPAF’s Director of Operations: IPAF Update; and
• Richard Whiting, IPAF’s UK Market General Manager: Closing remarks and general Q&A session.

In the morning IPAF will host a meeting of the Access Link group, as well as IPAF’s UK Country Council and MCWP Committee. A workshop to help IPAF rental members in the UK making the mandatory transition to IPAF Rental+ minimum standards will run concurrently. From 1pm to 1:45pm IPAF will hold a UK Open Meeting ahead of the afternoon conference.

There will be a gala dinner in the evening and the whole event will be a chance for attendees to meet and network, as well as to try their hand on a state-of-the-art MEWP simulator machine as part of IPAF’s ongoing virtual reality (VR) consultation (www.ipaf.org/VRconsultation). The person who completes a specific MEWP challenge with the fewest faults and closest to the target time will win IPAF’s “Smooth Operator 2018” award.

There will also be a competition to choose the best marketing video for IPAF training, with attendees at the event able to vote for their favourite from a showreel of shortlisted finalists (nominations or submissions to Faith Cobaine at faith.cobaine@ipaf.org by 15 September).

IPAF has also released more details about the entertainment that has been organised for the event: Comedian Rob Deering will be entertaining guests at IPAF's inaugural Elevation event. e is a regular performer at the Edinburgh Fringe as well as appearing at the Udderbelly Festival, Machfest, V Festival, Towersey Festival, Kendal Calling, Green Man Festival, Camp Bestival and Latitude. He is also a former BBC New Comedy Award finalist who regularly hosts The Comedy Club (BBC Radio 4 Extra). Rob is a regular contributor to The Steve Lamacq Show (BBC Radio 6 Music). His other credits include Comedy Rocks With Jason Manford, Celebrity Juice, Out To Lunch and My Teenage Diary, among other appearances. 

Richard Whiting comments: “IPAF’s inaugural Elevation event boasts a diverse and engaging line-up of speakers and what will be a fascinating range of activities and entertainment that will appeal to anyone working in the powered access industry in the UK today. I’m looking forward to it tremendously and I expect it will quickly become an established fixture in IPAF’s top-class global events calendar.”

Tim Whiteman, CEO & MD of IPAF, adds: “There’s a really great line-up of speakers and events for the first ever Elevation and it’s already being seen as a ‘must attend’ occasion – members and non-members alike will benefit from attending, so please do book now to secure your place at the best possible price!”

Booking for Elevation 2018 is now open with an early-bird discount on individual places and table bookings available until 15 August, visit www.ipaf.org/elevation for more information and to reserve your place. Anyone booking a place will also receive an exclusive reduction in the price of the award-winning 2018 IPAF Global Powered Access Rental Market Report, compiled by Ducker Worldwide.