The Environment Agency-led inaugural Flood & Coast 2016 conference held in Telford this week has received a ringing endorsement from speakers, conference delegates and exhibitors alike.
The event drew together key stakeholders from the flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCRM) community, including local authorities, infrastructure owners, consultancies, contractors, businesses, community groups and universities. More than 1500 registrants exchanged a broad range of perspectives on innovation and best practice across the FCRM sector.
Alison Baptiste, Director of Strategy & Investment at the Environment Agency and Conference Chairman, said:
“This week we brought together scientists, academics, engineers, practitioners and government officers to share ideas and best practice in FCRM.
“There was a great atmosphere at Telford International Conference Centre. As well as a full and varied programme featuring 170+ speakers and over 90 exhibition stands to explore, we were able to network with key contacts and create new connections in the UK and overseas.
“We’ve celebrated industry successes at the Project Excellence Awards, learned from our international peers and had a reality check hearing from flooded communities. This conference has provided a great opportunity for industry professionals to come together to be inspired, to listen, learn, discuss and plan for the future.”
Speakers from the US and Australia joined their counterparts from Europe and the UK. More than 70 delegates attended from Holland for a special UK-Netherlands partnership event. Another Dutch delegate, Leonoor Duivenvoorde, Director of CJ Duivenvoorde Dredging said that she was leaving Telford with a clear picture of the numerous projects being undertaken and successfully executed in both countries. “I have also been inspired by the range of company representatives present, from senior management to those delivering projects on the ground.”
Fola Ogunyoye, Technical Director and Leading Professional for Flood Resilience Rivers, Deltas and Coasts, from gold sponsor Royal HaskoningDHV, was particularly pleased that Flood & Coast 2016 broadened the conversation beyond the FCRM sector to encompass the infrastructure community in particular. “This made for a much richer event,” he concluded.
The 90 exhibitors in the sold-out exhibition represented specialists from across the entire supply chain delivering FCRM technology and solutions, including the leading Environment Agency Water and Environment Management (WEM) framework contractors.
Richard Taffs, Operations Manager, TMS Maritime, commented:
“It was invaluable to gather all major contractors together under one roof. As an emerging contractor we were pleased to have a presence among the Environment Agency Tier 1 and 2 contractors and put faces to names. We have built some great relationships this week and will definitely come again.”
The Flood & Coast dinner celebrated the seven winners of the Project Excellence Awards, with categories ranging from programme and project delivery to innovation, efficiency and sustainable resource management.
The date of next year’s conference has already been confirmed –Flood & Coast 2017 will take place again in Telford from 28 February to 2 March.
Waterbriefing was media partner with the Environment Agency’s major three-day conference and exhibition Flood and Coast 2016 which took place from 23rd to 25th February 2016 in Telford. Click here for more information
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