After three months on the job, I think I can finally say I’m getting adjusted to office life in the UK – although, some transitions from my previous office in Canada to our headquarters at 22 Greencoat Place have been more difficult than others. For example, it took me about two weeks of searching to find proper files with tabs on them. I continue to dial ‘9’ to try and get out of the office phone, which never seems to work. For the life of me, I cannot seem to remember that it is transport and not transportation. It’s Tippex and not White-out. And I guarantee there are very few of you who know what a duotang* is, so I don’t even bother. Plus the fact that there is not a standard three-hole punch blows my mind!
Although the learning curve has been steep, there have been people along the way more than willing to help. From the lecture series delegates going into great depth to explain what exactly it is that transport planners do (pretty much everything), to my officemates agreeing to check for my overseas grammatical mistakes, the transition has been a lot more smooth. It’s this willingness to help and support each other that makes this such a great industry to work in; and why I think you all will make the 15th Annual Transport Practitioners’ Meeting the best yet!
TPM is all about bringing people together to share the good, the bad and the ugly. It is a unique opportunity to mingle with experts from many different areas and a fantastic opportunity to showcase projects that you are proud of. Presenting to a warm and welcoming community of industry peers in a relaxed and informative environment is an experience all practitioners should get the chance to be a part of. The deadline for abstract submission is 19 January 2017, and I encourage everyone to submit, green or seasoned.
To find out more information about TPM and the Call for Papers, please visit our website or contact a member of the events team at info@ptrc-training.co.uk.
Kindest Regards,
Brogan McPherson
PTRC Events and Course Manager
* A duotang is a paper folder made of cardstock paper with brass fastenings which holds multiple sheets of paper. Or a rockband hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba.