Comment: Normal service is resumed09 April 2024

There was a time during the COVID-19 pandemic when I’m sure some people believed that they would never shake hands with another human being again, or attend any sort of mass-gathering. The ‘new normal’ was being touted as just that – a way of life that was alien to what had gone before it a few short months before.

So it is encouraging to see a return to the ‘old’ normal in so many walks of life. Social distancing has been confined to the history books and, while hand sanitisers take pride of place in all manner of locations (no bad thing, to be honest), there are few signs in everyday life that the pandemic ever existed. In the transport world, life has been made easier with more face-to-face opportunities and no requirement to keep a safe distance from fellow technicians, trainers, transport managers or anyone else.

Further evidence of how life has returned to how it once was can be seen in the events industry. For transport engineers, that means looking forward to the Commercial Vehicle Show, which might even be where you find yourself reading these words. The transport world will gather in Birmingham on 23-25 April 2024, where more than 200 exhibitors will pack out halls of the NEC, with an expected 15,000 people set to walk between the aisles.

As was always the case, the Commercial Vehicle Show will, this year, provide a number of product debuts and a great opportunity to meet with colleagues new and old. With one eye on continuous improvement – which is what all engineers should strive for – the event has introduced a three-day on-site seminar. Running alongside the traditional exhibition, the seminar will cover all the burning industry issues, with highly respected speakers in attendance. From Net Zero, to health and safety to the people who drive the sector forward, the seminar looks set to be a very positive addition to proceedings.

I look forward to meeting you there – very possibly on the IRTE stand (Stand 5D30).

Author
John Challen

Related Companies
Irte Ltd

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