Overview

Being able to present effectively whilst engaging your audience and, subsequently, being able to field challenging technical questions is a key skill for those working in the transportation industry. Whether engaging stakeholders, making a case for investment, or presenting project outputs to your client group, presenting is an essential skill.

The Finalists

The South West region was delighted to receive many high-quality entries following a call for abstracts in September 2020. No topic area was suggested in the call for abstracts and this led to a wide breadth of topics being covered by the entrants.

Four finalists were selected based on the quality of their abstract submissions and the thought-provoking topics they had suggested.  We are delighted to announce that the CIHT South West Emerging Professional’s Presentation Competition 2021 will be contested by:

• Val Ismaili, Transport Planner, Arup: “Which is the best walking route?”
• Katalin Fulop, Assistant Transportation Planning Officer, Devon County Council: “Overview of a Case Study of Cranbrook”
• James Meredith, Graduate Transport Modeller, Jacobs: “Is the Future Positive for Electric Vehicles?”
• Matthew Pearce, Graduate Transport Planner, Stantec: “Delivering the UKs leading Smart Campus in the Heart of the South West, Gravity”

How the competition will work

Each of the finalists will take their turn to deliver their presentations, which will be watched with interest by the judging panel.  A Q&A session will follow each presentation, with the judging panel asking questions and assessing the candidates’ overall performance.  The judges will then convene to decide a winner.  A £250 prize will be taken home by the winner. 

The Judging Panel

The CIHT South West region is delighted to be joined by the CIHT President, Martin Tugwell, who will – alongside the South West region’s Chair, Chris Shipway – preside over judging duties.  The remainder of the panel will be drawn from the committee.  In the event of a tie, the Chair will have the deciding vote. 

The judging panel will comprise:

• Martin Tugwell, CIHT President / Programme Director, England’s Economic Heartland;
• Chris Shipway, CIHT South West region Chair / Senior Transport Planner, Jacobs;
• Hannah Clark, Winner of the 2017 Colas CIHT Presentation Awards / Principal Transport Planning Officer, Devon County Council;
• Nik Bowyer, Immediate Past Chair, CIHT South West region / Associate Director, AECOM;
• Holly Moon, Honorary Secretary, CIHT South West region / Associate, WSP;
• David Watkins, Communications Officer, CIHT South West region / Associate, Arup.

Why should you attend? 

• CPD - Various speakers and topics from around the South West
• Q&A Session with each presenter 
• Case studies and project insights 
• Showcase of the region's Emerging Professionals

Help and Support 

For further information, please e-mail southwest@ciht.org.uk