We recently caught up with Sam Shean, Highways & Traffic Services Manager at Reading Borough Council to talk about the unique opportunities that the LCRIG Innovation & Learning Festival offers to Local Authorities.
Read Sam’s full interview below.
Q. Why should Local Authorities attend the Innovation & Learning Festival, and what unique opportunities does it offer?
A. This is an ideal opportunity for Local Authorities to meet suppliers, to look at a wide range of innovation on offer, and to take back ideas to their own authority and trial them. The Festival also allows councils to learn from other Local Authorities, and to also network with other authorities on how they are managing a very challenging period.
Q. What have you gained from attending our previous Innovation Festivals that has been of value to yourself and Reading Council?
A. Lots of innovative ideas that were brought back to Reading. We have trialled lots of innovation and adopted several as ‘business as usual’, which is improving efficiency and driving down carbon use.
Q. What are you looking forward to at this year’s Innovation & Learning Festival?
A. Innovative solutions that we, as a small local authority, can bring to Reading. I will keep an open mind, and looking forward to see what is on offer.
Q. How can the innovations showcased at the event directly benefit local authorities in their day-to-day operations and long-term planning?
A. For me, this is the most important outcome: we all face huge financial challenges with a huge expectation of net zero by 2030. The Festival provides a unique opportunity to bring Local Authorities and Suppliers together, and the breadth of innovation being offered to Local Authorities to meet these challenges is inspiring. An example for Reading was the trial and purchase of a fully electric road marking machine from MEON. Our Highway Operations team are now rolling out residential road marking refreshing throughout the Borough, which is reducing the pressure on our revenue budget and making a visible improvement to the roads of Reading.
Q. Finally, what would you say to any local authority members who haven’t yet registered?
A. Not registered, really! You are losing out big time, join today!
Join Us at the Festival
With over 600 delegates expected across the two days, the festival provides a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange, filled with opportunities for learning, networking, and innovation.
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to witness innovation in action. Book one of the last remaining fully funded Public Sector Delegate place today!