Keeping Rail Forum Midlands on track in a virtual space

Rail Forum Midlands is the only regionally-based trade association for the rail industry and provides a range of services for its members. The Annual Conference is always a key event in its calendar but, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it switched online for the very first time.

Freshwater was asked to help deliver the first ever Rail Forum Midlands virtual conference.

We designed a virtual platform within the forum’s brand guidelines to include a three-day programme and speaker profiles.

Working alongside the forum, we sent invites to members and communicated with them in the run up to the conference.

The event ran over three days and included keynote speeches from Jim McMahon Shadow Secretary of State and Nadhim Zahawi MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The event also featured industry specialists including Network Rail.

Delegates were able to network with each other in the virtual environment and fix up one-to-one chats and meetings in the times allocated over the course of the event. We also made sure they could visit sponsor exhibition booths and arrange meetings or follow up discussions with them.

Short networking sessions were open to all members to catch up with the board, hear about what they are doing to support members and pose any questions they had.

Nearly four hundred members registered and tuned in to the event.

The forum is already planning its next virtual event.