The key to a tree bearing fruit is collaboration. It needs soil, water, the right amount of sun and shelter, and like most things in life – a little luck. Just being a tree alone isn’t good enough.

For all the brainpower we as a species were blessed with, one of humanity’s greatest flaws is failing to see and take on the tips, cues, and laws nature puts in our path.

When we do tune in to them great things happen, and at this point in our history realising the treasures encompassed within collaboration is probably quite poignant. There’s no shortage of business gurus extolling the virtues of collaboration.

Like the future of land-based propulsion, solving the gargantuan issues in humanity’s windscreen will not come from a single source – rather a meeting of minds. If we can alter the ‘recipe’ enough to overt the worst environmental consequences prophesied, maybe the greatest outcome will be the change in societal value sets resulting from the process.

An orchard begins with one seed, and this week saw the first Teletrac Navman Technology Maintenance and Safety Conference held in the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

It was a collaborative effort by the New Zealand Trucking Association and National Road Carriers that sought to reconfigure and freshen up the conference concept. Currently, both associations are leading by example when it comes to collaboration – walking the talk so to speak, at the same time focusing on the windscreen, taking the approach there’s simply too much coming towards us to muck around worrying where Jimmy Hoffa is buried.

Attendees exceeded expectations, with more than 520 passing through the doors on day one and 555 on day two. Those numbers were often masked by both the size of Te Pae’s main convention room and the physical layout, with the trade show surrounding the presentation area, rather than separated from it. It’s not a layout that would work everywhere, as you need the acoustics a state-of-the-art venue like Te Pae affords. It worked a treat, and if the presenter on stage was addressing a subject not in your immediate field of interest, you could check out something in the trade fair without losing contact with the main game.

The agenda was intense, and started with 130 school students visiting and seeing the plethora of opportunity the industry offers. The rest of the event was pitched at decision makers and operational layers.

Imparting useable takeaway information at an affordable attendance cost was a core tenet of the event, and it succeeded on both counts from my observation.

The collaboration theme extended across the Tasman, with a significant delegation coming from the ATA in particular and CEO Mathew Munro taking part in the association leaders’ panel.

Representation from other industry bodies was strong, with heavy haulage, ground spread, and crane among those present, as well as the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Post-event there will surely be many learnings, with tweaks made for the 2026 iteration.

I think in 2024, presenters generally need a change in mindset, and should align themselves with the ‘key information delivered quickly and clearly’ format – telling the audience exactly what the key takeaway is and how best to apply it – think a TED Talk type thing maybe? In this context, Bede Cammock-Elliott from seedigital probably led the charge of the presenters I saw.

All in all, a wonderful and interesting event that certainly sprouted a new way to approach a long-standing concept. The importance of trying to find new ways to connect in person and impart information cannot be overestimated.

Over the next 20 to 30 years, the information on new products, infrastructure, pricing, and the rules of engagement will come at a pace almost too scary to contemplate. The information we hear in 2026 might well be obsolete in 2032. Getting industry, suppliers, government, and regulators in the one room regularly is going to be more important than ever before.

Whether it’s the fundamental issue the planet is attempting to address, or industry specific ones, we are best served with all parties around the table finding a way forward on common, or at least stable ground. Based on nature’s hidden messages, the fruits of such intense labour might just be more bountiful than we could imagine.

All the best,

Dave McCoid
Editorial Director