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Young Forwarder Network YFN Virtual activity round-up


Virtual port tour breaks attendance records for Young Forwarder Network


Lexi Laybourn (pictured), YFN committee member and customer services operator at DP World London Gateway, attracted 71 virtual attendees to her tour of the DP World London Gateway port conducted online via Zoom in early June. A record attendance for any event, real or virtual, since the YFN was launched in March 2019.


The behind-the-scenes tour was the second online event for the YFN and delivered some fascinating insight into the day-to-day activities at one of the UK’s most advanced port and integrated logistics hubs.


‘Attendees’ witnessed over the internet how London Gateway’s highly productive deepwater berths are built to handle the world’s largest vessels and learned how its state-of-the-art technology means that it can do this in a safe, reliable and efficient manner.


The tour incorporated all aspects of landside


and shipside activity, an outside terminal port tour to see containerships, trucks and rail freight in operation, all with plenty of opportunities for participants to interact. Ms Laybourn said: “DP World London Gateway is a global trade enabler. In spite of the necessary restrictions in place due to Covid-19, trade at the gateway continues. Given that we are unable to welcome large groups of visitors to the port at the present time, I thought let’s take the port to the members of the YFN through a virtual port tour.”


Free Bitesize training for youngsters BIFA trainers Carl Hobbis and Graeme Wilkinson hosted the first of a planned series of online events in July dubbed BIFA Bitesize. These short online training sessions focus on individual topics related to international forwarding and Customs procedures, with the first event entitled Moving Goods Around the EU. Further events will be available exclusively to members of the YFN.


Carl Hobbis, BIFA’s training development manager, said: “The development of BIFA’s YFN continues to be of great importance and as always with YFN events, using the video


8 August 2020


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conferencing online tool, will enable participants to build up their professional network and learn more about the industry.” Robert Keen, BIFA Director General, said: “Our YFN is important to young people, so it is great that the network committee members are continuing to work together remotely to develop a plan to keep the network going during this unforeseen time. “We have plans for a variety of online events for the YFN. Our recent virtual port tour and an online quiz were both a great success and we


have guest interviews, Q&A sessions and so forth all still to come.” BIFA launched the YFN in March 2019 to


create several regional networking groups operated by young forwarders and intended to help early talent and young BIFA members develop their knowledge and professional skills, but in a more social environment.


Prior to the lockdown, the successful launch of the YFN had seen six regional groups established and over 20 networking events held, attended by hundreds of young individuals.


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