An exciting programme of presentations and sessions is planned for the next national walking and cycling conference, 2WALKandCYCLE, being held in Nelson on Oct 29-31. The draft programme is now out on the conference website for you to see what is being covered; it promises to be a very interesting few days with lots of great presenters.
Amongst the keynote speakers are Chris and Melissa Bruntlett from Vancouver who, along with their two children, have been spreading the word about cycling as an everyday activity for a number of years. Through various means, including short films, blogs, and media articles, the Bruntletts are on a mission to ensure that cycling culture goes hand-in-hand with the introduction of cycle infrastructure (of which Vancouver certainly has many great examples).
The conference also promises a variety of different activities throughout the week. Delegates can turn up early to attend one of the various pre-conference workshops happening on Tue 28th, including the much-lauded Planning & Design for Cycling course. During the conference there are field trips to explore various parts of the walking/cycling infrastructure around Nelson (the only place in NZ with a higher cycle commuting rate than Christchurch). And presenters will be engaging with attendees using “learnshops”, poster sessions, workshops, and conventional oral presentations. There will even be opportunities to continue the conversations at the start and end of the days, with special themed cafes and restaurants for breakfast and dinner. Don’t forget too that the winners of the Cycle-Friendly Awards will also be announced at the Conference Dinner.
Early-bird registrations close on Mon 15th September; after that the registration fees jump up quite a bit. The 15th is also the cut-off if you want to apply for the even-more discounted rates for students and volunteer advocates – these provide outstanding value for three days of presentations. You can also follow news about the conference via the Conference Facebook page.
Will you be going to 2WALKandCYCLE?