After almost a year since the inception of a “for industry, by industry” safety event, we are beyond happy with how the Safety Summit came to fruition on Wednesday the 9th of May.

In collaboration with New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority SMS team, our marketing and Sure Skies team led the charge on curating an event that saw over 140 industry professionals in attendance. The day saw 16 hand-picked speakers deliver their presentations on how they and their business had worked through the SMS implementation process.

This event targeted productive collaboration within the industry and the regulator on the topic of Safety Management and the steps needed to implement a system (SMS) before the looming deadlines.

As attendees arrived at the Safety Summit they were greeted with a gift bag, coffee and smile from the wonderful SMSNZ team and sent through to the main auditorium for a 9am kickoff. Facilitated by our fantastic team, the day ran smoothly with 19 presentations in total, each allowing time questions and answers.

The diverse range of speakers came from different sectors including airlines, airports, adventure and helicopter operations, consultancies, and engineering firms. In addition, CAA’s SMS team presented their thoughts on SMS, and Neil Richardson of international aviation consultancy, Baines Simmons, ran a dedicated CEOs forum. Topics ranged from understanding and implementing SMS, to engaging staff, and fostering positive and proactive safety cultures. The day started with words of wisdom from our very own Don McCracken regarding his experience with SMS. The day was closed by an open panel followed by networking at the bar.

The response we have received was that the day was a huge success, with many asking for the date of the next event.

Due to high demand, we have created a Resources Section and Forum on the Safety Summit website, allowing us to upload all presentations from the day as well as continue the conversation. Feel free to check it out here.