OWL North 2025

08:00 – 09:00: Exhibitor Set Up

09:00 – 10:00: Registration, coffee, and exhibition viewing, outside vehicle area viewing 

10:00 – 10:15: Welcome and introduction – Mick Sweetmore, Head of Fleet Engineering and Transport Services, Merseyside Police 

10:15 – 10:40: Welcome on behalf of OWL – Discover the benefits of the OWL Partnership – Jason Airey, MD, Connected Management Systems

10:40 – 11:00: Bridging the skills gap: innovation, collaboration, and technical leadership in transport – Emma Thompson, Executive Director, Society of Operations Engineers

• Explore innovative approaches to bridging the skills gap, and discover how SOE is collaborating with industry partners, such as DAF, to address critical workforce challenges through practical and forward-thinking initiatives.
• Celebrate technical excellence in the PSV sector and discover how the IRTE Skills Challenge is highlighting engineering talent and promoting best practices across the industry.
• Stay informed with the latest technical guidance, and get up to speed on new guidance for waste management vehicles, designed to support operational safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance.

11:00 – 12:00: OWL vehicle and equipment demonstrations and exhibitor meet and greet

• Learn how the latest vehicle technology can benefit your operation during live demonstrations
• Find solutions you can implement to reduce emissions and save fuel.
• Discover how driver management software boosts performance and optimises your fleet.

12:00 – 12:30: Break and exhibition viewing

12:30 – 12:50: From barriers to breakthroughs: How to decarbonise your waste fleet  – Vicente Jofré, Matamala, Fleet Decarbonisation Specialist/Tim Gale, Infrastructure Strategy Consultant – Fleet and Infrastructure, CENEX/Austin Shields, Senior Manager – Fleet Services, Westmorland and Furness Council 

• Stay up to date with the latest developments in zero-emission collection in the UK.
• Discover how to save costs while saving the planet through cost optimisation for zero-emission refuse e-collection.
• Discover best practices for deploying ultra-low-emission RCVs, RRVs, and sweepers.

12:50 ­– 13:10: Public-private partnerships in the fleet management sector: delivering improvements, flexibility and better outcomes – James Hendry, Assistant Director, Environment, Climate Change, and Open Spaces/ Alan Underdown, Head of Borough Operations, Basildon Borough Council

• Hear how Basildon Council has innovated its fleet management to become the first fully electric food waste collection service in the country.
• Find out how good performance is the foundation of true partnership working.
• Discover the journey from in-house service to high performance and wider industry recognition.

13:10 – 13:30: TBC – Kane Benham, Specialist Consultant – Sustainability, OPS Consul

• Unlock hidden value – Discover how your existing telematics data contains untapped insights worth £100,000+ in annual savings through kinetic intensity analytics.
• Predictive excellence – Learn physics-based approaches to predict maintenance needs, driver risk, and operational efficiency using real-time fleet data.
• Future-ready operations – Transform from reactive compliance to proactive optimisation, positioning your fleet for emerging regulatory requirements and competitive advantage.

13:30 ­– 13:50: Unlocking EV truck adoption: tackling the charging barrier – John Granby, Chief Commercial Officer, OurNet.Energy

• Discover how to unlock electricity capacity without costly or time-consuming grid upgrades.
• Find out how you can install EV charging infrastructure with no upfront capital expenditure (subject to agreed kWh usage).
• Discover how you can cover all costs with savings on your electricity bills.

Close of conference – Mick Sweetmore, Head of Fleet Engineering and Transport Services, Merseyside Police

13:50 – 15:10: Lunch and exhibition viewing

Check out our vehicle and equipment demonstrations at various times throughout the day.

OWL brings together suppliers from the waste, transport and logistics industries to develop products and services that are truly integrated. Some of the exhibitors that will be at the OWL North event:

There IS such a thing as a FREE LUNCH! In addition to serving you with a delicious two-course lunch you will also be provided with tea/coffee and pastries during the morning break.