Case Study - Transport Research Arena 2024

The Transport Research Arena (TRA) is a large international event focused on transportation, research and innovation. The TRA is a biennial event, and this year it took place at the RDS from April 15th to April 18th 2024. The theme of TRA this year was accessibility and sustainability.

The RDS utilised it’s entire venue for TRA including the Main Hall, Concert Hall and Simmonscourt Complex. It’s expansive space of 43 acres, ground level accessibility to all halls and focus on sustainability made it a suitable choice for the event.

Additionally, the RDS’s dedication to safe and efficient practices has earned it corporate certification across multiple ISO standards:

• ISO 9001: 2008 (Quality)
• ISO 14001: 2004 (Environmental)
• ISO 5001: 2011 (Energy Management System)
• OHSAS 18001: 2007 (Health and Safety)
• Across the four days a total of 94 exhibitors and partners were present with 4,000 people registered to attend. This provided a highly efficient and effective business and marketing platform for organisations to connect and engage with delegates and other partners.

Why did you choose the RDS Venue for your event?

• They chose the RDS for its versatility, offering diverse spaces including smaller breakout rooms and larger halls for plenary sessions, ensuring flexibility to accommodate diverse requirements of the conference.
• The breakdown of room usage during TRA was as follows:
  • Exhibition area: Hall 1 & 4
  • Plenary talks: Hall 2,3,5 & 6
  • Plenary stage & Poster area: Hall 8C
  • Special sessions: Hall 8A 
  • Strategic stages: Hall 8B & 8D
  • Lunch: All catering locations in Hall 1,2,3 & 4.

• There is an experienced team of event management professionals which ensures seamless execution and unique services.

How did you find the various services provided by the RDS Venue? (eg. catering, AV, ICT/WIFI)

• Creative Technology (CT) is the Audio Visual (AV) provider for the RDS and was used throughout the duration of the TRA.

• Under the guidance of their project manager, CT assembled a dedicated team of over of over 80 crew members stationed in the RDS throughout the 4 day period of the TRA. The team successfully deployed and managed the following:

• A 30-metre LED screen constructed using ROE Visual BP2V2 screen tiles.

• Multiple HD TV screens strategically positioned to display a mix of static and dynamic event content across expo stands and stages.

• Several state of the art High-Resolution projection systems and screens.

• Implementation of NEXO PA systems across various areas of the event.

• Integration of the latest cutting edge radio microphones for seamless audio transmission throughout the venue.

Gather & Gather is the on-site hospitality for the RDS and handled the catering for the entirety of TRA. Throughout the main conference and the concert hall event on Friday, they provided:

• 9,740 lunch boxes
• 250 kids lunches
• 500 staff meals daily
• 17,000 cups of tea and coffee.

• Partnering with clients who prioritise sustainability is a key focus for the RDS. Working alongside Gather & Gather, the RDS actively reduce single use plastic usage and promote sustainability during events.
• Gather & Gather source local and seasonal produce where possible, further enhancing their commitment to sustainability.
• Additionally, RDS hospitality caters for a wide variety of dietary needs, ensuring inclusivity and sustainability go hand in hand.

The RDS’ dedication to safe and efficient practices has earned corporate certification across multiple ISO standards:

• ISO 9001: 2008 (Quality)
• ISO 14001: 2004 (Environmental)
• ISO 5001: 2011 (Energy Management System)
• OHSAS 18001: 2007 (Health and Safety)                                                                

Did you have any challenges in organising this event? How did the RDS team help overcome this?

• Extra days were needed to build the site and managing this was tricky with other events lined up to take place prior to TRA, and also needing time to dismantle their setups. However, the RTDS team helped overcome this by working around the schedule and supporting the suppliers with early access . This flexibility ensured a smooth transition and efficient preparation for TRA.

• Accommodating for the many different dietary requirements of attendees was made easy by the RDS hospitality’s friendly and approachable staff.

• With many talks and exhibitions happening at different times across the large campus, it could get confusing. However, the knowledgeable RDS staff were always available to help, and their expertise came in handy.