FEATURE Members Dinner Pitch perfect evening The 14th annual Members Dinner was a hit from start to finish, from the welcoming drinks reception to a fantastic speech from legendary footballer Peter Shilton OBE his years Members Dinner was a sell out. Held at a bigger venue the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in Londons Covent Garden to accommodate the increasing demand, it was a glamorous event full of sparkling people. Parking professionals scrub up pretty well, someone was laughingly heard to remark. And the style of the guests matched the whole occasion. On arrival they were greeted by BPA president Zulfiqar Ali and chief executive officer Andrew Pester, and then enjoyed drinks with this years guest speaker, former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and his wife, Steph. Following a delicious three-course meal, Ali thanked the events sponsors Total Parking Solutions and Videalert and the guests for their support. He went on to discuss some of the key developments over the past year, including the increase in BPA membership to 736. He turned his attention to some of the experiences he has had during his first five months as President, including meeting members at the dynamic Parking Scotland Expo and Annual Conference, and his pride at the continuing political engagement and progress with key proposed legislation such as the Parking (Code of Practice) Bill and the Transport (Scotland) Bill. Looking forward, Ali urged members to continue working together for the common good. Contribution from our membership, that is where our strength lies, he said. We need to share our knowledge and have equal T investment in our people so they can develop a career in our sector. Ali also announced the winner of this years Ernest Davies Award, Les Donohue-Bromley, whose article on fires in cars with lithium-ion batteries took the top prize. Ali then introduced the personable ex-England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who shared stories from his 125-cap career, including the infamous hand of God goal by Maradona in the 1986 World Cup. He also recounted scoring from a goal kick for Leicester against Southampton but because of fog, he didnt see it. It was only when he watched it later on TV that he realised his team mates had been telling the truth! The guests raised 850.47 for the BPAs corporate charity Marie Curie, which will help fund 42.5 hours of nursing care. The BPA wants to thank everyone who attended heres to 2019! To book your place, please email membership@britishparking.co.uk 42 Britishparking.co.uk PNDec18 pp42-43 Members Dinner.indd 42 26/11/2018 16:27