At the end of November, Michael Kwok attended the third Creative Innovation Asia Pacific 2012 Global event (Ci2012) in Melbourne. The main theme of Ci2012 was “Wicked Problems, Great Opportunities! Leadership and Courage for Volatile Times.”

With an emphasis on breaking down the “one way communication presentation style that stifles many conferences,” 40 Australian and international keynote speakers, leaders, artists and thinkers helped delegates explore their creative understanding, learn new strategies, and leverage their innate right-brained creative capabilities.

Michael said, “to be able to discuss topics such as how the drug problems in Nicaragua will be solved, or the level of strategic planning involved in landing on the moon, with the individuals who led the initiatives, was both inspiring and humbling.”

The 13th ITS Asia Pacific Forum will be held in Auckland from the 28-30 April, 2014, the first time New Zealand has hosted a global ITS conference. The event also coincides with the 10th Anniversary of ITS New Zealand, over which time the organisation has been a leader in the promotion, development and facilitation of sustainable, effective, efficient, safe and environmentally friendly transportation systems within the country. In keeping with this core vision, the conference theme, ‘SCORE’, will highlight five key areas:

• Safety – the role of technology in improving transport safety, including smart transport such as connected vehicles
• Choices – encouraging discussion, promoting cooperation, and ensuring productive relationships and the dissemination of information
• Opportunities – identifying and optimising future opportunities
• Results – celebration and sharing of positive results, whilst using all results as a learning platform
• Efficiencies – ensuring value for money from transport investments