A well-chosen & relevant venue for an event can transform attendees’ experiences.
In the case of the Dolphin N2 team strategy day on Tuesday 15th November the choice of the Advanced Propulsion Centre ‘National Propulsion Showcase’ based the University of Warwick had a deeper relevance.
Dolphin N2 are a vital part of the UK’s heavy duty & off-highway zero emissions engine developers.
Dolphin N2 is a subsidiary of FPT Industrial, the powertrain division of CNH Industrial. Acquired by FPT in 2019, Dolphin N2 was originally created by Ricardo PLC to develop the Recuperated Split Cycle engine. The name “Dolphin” is taken from the first engine developed and produced by Sir Harry Ricardo, also a type of split cycle, the popularity of which laid the foundations of Ricardo PLC. (1)
The Dolphin N2 journey started in 2017:
- Innovate project “StepCo2″consortium of UK manufacturers and universities was formed in 2017 and led by Ricardo PLC to develop the split cycle technology and to produce a demonstration engine.
- Dolphin-N2 was created internally in Ricardo as a separate group
- Dolphin N2 is purchased by FPT Industrial in December 2019 and takes the lead in StepCo2 project.
- Dolphin N2 develops the technology for first scale demonstration in 2020, and forms a further APC grant funded consortium to showcase hydrogen capability. (1)
Virtually Smart Ltd have supported the Dolphin N2 team with all of its business support needs since the very beginning.
Helena Parrott – Director of Virtually Smart Ltd – having worked with team while they were still under the Ricardo Plc banner; was & continues to be the central hub of knowledge for all of the Dolphin N2 business support & online business management functions required to run this developing SME.
Having started Virtually Smart Ltd in 2017, Helena was perfectly positioned to adopt the role of Virtual Assistant/Executive Assistant, as she already had a working relationship with the original Dolphin N2 SLT & in particular, their CEO Simon Brewster & Technical Director Nick Owen.
Over the past 5 years as the Dolphin N2 team has grown & the technology has developed; so too has the need for Virtually Smart Ltd to grow alongside it.
With an 8 strong team covering all business requirements for Dolphin N2 & other engineering/tech based SME clients, the scope of the Virtually Smart Ltd support includes (this list is not exhaustive): Senior Leadership support, online business management, policy & procedure writing, processes, HR, recruitment, PA & EA function for the management team, research & analysis, diary management, travel – national & international, credit control, organisational charts, minute taking, social media & content management, event planning & IT infrastructure.
Therefore, following two years whereby the Dolphin N2 team has continued to grow, but Covid kept them from physically gathering & at a pivotal point in their continued journey; it was decided to bring the entire Dolphin N2 team together for a strategic update day.
The event was planned to not only bring the team together for an internal update, but to allow outside speakers to address the team about the changes in the heavy-duty transport sector & how Hydrogen is affecting this. Therefore, the setting had to reflect the relevant sector & the ethos Dolphin N2 represent.
With this in mind it was decided to approach the Advanced Propulsion Centre based at the University of Warwick, to request the use of their new exhibition space, the National Propulsion Showcase.
The National Propulsion Showcase is a bright, open-plan and flexible exhibition space dedicated to exploring opportunities within the UK automotive industry, with the objective of accelerating the journey to a net zero future. (3)
Once the venue was booked, Helena Parrott & the Virtually Smart Ltd team then set about bringing the event together.
This included contacting & booking relevant industry speakers, collating the Dolphin N2 team presentation decks, ordering the catering for an entire day – including breakfast, lunch & various breaks, organising hotels for attendees, sourcing & collating corporate company take-away bags, making sure all of the technology required for the day was correct, ensuring the live feed for remote attendees was connected & ensuring the agenda for the day was inclusive & varied.
To ensure the day went smoothly Helena Parrott – Director of Virtually Smart Ltd was on site from 8.30am to set up & make sure the attendees, SLT & speakers needs were suitably catered for. Helena’s role throughout the day also included her setting up the relevant presentations, ensuring the live feed for remote attendees was continual & being on hand for any technical & or logistical queries throughout the day.
Also on site for the day were Virtually Smart Ltd’s Anna Stonehouse – Executive/Admin Support, Carina Rutter – Online Business Manager & Katy-Jane Mason – Executive Assistant/Social Media Manager. The Virtually Smart Ltd team were there to document the day in photographs, to make certain the day went smoothly, to engage with the information about the Dolphin N2 company developments, to support Helena Parrott in her role as Director of Virtually Smart Ltd & to ensure the day was recorded appropriately through the Dolphin N2 Website News, LinkedIn & Twitter.
The National Propulsion Showcase was the perfect setting for what turned out to be an enormously successful gathering of engineers, team leaders, SLT, programmers, engine builders, systems operators, academics & industry specialists.
With invaluable contributions from outside speakers from Advanced Powertrain Technologies Ltd, The University of Warwick, Costain Construction, Enertek International & the Advanced Propulsion Centre; the level of input & engagement for all attendees was informative & helped gain a greater understanding about the zero emissions journey the UK transport system is currently on & what part the Dolphin N2 ‘game-changing’ zero emissions engine development has to play in this incredible journey.
Simon Brewster – CEO Dolphin N2 – had these encouraging words to say about the support Virtually Smart Ltd give the Dolphin N2 team:
“Thank you all so much for everything you have done to make today possible, and for your support through the day.
There was clearly a huge amount of preparation and thought behind the scenes, and team feedback has been massively positive.
It is a (another) pivotal moment for the business and great to have you with us on the journey” Simon Brewster – CEO Dolphin N2
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.
- https://dolphin-n2.com/about/
- https://dolphin-n2.com/technology/
- https://www.apcuk.co.uk/national-propulsion-showcase/
