The largest gathering of driving instructors was treated to an action-packed day at the ADINJC and Intelligent Instructor National Conference & Expo ’24, held in association with AcciDON’T Driving School on Sunday, September 29th.

A record 1,375 visitors enjoyed a day full day of free CPD sessions, spread across three different areas. This year, the Live Stage had its very own building, and delegates were treated to fascinating presentations from some of the industry’s top trainers. Despite having over 300 seats, it was standing room only for many of those sessions, including at the end of the day when delegates heard from the new Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP, who offered a fresh and rousing outlook on our industry. Loveday Ryder rounded off the day’s proceedings with an industry update and lively Q&A session.

The Lou Walsh PDI Zone was once again super busy, with over a quarter of delegates in attendance who were currently in training and keen to develop their skills. Stewart Lochrie, Bright Coaching, had his work cut out facilitating and managing the large crowds.

Many were thrilled to pick up their free ‘Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Driving Instructor’, launched at the event and which can be accessed here.

The expo area was a hive of activity throughout the day, keeping all 54 exhibitors busy. AcciDON’T was celebrating its 25th anniversary and offered the chance to reverse some of its trucks (in the outdoor area). Drive.Day sponsored the giant Scalextric and offered some fantastic prizes for the hottest laps, with James Hale scooping £250 for being the quickest. Pass N Go Driving School had the most impressive stand with a custom-built car simulator, drawing the crowds all day. Ryan Mason scooped the £500 first prize by posting the fastest lap, narrowly pipping Matt Whitburn by 0.3 secs, who won a supercar driving experience.

Due to the chilly conditions, the ice cream seller didn’t have his busiest day, but the busy outdoor activity still saw a steady stream of instructors throughout the day. One could experience a road collision in the VR van and learn how emergency braking systems work in a car demo. There were 25 EV owners showcasing their vehicles and taking test drives throughout the day, too. RED had an inviting outdoor stand, and many adapted cars were available for test drives to demonstrate how teaching those with disabilities is possible.

For all those who attended this record-breaking day, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and exhilarating event that celebrated all that is great and good about our driver training industry. Whilst challenges remain, the industry seems to be in rude health, and it was great to see so many enthusiastic instructors taking time out of their busy schedules to attend.

For those who couldn’t make it, here is a flavour of the event via our photo slideshow, click here to view.

Attention now focuses on The Driving Instructor Convention in March, which you can find out more about, by clicking here.

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