Wales MTB Trail Managers Forum
This commissioned role was funded by the Welsh Assembly Governments Department of Innovation Enterprise & Networks, following a proposal for the creation of a forum from Cartwright Associates in 2006.
The contract involved the implementation, management and facilitation of a Wales Mountain Bike Trail Managers Forum. The forum would be made up of private, public and voluntary sector mountain bike trail managers. Its aim, to establish consistent high standards of MTB trail management across Wales. Provide a source of support and continued professional development for trail managers, ensuring the MTB trail product in Wales was kept at the leading edge of developments and best practice, thus underpinning a collaborative, innovative and sustainable future.
In its 7 years, Cartwright Associates, under contract, chaired the forum and provided administrative support. The forum chair and administration was funded by Visit Wales with each trail manager funding and hosting the forum in turn at their own trail centre. The forums work included reviewing, contributing and influencing:
Regional and national off road cycle development strategies
Adventure and cycle tourism marketing strategies
Access proposals
Future MTB developments / projects
Peer reviewed best practice guidance, including:
MTB Trail Grading
MTB Trail Design and Construction Standards
Risk Management - Visitor Safety in the Countryside Guidance
MTB Trail Signage and Waymarking
Each meeting the forum reviewed and evaluated trail counter data from each managers sites to gain insight into user numbers and the reasoning behind them.
Experts from specialist subject areas were invited to attend the forum on a regular basis to help inform and keep current with latest trends, legislation etc... Talks included:
All ability cycling
MTB event formats
Trail counter data and interpreting the data
EU funding opportunities
Route grading and assessment
Trail maintenance
H&S in forestry
Managing volunteers
Land owner liability & duty of care
Accident investigation and reporting
Claim management
Managing public access and safety
Risk management
Emergency planning
MTB industry data
MTB trail user opinion, feedback and research
Use of social media
In addition the forum had a number of permanent agenda items for each meeting, these included: trail updates from each managers site, ongoing Health & Safety CPD, accident reporting, Wales MTB events calendar, user numbers and marketing. The forum was practical in its approach with the main focus being collaborative learning, leaving managers with a regular source of useful practical information that could be applied to their own trail centres.
The forum was instrumental at keeping the MTB product on regional and national tourism and development agendas such as the Centres of Excellence and the Environment For Growth EU funding schemes that provided funding opportunities for many of the trails, trail centres and MTB marketing schemes in Wales.
Crucially the collaborative approach across the public, private and voluntary sectors proved to be effective at monitoring trends, horizon scanning opportunities and representing the sector as a whole. Work here had a genuine positive filter down effect with supply chains connected to the Wales MTB product including the accommodation providers, bike shops, guides, coaches, clubs etc…
The forums greatest value was providing an independent, professional, support and discussion network for MTB trail managers in Wales and a forum to provide an opportunity for continued professional development and developing best practice. During the 7 years, it would be fair to say, Wales was at the forefront of MTB strategy, marketing and development in the UK.
The MTB forum concept has gone on to be duplicated successfully in other UK regions.