The first target of the PPRS Paris 2015 is to raise awareness about the need to maintain road networks amongst the political decision-makers whose job it is to allocate the financial resources. The PPRS Paris 2015 also aims to foster an exchange of ideas and the sharing of experience amongst key stakeholders. These bodies include public administrations and road agencies that define road maintenance policy, the companies and the road industry that bring these decisions to life downstream, and the equipment builders that contribute to technological innovation.
Best practices exist worldwide and an exchange of experience will enable the participants to bring in new ideas, based on genuinely successful experiences. This includes products and processes, network management, and contracting aspects with regard to road agencies and medium to long-term maintenance contracts. In addition, the PPRS Paris 2015 will also reflect an open view of the future and a cross disciplinary approach, highlighting industry wide dynamics, supported by the decision-makers.
PPRS Paris 2015 is a two and a half day event and will include an exhibit area as well as presentations, with two plenary sessions and three parallel sessions. The speakers will be selected by committee but there will be no call for papers. The plenary speakers will be selected for their international profile and will be asked to speak on more general, institutional subjects. The selection will take the international aspect of the event into account. The PPRS is neither an American nor a French event and will be international, while some 400 - 600 industry figures are expected to participate.
The organising associations (IBEF, AEMA, ARRA, ISSA and FP2) have subcontracted the organisation out to Package, with the financial risk being borne by the associations (except for FP2). A steering committee has been formed including Mike Krissoff, (executive director of the AEMA, ARRA et ISSA), Jim Moulthrop (executive director of FP2), Jean Claude Roffé and Étienne le Bouteiller for IBEF and as the interface with Package.
The initial program committee includes two representatives from each association: Bernard Eckmann and Siobhan Mc Kelvey (IBEF), Mike Helmsley and Gaylon Baumgartner (AEMA), Robert Jerman and Carter Dabney (ISSA), Stephen Cross and Todd Thomas (ARRA), Larry Galehouse and Rod Birdsall (FP2). Representatives from other organisations will be joining the committee at a later date.