As well as the requirement for a ‘refresher’ course on basic regulatory topics, there is also a need, particularly for more senior professionals, to have an overview of some of the emerging issues of the moment.  In the past, TOPRA has dealt with all of these in the same way – by planning a full-day management briefing programme involving the leading names in the regulatory agencies and industry to deliver their perspective in a series of presentations.  For some of the topics, this remains the ideal way for an audience to gain an overview of the current ‘party line’.  The TOPRA annual review meeting offers members a chance to update themselves on a wide range of topics in this way.

However, if a topic is changing substantially but over a protracted period of time, it can be difficult to schedule a full-day meeting at precisely the right moment to capture the latest news. Also, for such topics, the formal presentation may not be the most useful information for the regulatory manager to hear – this can effectively be gleaned from articles in the press.

The more useful ‘behind the scenes’ information is best obtained in informal settings, where challenging questions can be directed to speakers and honest answers given.  In addition, time out of the office for senior staff is at a premium – even if it is for training purposes.  Therefore an organisation like TOPRA has to respond to these needs in a creative way.  Senior managers’ dinners, allow invited delegates to attend at the end of a business day to hear one or two key individuals speak in closed session and ask questions of the speakers and other delegates in a confidential and non-threatening environment.