Coach & Bus UK 2017 confirms its full Theatre line-up

The Go-Ahead Group, Stagecoach, First Bus, Grey’s of Ely, Travel de Courcey, and Lucketts Travel are just some of the leading bus and coach operators gearing up to appear in The Theatre, sponsored by SmartDrive Systems, at next month’s Coach & Bus UK.

Representatives from Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT), Transport Focus, and the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism (CT) Focus Desk are now also confirmed. The essential domestic showcase for the UK’s coach, bus, mini/midi vehicles and passenger transport technology sectors, returns to the NEC Birmingham on 4-5 October.

“We always keep our diaries free for Coach & Bus UK, as it gives us the opportunity to see many of our suppliers in one place, and to learn about some of the new technologies emerging in our industry – definitely worth the time!” says Ian Luckett, director of Lucketts Travel and CPT President for 2017.

Key takeaways for this year’s attendees include new insights around the future of passenger transport, and strategies for staying up-to-date in the ever evolving bus and coach landscape. As in previous years, there will be a focus on game-changing technologies and industry developments, backed by real-world commercial applications and case studies – all tailored specifically for UK operators to help them prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

In a first for the show, DVSA and Backhouse Jones will also be hosting an exclusive mock public inquiry, which tackles maintaining standards, monitoring, and record keeping – highlighting the common pitfalls that can affect bus and coach businesses.

The future’s electric?

One topic expected to generate many conversations at Coach & Bus UK this year is the role of electric buses and coaches in the UK. This year’s visitors will have plenty of options to find out more, with three dedicated sessions on ‘going electric’.

The first, on the show’s opening day (at 2.15pm), sees Steven Salmon, director of policy development at the CPT, Richard Harrington, engineering director at Go Ahead London (responsible for Britain’s biggest fleet of all-electric buses), and Dave Horton, real estate sustainability and capital investments manager for npower, talking about some of the issues surrounding large scale adoption of electric buses and coaches from the perspective of operators and electricity suppliers.

The final two sessions on the show’s second day will feature Jema Energy’s Estibalitz Aramburu, discussing ‘Integrating electric mobility in cities’, followed by Ed Wills, operations director at Go South Coast, outlining Go-Ahead’s proposals for electric buses in Salisbury and the virtues of electric buses across the group.

Seminar round-up

Helen Conway, Coach & Bus UK’s event director, says this year’s expert speakers will provide major pointers for operators looking to future-proof their businesses. The seminars, which are expected to draw standing-room only crowds, will cover everything from marketing and PR, to congestion and green vehicle technologies, to passenger satisfaction and safety.

“The seminars at Coach & Bus UK offer the ideal way to keep in touch with the industry and find out more about the latest business developments, innovations and best practice happening right now. It’s the best opportunity of the year to hear first-hand what other operators are doing – what works and what doesn’t, what can work and what can’t,” she says.

Wednesday 4 October

• Challenges of the last two years and the opportunities ahead: Giles Fearnley, managing director, First Group – UK Bus Division
• Mock public inquiry – Keeping out of trouble: Laura Hadzik, solicitor, Backhouse Jones; and Peter Yarrington, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
• How to market your business effectively – PR your business for next to nothing: Helen Scholes, marketing manager, Stagecoach South West; and Steve Whiteway, former MD, Epsom Coaches
• Electric buses and coaches – pipedream or practical option for the future? Steven Salmon, director of policy development, Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT); Richard Harrington, engineering director, Go Ahead London; and Dave Horton, real estate sustainability and capital investments manager, npower
• Joining up carbon and Air Quality: Daniel Hayes, project manager, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP)

Thursday 5 October

• How we can make money out of coaches in the future? Richard Grey, MD, Grey’s of Ely; Adrian de Courcey, CEO, Travel de Courcey; and Ian Luckett, director, Lucketts Travel
• Counter terrorism awareness: Wayne Watling of the Metropolitan Police, Counter Terrorism (CT) Focus Desk, in partnership with Transport for London (TfL)
• Bus passengers…how well do you know your customers? David Sidebottom, director, Transport Focus
• Integrating electric mobility in cities: Estibalitz Aramburu, business development manager, JEMA
• Going electric outside London – The virtues: Ed Wills, operations director, Go South Coast

For full session details and timings, please visit www.coachandbusuk.co.uk/visiting/the-theatre.

Free trade tickets

Coach & Bus UK, the free-to-attend two day biennial event, will feature nearly 200 exhibitors representing every link of the supply chain for coach, bus and mini vehicle operation. There will be dozens of the latest vehicles available to view across the show floor and outside display area, including many exclusive launches.

New show features also include the miniplus area and lounge, dedicated to showcasing the latest developments in the mini, midi and accessible vehicle sector – from bespoke luxury builds and community transport vehicles, to safety and access equipment.

To register free in advance, please visit www.coachandbusuk.com.

The prestigious routeone Awards will take place on the evening of Wednesday 4 October in the Monarch Suite at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. A limited number of tickets are still available, to book please visit www.routeoneawards.com.

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Media enquiries & press pass request to:Please apply for press accreditation here: www.onlineregistration.co.uk/shows/coachandbus/17/regcoach.php
Emma-Louise Jones, Head of PR
t: +44 (0)1273 645134
e: ejones@divcom.co.uk
Website: www.divcom.co.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DiversifiedUK

Jacqui Trayford, Marketing Executive
t: +44 (0)1733 405749
e: jtrayford@divcom.co.uk
Website: www.coachandbusuk.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/coachandbusuk

Event Director:
Helen Conway
e: hconway@divcom.co.uk

Exhibitor sales enquiries to:
Martin Laverton, Group Sales Manager
t: +44 (0)1733 405735
e: mlaverton@divcom.co.uk