No business like CV Show business
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The timing is right for the return of the CV Show, and its absence has been felt keenly by both operators and suppliers, says SMMT CEO Paul Everitt
Words: Steve Hobson
“THE COMMERCIAL Vehicle Show... IS BACK!” proclaims the oficial website of the 2011 CV Show. After a two-year absence, the “full-fat” CV Show is back at the NEC from 12-14 April.
Despite the fact that the UK economic recovery – and so the UK heavy truck market – remains fragile, Paul Everitt, CEO of the SMMT (one of the three partners behind the CV Show along with the Road Haulage Association and the Society of Operations Engineers) believes 2011 is the right time to revive the CV Show.
“The immediate response we have had is that people are enthusiastic for a return to an annual CV Show,” says Everitt. “If we look at 2011, the economy is growing, there are early signs that things are moving in the right direction in the truck sector, and there is more sustained improvement in the van sector.
“So the timing of the 2011 show is right in that it is the time when the markets will be waking up further, and we know there will be manufacturers bringing interesting new products to market. There is a lot of enthusiasm for the 2011 event and, because we are in a recovering economy, there will be quite a lot of interest in having a full CV Show in 2012.”
Serious business
The role of the CV Show has changed in today’s tough economic climate, with few operators having time to give up part of their working week to go along just to kick a few tyres and meet up for a drink with their mates.
So while visitor numbers may be down, there will be more serious business done than in previous years.
“The great thing about the CV Show is that it offers different things to different exhibitors,” says Everitt. “If you talk to the van manufacturers, they do business and the reason they like the show is that they get 20,000-plus visitors, many of whom are in the market to buy.
“For the heavy CV manufacturers it is different and is about being seen to be engaging with their audience and providing their customers with an opportunity to see their product alongside competing products. It is this mix of expectations that makes it special.”
Heyday
Only a decade ago, when the UK market was booming with annual sales of more than 50,000 vehicles and more than a dozen truck-makers regularly launched new models, the CV Show became a celebration of the latest CV heavy metal. Back then, more than 22,000 visitors crammed ive halls at the NEC spread out over 600 exhibition stands.
In today’s more utilitarian climate, the CV Show is far more businesslike.
“There are a variety of things to see at the CV Show in terms of inancing and operating vehicles more eficiently,” says Everitt. “There is continued development of telematics, for example, to ensure maximum fuel economy. With fuel prices at their highest ever, there is going to be a huge focus on fuel eficiency.
“We are also close to inalising European van CO2 emissions legislation and it is inevitable that sooner or later legislators will start to look at heavy CVs.
There is more we can do now to promote lower carbon CVs that will help ourselves in the future.
“A focus for the SMMT through 2011 will be how we create a sustainable market for ultra-low-carbon CVs, and convince regulators to recognise that they present very different challenges to cars and light vans.” After the CV Show had to be cancelled due to the recession in 2009, last year saw the appearance of the CV Operator (CVO) Show, a more hands-on event designed to provide operators with practical solutions to help them run and maintain their trucks more eficiently.
CVO Show
“The CVO Show was different to a CV Show,” says Everitt. “The economic circumstances meant that most of the vehicle manufacturers weren’t there and we tried to sell it for what it was – a focused event that was about the companies that support the road transport sector.” While most of the light CVs were at the show, the absence of the major truck builders was a disappointment to many.
“There was some mixed reaction,” says Everitt. “We got a lot of positive support from exhibitors who felt that, while there weren’t quite as many people as there would be for a CV Show, they got more attention and so did better business. It did a job – there were concerns about the state of the market when we launched the operator show, but in the event it went very well.
“What was great about the CVO Show was that there were a lot of people who were at the show because even if they weren’t exhibiting, they felt it was their show and they wanted to be there and be part of what is a unique B2B event. It is that sort of camaraderie around the industry that the event has fostered that makes it different from other events.” ■
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