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After the cancellation of the 2009 Commercial Vehicle Show, the 2010 CV Operator Show will be back with a bang. CM finds out why it will mark the emergence from recession.
steve.hobsonfarbi.co.uk
WITH THE TRANSPORT industry deep in the jaws of recession, the 2009 Commercial Vehicle Show had to be cancelled. However, with prospects for 2010 looking brighter for the industry, the time is now right for a refocused Commercial Vehicle Operator Show, which will he held at Birmingham's NEC from 13 to 15 April.
The joint partners of the CV Operator Show, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Road Haulage Association (RNA) and IRE Services Ltd. the trading company of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE), firmly believe 2010 will see an end of recession, and the show is the ideal event to mark the return to a more optimistic industry outlook.
SOE CEO Nick Jones reminds us that the CV Show ran for nine successful years before the recession struck at the end of 2008.
"As a result of several heavy truckmakers not able to attend in 2009, we decided not to hold a show last year," Jones reveals. "We were left with a large number of smaller exhibitors who did want to attend in 2009, but they were still very keen to have a show in 2010.1t will be very much a hands-on operator show, with everyone there except the big truck manufacturers."
Loyalty prevails
SMMT CEO Paul Everitt adds that a strong sense of loyalty among all three partners of the CV Show LLP was another reason to ensure the CV Operator Show went ahead in 2010.
"Having brought together the whole CV sector. we had a responsibility to the market; to desert it would see it revert to an unruly mass of sub-scale and sub-standard opportunities." he says. "The strength of the three partners and our ability to pull the industry together means we can offer exhibitors and visitors the right event."
This focus on CV operators for 2010 will lit in well with the delayed vehicle replacement cycle of some fleets many new vehicle purchases were put on hold last year.
As a consequence, 2010 will be all about how to keep existing vehicles running longer and more efficiently, while planning to buy replacements in the second half of 2010.
"The CV Operator Show will be for people running fleets of trucks and light commercials looking for ideas on how to keep them going a bit longer while addressing sustainability." says Jones. -There will be more of an engineering slant than there was at previous shows."
Despite the absence of the heavy truck manufacturers, there will still be a "huge amount" at the CV Operator Show for hauliers, reveals RHA CEO Geoff Dunning.
He continues: "Everybody operating vehicles is under tremendous pressure to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. At the same time, they must comply with the huge amount of legislation being imposed upon them, and VOSA will be attending the show to explain its approach to enforcement and compliance."
As well as having to comply with new regulations, operators must also respond to pressure from customers and consumers to improve their environmental credentials One consequence of this is the move towards greater LCV usage over the past 10 years "Another issue that is high on everyone's agendas at the moment is carbon footprint," reveals Dunning, "and there will be a number of exhibitors who will be able to help operators at the show."
Much to see The fact that there was no UK national show in 2009 means there will be a host of new products that operators may not have had the chance to see before.
-There are a lot of issues relating to the operation of vehicles where there are new products and services available," says Dunning. -At the show operators of all vehicles will find, under one roof, a vast range of solutions to the challenges they face. It is almost a guarantee that operators will come away with something that will improve their business."
With many operators putting fleet renewal on hold, the 2010 CV Operator Show will understandably he focusing on lighter commercial vehicles and operational issues.
It will, however, be important for vehicle manufacturers, since operators will be planning ahead for new vehicle purchases as the economy picks up.
"While 2010 will be a tough year, people don't make buying decisions overnight, and they will be looking to
plan investment in their businesses in the second half of 2010," says Everitt.
All three believe there is still a key role and demand for a vibrant UK commercial vehicle exhibition to give operators the 'hands-on' experience only a large industry event can offer.
Everitt states: "[The show] offers the opportunity to look at and feel what you'll be buying. That's something you can't get elsewhere. Since everything is under one roof, it allows operators to compare a range of products and services in one day."
As official media partners for the 2010 CV Operator Show, Commercial Motor, Motor Transport and website Roadtransport.com will be out in force at the NEC in April, bringing all the news and excitement from the show. We look forward to seeing you there. s FD, FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT: www.roadtransportcom