CV show hailed a great success
With queues of eager visitors reaching beyond the entrance doors and halls full to bursting at times, the 2015 Commercial Vehicle Show is being hailed as a big success.
Plans are already underway for the Show’s return in 2016, when it will be held at the NEC from 26-28 April.
Official visitor numbers will be confirmed after being independently audited, but initial impressions suggest that 2015 will be recorded as one of the Show’s busiest years since emerging from recession in 2011. On the second day of the event, Wednesday 15 April, the halls were packed, with visitors queuing out of the doors to register themselves on the day.
Rob Skelton, CV show director, said, ‘There was a buzz about the CV Show this year right from the very start and attendance levels were high. We received plenty of good feedback from both exhibitors and visitors alike, and it’s clear from how busy the halls were, and the quality of exhibitor stands, that the Show reflected the buoyancy that has returned to the British economy and to the commercial vehicle market in recent months.’
All of the stand space in Halls 3a, 4 and 5 of the NEC was sold out well in advance of the Show, with over 450 exhibitors in total. These included truck, van and trailer manufacturers, converters, leasing companies, insurance, tyre, telematics and training providers, fuel and lubricant suppliers and in-vehicle technology leaders. New exhibitors for 2015 included BOC, Dacia, Delphi, Don-Bur, Gasrec, Peugeot, Pirelli Tyres, Stena Line and Total UK.
CV Show 2015 also saw the biggest ever display of vehicles on the outside display areas, and hosted the finals of the World Crane Championships, sponsored by Hiab.
A number of exhibitors reported strong business opportunities coming out of the Show.
Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, for example, signed a major contract within the halls of the NEC. Bridgestone’s commercial sales director, Greg Ward, said, ‘The CV Show always represents a huge opportunity for us, which is why we put so much work into making it a success.
‘A great deal of hard work has gone into maximising the success of the Show, going back many months. We’ve signed a hugely significant fleet deal during the Show, have reacquainted with some close existing contacts and forged some new ones, too. With all this in mind, we are delighted with our presence at the CV Show and are excited about the future.’
Commenting on Iveco’s continued support of the CV Show, press and public relations director Nigel Emms said, ‘We were impressed by the quality of visitors to the 2015 CV Show and in particular our Daily Hi-Matic tests were a great success. Year-on-year our number of enquiries and potential leads increases and we view it as a successful Show.’
In addition, Seymour Manufacturing, which was exhibiting its ‘Back-Stop’ and ‘Bus-Stop’ chiller curtains for refrigerated vehicles in the Cool Zone, announced a major new deal with food delivery firm Apetito on the second day of the Show.
The CV Show also formed the launch platform for several new additions to the LCV market, with the Citroën Berlingo, Dacia Commercial, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Peugeot Partner and Vauxhall Corsavan all making their official UK show debuts.
The 2015 CV Show was accredited with international status from the automotive industry’s global body, OICA, the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles.
