01 May 2012
The Commercial Vehicle Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC, closed its doors on Thursday last week (April 26th), with organisers hailing it a great success.
“For a show that was sadly cancelled in 2009, it was completely reborn this year,” said Show Organiser, Bob Sockl.
“The spirit of the show was very optimistic, with enquiries for 2013 stronger than ever before, and I can certainly say the quality of our visitors was excellent.”
The CV Show is the UK’s leading showcase for road transport, demonstrating the full capabilities of the sector and its importance to the broader economy. One of the highlights this year was the global launch of the Ford Transit Custom – the star attraction on Ford’s biggest ever CV Show stand.
This year the show took an extra 2,445sqm of floor space and secured 14 per cent more exhibitors. Whilst the show awaits audited visitor figures, it’s expected that numbers will be up on last year’s 16,000.
Charlotte Careswell, NEC Account Manager, explained: “Last year we saw the show return in its entirety, so it’s fantastic to see that being built on and this year’s success is a testament to the organisers, not only securing the stability of the full show but bringing it back even better than it was before.”
The show is owned and organised by the Commercial Vehicle Show LLP, which consists of the Road Haulage Association Ltd (RHA), The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd (SMMT) and IRTE Services Ltd, the trading company of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE).
As well as being back at its best, the show has also gained international recognition for 2013 from the automotive industry’s global body, OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles). The international status reflects the global significance of the UK road transport industry and the success of the show.
Commenting on the announcement, SMMT Chief Executive, Paul Everitt said: “The CV Show is already the UK’s largest road transport event but with OICA’s accreditation, it is now recognised as one of the most influential and important events on the global calendar. This year’s Show has proved to be a resounding success and our new international status will help to build recognition of the important role of the UK road transport industry.”