For the Western Australian bus and coach sector, once a year all eyes turn to the BusWA annual general meeting (AGM) event, including the Bus Show and Exhibitors’ Display.
The two days of networking and recognition went off without a hitch once again in July as the state association welcomed the expanding selection of bus and coach companies to Perth.
BusWA general manager John Ditchburn says the two-day event was filled with all of the features that make the state’s bus industry so great.
“BusWA has just had the biggest week with three great events being held in the TWUSUPER APTIA breakfast, the sponsors cocktail party and the BCI Bus Show, Exhibitors’ Display and AGM,” he told ABC.
The APTIA breakfast kickstarted proceedings, with TWUSUPER sponsoring the event that was attended by 20 WA contractors from the school bus, route services, charter and party bus sectors.
Ditchburn says the four main issues discussed were APTIA’s recruitment and retention project for staff, multiple industry bargaining, casual school bus drivers and bus safety.
“BusWA thanks TWUSUPER and APTIA national industrial relations manager Ian MacDonald for their contribution to making this event held in the Epicurean private dining room a huge success,” Ditchburn says.
On the same evening, the BusWA delegates descended on Crown Towers to acknowledge partners, with 32 of BusWA’s 36 sponsors attending along with its 20 larger contractors and representatives from the WA transport minister’s office, as well as the PTA.
The next day was the annual BCI BusWA Bus Show and Exhibitors’ Display, with Ditchburn impressed by this year’s attendance.
“We were overwhelmed with the large number of buses on display, with 16 new coaches and smaller buses on display,” he says.
“We also saw 18 smaller exhibitors take to our upstairs area in a great showing.”
Following this display was the body’s annual AGM, with a record number of attendees enjoying a range of professional displays and interactions with industry suppliers, as well as networking opportunities following the AGM.
The Bus Industry Confederation’s (BIC) national technical manager Dean Moule made a presentation alongside MacDonald and Maria Capati from Piper Alderman. A great piece of news to emerge from the AGM was the findings of the five year review into the Evergreen school bus contracts being released.
To cap off the AGM, industry stalwart James Vlahos was presented with the WA Achiever Award for his outstanding contribution to the WA bus industry as a pioneer for the party bus industry, as well as in the tour and charter industry.
For his success, Vlahos was rewarded with a trip to the national BIC conference in Adelaide in October and November.
“Many of our partners travelled from the east for the occasion and BusWA is very appreciate of their contribution to the WA bus industry,” Ditchburn says.