The Australian Bus and Coach Show at Rosehill Gardens coming up in October looks like being the biggest bus show yet
May 19, 2011
The decision by BusNSW to bring the State’s bus show back to metropolitan Sydney in 2009 has been rewarded with what looks likely to be record exhibitor numbers for this year’s event.
BusNSW was budgeting for 120 booths to be allocated to exhibitors and 75 per cent of them had already been subscribed by the middle of May, says, BusNSW’s Industry Development Manager Matt Threlkeld.
“We’re certainly a lot further advanced in terms of sales at this time than in 2009,” he says.
“In addition, we will have 100 vehicles on display, also the largest of any bus show in the country.”
He says the show was expected to be about 20 per cent larger than the 2009 event and would provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate and source different products and services at the one location.
The demand for space at the show vindicates the decision to bring the show back to Sydney in 2009 but to only stage it once every two years. Previously, there had been a number of smaller regional shows around the state.
As with the Sydney and Melbourne motor shows, the decision to hold it every two years was made at the request of the exhibitors.
“Victoria is proceeding with an annual event, in July, but I think the larger suppliers would like to think that, at some time, the show could be alternated between Melbourne and Sydney, like the car show,” Threlkeld says.
BusNSW executive director Darryl Mellish says the combination of a major bus conference with the bus show was another factor behind the strong industry support.
“The BusNSW conference will include high profile Government and private sector speakers presenting on a wide range of industry topics,” Mellish says.
He says there would be a number of social functions that would enable delegates to do some networking.
The association will be launching a website specifically for the bus show — www.busshow.com.au – which will make it simple to keep up to date with promotions and other aspects before they attend the show on October 5 and 6. There will be a welcome dinner on the night of the 4th October.
“Bus and coach operators should be planning a trip to Sydney for the Australian Bus and Coach show in October,” Mellish says.