CV Show sells out

Firms aiming to exhibit at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show have left it too late if they haven’t already booked a space. With two months to go before the show opens, all but 24m2 of the space is contracted to exhibitors, the first time the Show has sold out so early.

With huge growth in new exhibitors, some of the regulars clearly have left it too late to book. 134 new exhibitors have already signed up, underlining the huge success of the Show’s business-to-business format. The annual show, from 24 to 26 April at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, is the biggest and most successful annual business-to-business show of its type in Europe.

‘It is extremely frustrating that we are unable to accommodate some exhibitors this year, particularly those who are regular supporters of the Show,’ says Richard Gibbs past-Show committee chairman and managing director of long-time exhibitor BPW. ‘When the UK’s three separate events, IRTE, TipCon and the SMMT’s CV Show came together in 2000, we never dreamt that the combined Show would become the largest annual road transport and logistics event in Europe. Together with huge growth in visitors, I guess it shows the strength and breadth of expertise the UK has to offer.’

One exhibitor planning a real impact this year is transport industry charity Transaid. Together with Schmitz Cargobull and Carrier Transicold, it will show its liveried trailer in the Outside Exhibition area. Wincanton Logistics will run the trailer and in return for its use, will donate its rental value to Transaid. ‘This will deliver huge benefits to our transport programmes in Africa,’ said Chris Saunders, chief executive for the charity. ‘We’re delighted to be involved in such an exciting initiative.’

The CV Show and ATS is open 0830 to 1730 daily from Tuesday 24 April to Thursday 26 April. Visitors can register on the show website – cvshow.com – and the organisers will send a free show guide some three weeks ahead of the show together with a Fast Track entry pass. This means visitors can plan their visit, beat the queues on the day and, if they eat before 1030, get £2.00 off the Early Bird breakfast at the show.

The event is owned by the CV Show Partnership, comprising the Road Haulage Association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers), a professional sector of the Society of Operations Engineers. Crystal Communications handles stand space sales and marketing for the Partnership.