December 02 2020
In this week’s guest blog post, CPT’s President Steve Whiteway writes about the first ever UK Bus & Coach Conference, and what attendees can expect to see on the day.
In the two weeks since we launched the UK Bus & Coach Conference, it’s been great to see over 150 people have already signed up to attend. In what is sure to be two days filled with interesting talks from industry experts, we have put together a conference with sessions that will appeal to everyone, whether bus operator, coach operator or supplier. After 300 people attended the first CPT Live event – Compliance Morning – I’m hoping to see an even bigger turnout at the conference.
2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. As we begin to recover from Covid-19, it is more important than ever that as an industry we share best practice and lessons learned, so we can support our teams and work together for our passengers. This is why we have confirmed a real mix of headline speakers to share their expertise, including a keynote address from Transport Minister Baroness Vere.
I know that 2021 is set to be another challenging year, but it will also be an incredibly important one, with the promise of a vaccine offering a light at the end of the tunnel and a return to normality. We have got work to do to rebuild passenger confidence (there’s a session on that!) and encourage people back to bus and coach travel. I really encourage all CPT members to attend the conference – it’s free and with speakers from all corners of the bus and coach industry, I know that everyone will be able to take something away from it. For non-members, you are also welcome to attend but tickets will need to be purchased (a link to find out more about tickets will be at the bottom of this page).
As for me, I’ll be chairing a session that examines how coach tourism has changed as a result of Covid-19. There’s no doubt it has changed a tremendous amount and coach operators will be looking to get back on the road after what has been an incredibly difficult year, and I’d recommend the session on the changing bus and coach market for some insight from other operators. With so many passionate people in the industry and the collaboration I’ve seen throughout the pandemic, I know that we will be able to come back stronger.
So, please do sign up to attend; I look forward to seeing you there.
More information about the conference including sign up information and ticket details can be found here.