British 2009 Commercial Vehicle Show axed

Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Following the pull-out of almost all van and truck manufacturers the Commercial Vehicle Show 2009 has been cancelled. The CV show was due to have taken place at the Birmingham NEC on 28-30 April.

A statement from the event’s organisers today said: “The Commercial Vehicle Partnership, comprising the SMMT, RHA and SOE, and the CV Show Committee, made up of the partners and representatives from the commercial vehicle and component sector, agreed today to cancel this year’s CV Show.”

Acknowledging the exit of the vehicle makers the statement continued: “The partnership recognised in December that the economic downturn creates a difficult environment for vehicle manufacturers to commit to large international exhibitions. Nevertheless, some 290 exhibitors signed up for the Show requiring the partners to consult widely with them on support for a focussed engineering-based alternative. The results indicate that while some support was forthcoming, it was not enough to retain the credibility that the CV show has created as a major international event of its type and which the partners were keen to maintain.”

The 2010 event, however, looks set to go ahead. “There appears a much more positive approach to 2010 which encourages the Partnership to set plans in motion for a show in April of that year,” said RHA chief executive Roger King.

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