Busworld stamped its authority as the world’s largest and most popular exhibition for the bus & coach industry with a successful 25th edition, the very first one at the capital of the European Union Brussels. We caught up with Didier Ramoudt, President, Busworld International, during the show to find out his impressions on the fair moving to a new location, new Busworld shows coming up in different parts of the world and next year’s Busworld India exhibition.
Excerpts:
After 24 successful editions in Kortrijk, Busworld has moved to Brussels with a new name Busworld Europe. What are your impressions of the show at the new venue?
My first impression is that we have more space for the visitors to have a good look at the exhibition, both the large and small exhibits. The feeling of stalls being cramped together is no longer present. That said, this being our first time at the new location and venue, we will get feedback from our exhibitors, visitors and journalists on what all can be improved. We certainly do not regret making the move from Kortrijk to Brussels because we feel it’s the right decision as a result of which we have been able to welcome more exhibitors at this year’s show. We have signed a long-term contract with Brussels Expo and will remain at this venue at least for the next 10 years.
We have seen a growth of over 30 per cent in the number of exhibitors, from 376 in 2017 to 511 this year with a corresponding increase in floor space from 50,000 to 79,000 sq. m.
We understand there are new Busworld shows coming up in different parts of the world. Could you please share details of the same?
Yes, we have a number of new Busworld shows coming up in new markets. We have had a lot of interest from the United States and have decided to host the first edition of Busworld North America in Baltimore in January 2021.
In Latin America, we are planning for another show in the South, in addition to the show we host in Colombia. We are considering Argentina, Chile and Uruguay as potential host countries for the new show.
Next up, we are planning for a Busworld in Muscat which will give us a base in the Middle East region. Then comes Krasnoyarsk in Siberia where we would like to do a show to create some interest, get a pulse of the market and get the attention from that part of the world.
Another market that has been identified is Havana, the capital of Cuba. It is closed market with one major Chinese bus builder building buses. It could be an interesting location for a Busworld show. We are exploring options in Africa with Ghana and Kenya being interesting choices of location.
Lastly, we have received interest from Australia but there are already three bus exhibitions in the country. We are deliberating the possibility of creating a Busworld that keeps moving from one location to another within Australia.
How are things shaping up for Busworld India 2020?
Busworld India 2020 is scheduled for August 27-29 and will be our third edition in Bangalore where we will be in the new Hall 5 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). It will be our first show with our new partner Messe Frankfurt. We have a clear strategy on what has to be done in the run up to the show and are talking to our exhibitors who are active in India. The initial signs are positive and we are confident of having a large exhibition next year.
Bus Operators Confederation of India (BOCI), the private bus operators’ association, is ready to extend their support to our show and we are awaiting a final confirmation from them. Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU), the apex body for the STUs is also ready to organize their conference during Busworld. We have a cordial relationship between the operators on both sides – private and public – and are confident of creating a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved.