Birmingham, April 10th 2008 – Britain’s largest transport and logistics event, The Commercial Vehicle Show is coming to the NEC next week and that is great news for local business argues Carl Snape, Regional Corporate Director, at Lombard, the asset finance provider in the city.
"The city and the region has a long history with the transport sector and the fact that the main players of the industry not just from the UK but beyond will be in Birmingham is a great opportunity for the profile of the city and the region. Motor manufacturing is still important in the local economy and the opportunity for local suppliers and manufacturers to demonstrate their services to large national and multinational players is a key opportunity."
The show, which is Europe's largest annual road transport, logistics and vehicle maintenance event will welcome over 500 exhibitors over the three days of the 15th – 17th April, 125 of these new to the show. The show will occupy over 90,000 square meters across 11 halls at the NEC. Now in it's nineth year since the combination of the IRTE Show, TipCon and CV Bodywork Show, it has become the principal UK focal point for business and personal networking within the industry.
"As Europe's largest asset finance provider this is an absolute must for us to attend, and as such we have invested more than ever before in our presence at the show" explains Carl. "Attendance at such events is so important to the ability to do business. People are away from the office and can immerse themselves in their needs, away from the distractions of day to day operations, engaging in conversation they might never have had the time to do."
"There is a lot to consider for vehicle operators at the moment. From a fleet management perspective, we are entering a period of increased regulatory enforcement and with the Corporate Manslaughter Act which makes prison sentences a real possibility, understanding the new legislation has become more vital for businesses with vehicle fleets. Fuel prices are also a key consideration for operators today, so with so much to think about the ability to talk to a number of parties who can help clarify these issues in a single visit makes the show a valuable investment in management time for a number of industry operators."
"From our perspective at Lombard, we will talk to companies about the benefits of leasing their vehicle fleet and the advisory service we can provide to customers which is more of the service they are demanding than mere financial packages. Our knowledge in the industry is what a lot of businesses want to use and the fact that leasing their asset base can improve their cashflow is another key area that operators need to consider. We will also introduce visitors to our stand to colleagues from RBS Corporate Risk Solutions who can talk about how they can hedge their fuel contracts to protect them in the current economic turbulence in financial markets."
"A show, the size of this one is really where the NEC comes into its own as a venue, and we are fortunate that it is on our doorstep. The show will bring additional revenue to the region and not just from the short time increase in people visiting the city, but contracts will be signed over the three days which in some cases will be major investments and defining contracts for West Midlands operators. Once again it proves that Birmingham can be a catalyst for business."
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For more information, please contact:
Andrew Cameron-Smith
Senior Media Manager
Tel: + 44 (0) 7796 336292
Email: andrew.cameron-smith@rbs.co.uk
Notes to Editor:
Lombard is the asset finance division of UK Corporate Banking, part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group ("RBS Group") is one of the world's leading financial services companies. For the past four years RBS has consistently ranked in the top 10 global banks. RBS Group operates in Europe, the US and Asia Pacific serving more than 36 million customers world-wide and employing more than 140,000 people. In addition to the provision of a full range of banking services under The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest brands, RBS Group also includes Citizens Financial Group, Ulster Bank, Coutts Group, Direct Line and Churchill.
