The 2019 Devon Business Show has been hailed as a major success attracting about 1,000 visitors, 100 exhibitors – and even managing to get a bus inside the Plymouth Pavilions exhibition space.
And not just any bus: a 21 Century Enviro 200EV all-electric single-decker, which is to be trialled around the city, one of the first that will be seen on streets nationally.
Plymouth Citybus manoeuvered the vehicle into the main hall so it could act as a focal point at the annual showcase for Plymouth and Devon businesses.
It nestled in beside cars, motorbikes, a restaurant run by City College Plymouth students, and a stand decked out to look like a medieval castle, home to locksmith Sir Fix-a-lock.
The event, lauded as a superb advertising board for the city and county, provides businesses with a chance to network, meet clients and attend seminars from leading business figures including economist Dr Emily Beaumont, from Plymouth Marjon University; Stuart Elford, from organisers Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce; and firms such as Taurus Clearer Communications, the digital DELT Shared Services, social enterprise Real Ideas Organisation and international law firm Womble Bond Dickinson.
Main sponsor Plymouth Citybus, which drove a double-decker to the show in 2017, topped that by unveiling the Enviro 200EV, a £350,000, 33-seater, 52-standing, wifi-equipped leviathan, which is being trialled by parent firm Go-Ahead and has been described by Citybus bosses as “the future”.
The vehicle doesn’t come cheap, and would require huge infrastructure investment by the city to enable a fleet of buses to be recharged, but the vehicles are far better for the environment than diesel equivalents.
The electric bus boasts zero emissions, a smoother ride, more comfort, mobile phone charging and USB ports for customers, and it is much quieter.
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And it doesn’t need wing-mirrors because drivers navigate with the use of video screens. Go-Ahead is about to trial the buses in Salisbury and has 45 operating from its Waterloo depot in London.
“This is the first one trialled in Devon,” said Mark Collins, head of commercial and marketing at Plymouth Citybus. “It’s a big leap.”
He said electric buses are the future of public transport, but would probably not be commonplace until the latter half of the 2020s.
Richard Stevens, managing director of Plymouth Citybus and chairman of Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, said: "There is a buzz about the room. And we have launched a new membership offer and people are already signing up."
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Mark Russell, who had a whopping SIX companies exhibiting – including Optimus Performance Marketing, SWAZ, Marshall Motors and Plymouth Parkway football club – said: “It’s been really good, there are a lot more people here this year, it’s good to see so many different companies.”
Lindsey Edmonds, of DELT Shared Services, said: “It’s our first time here and we have met some really interesting businesses. It shows how much talent there is in Plymouth.”
Tim Coope, general manager of Nuffield Health, said: “We are exhibiting here today. This event enables us to engage with local businesses and help with their employees’ health and well being.”
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Elsbeth Hallam, from the charity Hugs for Henry, was also exhibiting and said: “It’s great to meet businesses, from small to large, a real mixture.”
Gemma Glover, a visitor from business development firm CCS Moments, said: “It’s been really nice to touch base with old faces and see how Plymouth business is booming.”
Paul Bushell, known as Sir Fix-a-Lock, exhibited his special model “castle” to showcase his new master key system. He said: “It’s been busy today but it’s the standard of the show that is so important, the team has produced a professional business show.”
The event, now in its seventh year, was also sponsored by Redrok, Eddystone Media, Taurus, Citizens Advice Plymouth, Womble Bond Dickinson, City College Plymouth, Duke of Cornwall Hotel, Radio Plymouth, Westinsure Plymouth and Plymouth Marjon University.
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To contact William Telford: william.telford@reachplc.com