Fleet Management Live
Now in its second year, this key industry event brought together manufacturers and vehicle management companies with decision-makers from a broad range of professions, including fleet management, HR, travel, finance, procurement and facilities management.
According to Fleet News, this year’s exhibition attracted over 1,200 industry professionals, a 16% increase in the number of visitors who attended 2015’s debut exhibition.
Our fleet expert, Customer Relationship Manager Kieran Doherty, attended the event with his team and gave his insights over the two days:
Our exhibits
It was great to see exhibitors get so creative with their stands, from eighties themes including Space Invader gaming machines, to virtual reality racing driver seats. This was our first time at the event, exhibiting alongside Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental. Our message was simple; that as part of the Arnold Clark Group, we are uniquely placed to provide a total vehicle solution.
Our stand focused on how we can provide flexible short and long-term vehicle solutions, and also showcased our latest technologies including AutoCentre, an online portal that gives fleet managers and their drivers full 24-hour control of their vehicles. We also demonstrated Gensen, a helpful tool designed to compare the best methods of funding. It was exciting to demonstrate these technologies, along with many other developments and core services, to both existing and future customers.
The cars
Fleet Management Live gave us all a great chance to get a sneak peek at the latest cars. We were delighted to see the New Tesla Model X, set to hit UK roads by April. It was so new, the model on show was a left-hand drive, but it showcased the vehicle’s impressive falcon wing doors. Corresponding with a key industry topic, EV technology, the all-electric luxury crossover SUV really attracted the crowds. Other new models were the new Land Rover Discovery and Audi Q2, which stood out in bright yellow. Displaying SUVs was a popular choice by manufacturers and correlates with the trend of the uptake of upmarket SUVs in the place of traditional executive cars.
The talks
There were many interesting talks and lectures throughout the two days with ACFO Autumn Seminar ‘The Drive for Mobility’ taking place in the adjacent hall. The seminar centered on mobility as a service (MaaS) and how changes towards business mobility will make corporate travel available to all employees, not just company car drivers, over the next 3-5 years. ‘The Future of Fleet’ talk, from Fleet News, was interesting, with the focus on the development of autonomous cars and the new role of electric vehicles. The general view was that electric cars would play a big part in the future but fleets will still be dependent on a blend of fuel types to suit their individual requirements.
A chance to network and grow
Fleet Management Live 2016 was a highly interactive event where suppliers and clients came together to share best practice and new concepts. For us, it was a great two days of networking and discussing fleet topics, covering everything from 2017’s changes in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) to the benefits of daily rental with clients, suppliers and colleagues in the fleet industry. Even though we still have the sound of Space Invaders ringing our ears, dates have already been set for 2017, and it looks as if this event will be successful for years to come.
