Crowds turn out for BTS

The dust has settled after the 2015 Brisbane Truck Show, and while final attendance figures are yet to be tallied, show organiser Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ) says preliminary figures put gate numbers marginally behind those achieved in 2013, when attendance reached an all-time high.

Held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre over May 14 to 17, early CVIAQ data puts crowd numbers at 6778 on the Thursday, 100 down on the opening day of the 2013 event, with 8365 through the door on the Friday – some 612 down on the previous show's corresponding figure.

The shift from industry to families on the Saturday saw just under 12,000 people attend the show, also marginally down on the 2013 number, but those numbers still put the event in reach of achieving the magic mark of 40,000.

Data for the final day of the show, the Sunday, was yet to be released at the time of publication.

The 2015 Brisbane Truck Show enjoyed official representation from all major truck brands, numerous truck-related accessory and service providers, and a swathe of truck media, representative and government groups.

All told 133 different brands and enterprises were to be found on the main foyer level, with a further 45 on the mezzanine level and 96 on the plaza level. A further six organisations could also be found on the plaza level as a part of the Industry Careers Centre, along with another 10 as part of the Health Tune-Up Centre.

Highlights included the official return of International Trucks at the Navistar stand, the unveiling of the fourth-generation Actros 2663 at the Mercedes-Benz stand, the expansion of the DAF line-up and the launch of Kenworth's Business Class interior and King Suite sleeper at the PACCAR stand, the marking of Hino's 50th year of operations in Australia and the unveiling of Isuzu's new N Series range of light-duty trucks, among many others.

The Australian heavy trailer industry was also out in force, with MaxiTRANS brand Hamelex White unveiling a revolutionary new modular-construction range of VersaBOLT tippers, and Vawdrey showcasing a couple of very simple but clever load-securing solutions.

PACCAR Australia won the title of Outstanding Truck Manufacturer Display with its innovative showcase of Kenworth and DAF models, while International's ProStar SC won 'Truck of the Show' and Hamelex White was awarded the accolade of 'Trailer of the Show'. Click here for a full rundown of the show's seven category winners.

According to Kerry Brunton, Brisbane Truck Show Media & Communications Manager, by all accounts the 2015 event was a thorough success.

"Numbers were down a bit but that was compared to 2013 which was up 15 per cent, so basically we held our own," he said.

"Literally everyone I spoke to said quality was good and sales were good."

trucksales.com.au will vouch for that claim; every company representative we spoke to reported a healthy level of interest and high pedestrian traffic.

What's more, the CVIAQ has secured a fresh three-show contract for the Brisbane Truck Show at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, with the event to remain at the Southbank complex until at least 2021.

CVIAQ President, Bob Martin, said the event was a tribute to the professionalism of the Australian trucking industry.

"It is a truly world-class event and looks absolutely stunning," he said, addressing the audience at the official awards night on Thursday, May 14.

"It is a credit to the industry in a home worthy of hosting Australia's premier event – the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre."