A large representation from Grupo Castrosua, led by the company’s president, traveled to the Belgian city of Kortrijk to participate in the most important European trade fair in the sector: Busworld.
This powerful showcase for the bus industry brought together 411 exhibiting companies from various parts of the continent between October 16 and 21, 2015. They took advantage of their presence at this forum to establish commercial relationships with their stakeholders and present their corporate, technical, and technological innovations.
This 41st edition of the prestigious Belgian fair has been, as highlighted at a press conference by the president of Busworld, Redgy Deschacht, the largest and most participatory in its history. In his speech, Deschacht called on industry members to “take the lead.” Otherwise, he added, “many companies run the risk of becoming subcontractors for *visionary* service companies not necessarily focused on mobility.”
In a modern and functional stand shared with the company Vectia, spanning 390 square meters, which attracted dozens of people including media representatives, suppliers, current and potential clients, the general public, and even competitors; Grupo Castrosua exhibited its Magnus.E model with a high-floor body and CNG propulsion, and its New City model. The objective was to promote the urban and medium-distance transport sectors, two segments in which our company is most competitive. Our colleagues Teresa Fernández and Simon Kienast were responsible for detailing the company’s most relevant milestones in the past year at a press conference.
Throughout the fair, many visitors accessed the buses exhibited by our company to directly check their technical characteristics and the high quality standards with which we operate. Some of them also took the opportunity to take photographs and ask questions to the company’s team members present at the Belgian forum. In this regard, the 15 people from Grupo Castrosua who participated in Busworld had intense working days that included, in total, almost a hundred specific meetings.
On a general level, the fair’s program also included unique parallel activities such as expert conferences that addressed the future challenges for our sector. For example, Peter Pantuso, representative of the *American Bus Association*, emphasized the need for bus and coach manufacturers and operators to bring their products closer to young people, especially millennials, so that they perceive them as “valid transport options” today and not as something from “their grandparents’ era.”
In this regard, according to German expert Marc Hoffman, it will be crucial for buses to create a suitable atmosphere for younger people, including, for example, services like Wi-Fi or offering them the possibility to charge their mobile phones on board via USB ports.
The fair also included an open house day, which allowed free access to the general public and families with the aim of bringing our sector closer to society. Furthermore, within the framework of Busworld2015, the traditional *Job Day* was held, a job forum primarily aimed at operators interested in hiring drivers for their vehicle fleets. About 150 people took part in this initiative.
Busworld 2015 came to an end on Wednesday, October 21, with the satisfaction of having met its objectives. The members of Grupo Castrosua also left Belgium with the feeling of having done our homework and laid the groundwork for developing prosperous commercial relationships in the coming months.
