DRIVEit@Bruntingthorpe 2014
Event organising company Driving Events & Video Limited is delighted to announce DRIVEit@Bruntingthorpe will take place on 10, 11 & 12 July 2014 at the world-famous Bruntingthorpe proving ground right in the heart of England.
The event is designed to give operators of light commercial vehicles the opportunity to test drive a wide selection of makes and models in a controlled and safe environment. The circuit at Bruntingthorpe boasts some of the finest facilities for a proving ground in Europe. Visitors to the event will be able to take vehicles and put them through their paces on six miles of track. There will be simulated road conditions for a realistic experience, there is a rough terrain centre for showing off the capabilities of traction control systems, a tough off-road course for the serious 4x4s, an urban driving simulation course and over one mile of motorway to show the benefits of lane guidance and collision avoidance products.
Manufacturers of all things LCV will be demonstrating their latest products and the organisers expect everything from panel vans and light trucks up to 7.5 tonne, 4×4 pick-ups, car-derived vans, minibuses, chassis cab conversions and Electric Vehicles to be available. DRIVEit will deliver an audience of business people, all of whom buy LCV product.
Planning for the event started in September this year with extensive visitor research and a consultation programme with the vehicle manufacturers. It became very clear that there is an appetite for an event such as this, from both a visitor and exhibitor perspective.
“Established trade exhibitions are excellent and certainly have a place in the commercial vehicle calendar however, what is lacking is the ability to actually try the products out,” said event organiser Rob James. “It is all very well walking around a vast exhibition hall collecting brochures and blisters, but events like Company Car in Action and Commercial Motor Live (both at Millbrook) indicate that there is genuine interest for an interactive exhibition.”
There is no dedicated light commercial vehicle show in the UK. There is no event purely for the light commercial vehicle operator and DRIVEit@Bruntingthorpe will bring together the buyers and sellers for three days at a unique event in a unique venue.
The FTA has already lent its support to the event through its Van Excellence programme. Van Excellence will be holding the finals of the Van Driver of the Year award at DRIVEit@Bruntingthorpe and the Van Excellence partners will be exhibiting too.
Manufacturers already committed to attend include Citroën, DSFK, Fiat Professional, Isuzu, Isuzu Truck, Peugeot and Renault. “It’s a fantastic start to a new event,” said James. “We are delighted with the response from potential exhibitors and will be announcing more as they sign up.”
The Show website, www.driveitat.com, is live and potential visitors are invited to register interest for event tickets. Once visitors have applied for tickets, they will then be offered the opportunity to book their test drives online prior to the event, maximising their use of time. For those wishing to spend more than one day at DRIVEit, special hotel rates have been negotiated with GoLeicester and there are links provided from the website.
Summing up, James added: “Clearly this is a very exciting project and the initial reaction from the market is very promising. During the coming weeks we will be announcing more supporting organisations and exhibitors as they confirm attendance.
“The show will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to perform back to back, in-depth vehicle appraisals, all in one location. This really does give the buyer of light commercial vehicles the best environment from which to make an informed decision on not only which vehicle(s) to buy, but also how to fund the acquisition and what other accessories and services are available.”
