www.ukbusawards.org.uk

What the Awards are all about

• to recognise and reward excellence and good practice

• to inspire others to follow the winners' examples

Awards mean business!• Oscars sell cinema seats• Mann Booker Prize sells books• We aim to sell coach travel!

UKCA Objectives

• To provide:• a forum for positive media coverage • a scheme to encourage and reward

• best practice• high quality staff • outstanding standards of customer service

• a forum to spread good practice• high quality networking and corporate hospitality events

Business Model

• Special purpose, not for dividend company

• Inclusive approach• Aim to deliver a scheme that • Is embedded in the industry’s

DNA• genuinely independent and

well-respected• really delivers for the industry

UK Coach Awards Corporate Goals

• Set relevant categories• Judge fairly and objectively• Encourage input from

stakeholders • Promote the awards• Provide high-quality events• Deliver value for money • to sponsors and guests

Stakeholders Meeting 2015

• Review of 2015 scheme • Categories and Criteria• Entries and Judging• Awards Ceremony• PR/Media

• Finances

• Towards 2016• Award Categories• Dates for the event• Finalists’ Announcement• Proposed event venue• Compère/guest of honour

• Any Other Business

Categories: Background & Constraints

• Categories must be:• Relevant to target market for nominations• Judgeable – we can set meaningful criteria• Saleable - A good PR prospect, explicable to local media

• There are limits on numbers• Duration of show – no more than 90 minutes• 20-21 categories the probable maximum• 16 at present

Categories and Criteria

• Current categories introduced in 2014

• Designed to focus on coach operators and their staff• This is now our USP

• Divided into three broad types:• Operating• Technical & Professional• People

Operating Awards

• 3 categories by Fleet Size• Top Small Fleet Operator (<20)• Top Medium (21-100)• Top Large (100+)• UK Coach Operator of the Year• ‘Grand Prix’ – one winner

from the three above• Top Express Operation

• taken over from UK Bus Awards

Technical and Professional

• Coach Marketing• Large Corporates • SMEs

• Coach Travel Programme• ‘Making Coaches a Better Choice’• Local authorities and attractions as

well as operators• Anything which promotes the mode

and makes customers’ lives easier• Includes infrastructure, priority

schemes, coach parking, etc

Categories and Criteria - People Awards

• Seven categories:• Top UK Coach Driver• Engineer of the Year• Unsung Heroes• Customer Service Award• Support Staff Award• Young Coach Industry

Professional• Services to the Industry

Entries

• Entry volumes slightly down • Our biggest challenge for 2016

• Our objectives• Viable competitions • Larger overall Finalists’ list

• Drives ticket sales • Affects competitive atmosphere

on the night• More customer engagement

• Any ideas?

Judging• Overall, judging went well• As always, interesting debates!• Our thanks to • all the judges• SOE for hospitality

• Further new recruits sought for 2016

• More entries = more challenges!UK Bus Awards judging meeting

Presentation Ceremony: Venue

• Manchester Piccadilly• Room has good feel• Hotel facilities fine• Accommodation good• Staff friendly and helpful

• Numbers steady at 210• Reflects lack of entries

Presentation Ceremony: The Evening

• Reception poorly done• Free drinks missed• People assumed cash bar

• Meal service was slow• Main course not very good• Nominated charity Transaid• another excellent result • seem to be appreciated • plan to maintain link• but presentation too long

Presentation Ceremony: The Show

• Improved set and graphics• Timing and speed worked well• Some sound problems• Hotel system inadequate • Needs further investment

• Carol Kirkwood great again• But show lacked atmosphere

PR and Publicity

• Successful campaign • Trade press coverage• Good relationships• CBW, BCB, BCP

• Would like to do more• Regional press• Broadcast media• Time & budget permitting

Social Media

• UKCA has presence on• Facebook• Twitter• LinkedIn• YouTube/Google+

• Results posted live from the Piccadilly• Widely welcomed• Extensively retweeted

• Plans for further development

Web Site

• Minor design tweaks • Improved viewing on mobiles

• Continues to be widely used • Visits average 340 per day

• Up to over 400 per day peak times

• 3.7 pages per visit• Overall statistics

• 1 million hits a year• 381,000 pages• 103,000 unique visits

Finances

• Total income £34k• Sponsorship £28.5k• Ticket Sales £5.5k

• Costs £40k• COGS £18k• Overheads £22k

• Small loss of £6k

• Sponsorship increased but more needed

• Ticket sales in line with 2014 levels but below target

• Renewed campaigns for 2016

Plans for 2016: Award Categories

• No changes proposed at present• Still time to add categories if desirable• Views welcome!• Some feedback so far...

Questions & Suggestions

Questions• Do we feel that these

meet the tests?• Relevant• Judgeable• Saleable

• Are we missing anything?

Suggestions• Regional Awards• New categories• Branding• Web sites

Plans for 2016: Key Dates

• Nomination deadlines:• Public nominations – 5 December• Industry nominations – 15 January

• Finalists’ Announcement: • Late February

• Ceremony• Currently proposed for 21 April• Mercure Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester

Finalists’ Announcement

• Currently online and by Press Release only

• Aspire to an event like UKBA• Over 100 attended• Excellent PR opportunity• Budget constraints• Concern about attendance

• Any thoughts?UK Bus Awards Finalists’ Announcement 2015

Annual Awards Ceremony 2016

• Should we...• Change date

• avoid clash with Rally (22-23 April)

• 19 or 26 May might be possibilities

• Change venue • But stay in Manchester?• Move from Manchester? • Alternate south and north?

• On the evening, should we• Provide more post-show activities?• Change compère?• Alter start time?

• Any suggestions for guest of honour?

• Any other feedback?

Any Other Business?