CPT Conference 2025 Programme

Thursday 23 January 2025 ~ Park Plaza London Riverbank

10:15-10:50        Networking Breakfast

11.00-11.10        Opening Remarks

11.10-11.40        Keynote Speaker

• Minister for Local Transport, Simon Lightwood

11:40-12:30        Kickstarting economic growth

The Prime Minister has put economic growth at the centre of mission-driven government, targeting the highest sustained growth in the G7, citing good jobs and increased productivity across the country. When can we expect this growth to take off? Where will it be strongest? What are the opportunities for the bus and coach industry? What’s the economist’s verdict?

• Martin Dean, Managing Director, Go Ahead (Chair)
• David Leeder, Founder and Managing Partner, TIL Transport Investment Limited

12:30-13:10       Future of the Coach Market

The traditional coach industry has witnessed some big changes over recent years, with a number of high-profile acquisitions, several significant new entrants to the market, and a variety of alternative operating models. CPT research has highlighted the value of coach, but can the traditional model survive? Is the need to decarbonise a game-changer? The panel will address these questions and explore what the future holds. 

• Graham Vidler, Chief Executive, CPT (Chair)
• Andrew Luckett, Director, BluMarbl
• Roland Eglinton, Managing Director, Chalkwell
• Gareth Davies, MD - Coaching, First Bus
• Tom Stables, CEO, The Coach Travel Group

13:10-14:15       LUNCH

14:15-15:00       Placemaking

Building new places to live, as well as places to work, learn, and spend leisure time, is a core tenet of the new government’s plan for economic growth. This session will look at what this new spirit of placemaking means for bus and coach, and what the barriers are to ensuring that buses are an integral and immovable part of these new communities. The session will also explore the opportunity to bring a ‘bus first’ vision to the heart of the planning system, and what this means for places and the people who live there.

• Paul Lynch, Managing Director London, Stagecoach Bus and CPT President (Chair)
• Daisy Narayanan MBE, Director of Public Realm, Crown Estate
• Allan Pitt, Associate Planner, Arup
• Tom Morgan, Managing Director, trentbarton
• Pete Dyson, Author, Transport for Humans

15:00-15:45      Green Growth

Governments in every part of the UK have promised to transform the economy and deliver growth through investment in green skills and decarbonisation, with public transport at the heart of those plans. Bus and coach operators will have a significant role to play as we work with the Government and private sector partners to decarbonise our vehicles and drive modal shift. But have we fully realised the opportunities for the industry presented by the green growth agenda, and have we fully understood the financial and human challenges in achieving it?

• Aaron Hill, Cymru Director, CPT (Chair)
• Praful Nargund, Director, Good Growth Foundation
• Julia Meek, Director of Business Development (EV Fleet), Zenobe
• Marcus Johns, Senior Research Fellow, IPPR North

15:45-16:30     The New Customer

Customer perceptions and expectations of bus and coach are changing, as are the ways in which our sector is engaging with existing and potential passengers. This session will look at where opportunities to grow our customer base exist, what the key drivers are for encouraging people to choose bus and coach, innovation in marketing, and the role of Governments in facilitating sector efforts to grow bus and coach use.

• Sara Collier, Senior Public Affairs Manager (Scotland), CPT (Chair)
• Sarah Bartlett, Senior PR Manager, FlixBus UK
• Cora Woodhouse, Marketing and Customer Service Director, Arriva UK Bus

16.30-16:45 Closing Remarks

16:45       Conference Ends

*Please note - sessions and timings are subject to change - please check back regularly or look out for CPT communications for updates*

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