ALBUM approaches

16/04/2024 Ashleigh Sinclair ALBUM, Features

Warrington’s Own Buses is hosting this year’s ALBUM conference. The company is in the middle of a project to replace its entire fleet with electric buses. JONATHAN WELCH

Jonathan Welch takes a brief look at what delegates can expect at the upcoming ALBUM conference

It barely seems a couple of months since the industry gathered in Edinburgh for last year’s ALBUM conference in Edinburgh, hosted by Lothian Buses. As announced at the end of that event, this year’s conference is being hosted by Warrington’s Own Buses over three days on 22, 23 and 24 April, and is taking place at the Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire.

The event is timely for Warrington’s Own Buses, which recently held a launch event for its new fleet of MCV Volvo BZL electric buses, set to start entering service from its newly-built depot in the near future. The organisers promise the event will be an engaging gathering with notable speakers, diverse exhibitors, and entertaining evenings. “The conference will bring together industry leaders to discuss trends, innovations, and challenges in the bus industry. Attendees can expect insightful sessions on topics like funding, electric vehicles, safety, recruitment challenges, and motivation,” says ALBUM. So who are those speakers, and who will be there? As the date approaches, let’s take a brief look…

As in Edinburgh, the headline sponsor is again Volvo Buses, along with its local service partner in the north west of England Thomas Hardie Commercials, with a long list of additional sponsors large and small including familiar names such as Alexander Dennis, Asset Alliance Group, EO Charging, McKenna, Pelican Bus & Coach, Timespace, and many more.

Having worked closely with Volvo and Thomas Hardie on its new fleet, enthusiastic Warrington’s Own Buses Managing Director Ben Wakerley said: “Having Volvo Buses and Thomas Hardie Commercials as the headline sponsors for the ALBUM 2024 Conference is great news. Their reputation for delivering cutting-edge products and outstanding services is known across the industry. This collaboration reinforces our shared dedication to advancing the future of buses in our communities.”

For those of a sporting nature, the three days kick off, if you’ll excused the mixed metaphor, with a golf event and lunch on Monday 22, giving delegates a chance to catch up and network, followed by an afternoon depot tour and an evening of comedy and pizza.