SWC were really pleased to attend this year’s London EV Show at ExCel London. Not least because we had to cut short our planned visit to last year’s show, held at the Business Design Centre, as it took place just as the UK was being hit with the Coronavirus Omicron variant. Thankfully, as face-to-face events are back in the picture, we were only too pleased to dust off our business attire and head to the show.
The Show
It felt like a long time since we’d been to an event with such a fantastic focus on renewables and sustainable energies. So when we arrived to a hall full of people, it was great to see that shows like this attract so many innovative companies from all over the world, and are so well attended.
In addition to all the EV vehicle exhibitors, the show also included numerous exhibitors that support the industry. For example, companies that make charging stations, components for building these vehicles and supporting an EV infrastructure, as well as standards organisations that help to ensure EV products, like the ones we saw at the show, are safe and efficient.
The variety of exhibitors included big names like Tesla and Ford, with brand-new models on their stands. But interestingly there were also more niche exhibitors, with vintage vehicles on their stands which had been retrofitted with new EV technology.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles were also showcased at the event, which is another exciting avenue for environmentally friendly vehicles. Especially with the current energy and cost of living crisis, hydrogen is a particularly pertinent option.
As many of our clients work in the EV space and are involved in wider issues around sustainability, it’s important for us as an outsourced marketing agency to understand their industries as well as they do. This allows us to provide a service that is up-to-date and relevant to their customers and prospects.
So, what better way to keep our pulse on the ever-evolving EV automotive market than to visit an exhibition in the heart of London with a global attendance?
The show also gave us an opportunity to meet up with our friends at SAE International, the world’s leading authority in mobility standards development. It’s interesting to hear how this important professional association that is over 100 years old is still at the forefront of the industry and helping to provide sustainable mobility solutions.
Top 3 exhibits
1) One exhibit that stood out for us was the AA’s stand which included an EV breakdown van. This particularly resonated because it demonstrated that this was not just a show for shiny new electric cars, but everything that supports this new technology. With an increase of electric vehicles on the road, it’s great to see organisations like the AA responding to this positively with their own EV fleet designed to support EV drivers.
2) Another exhibit that caught our attention was the retrofitted, all-electric vintage Citroën 2CV van. There’s something to be said in terms of sustainability for electrifying a vehicle that’s already been built, compared to building a new electric vehicle from scratch.
3) Perhaps the most bizarre exhibit of the show was a 3D-printed car, which was very impressive, but we’re not sure we’d take it for a test drive… yet!
Round up
The high attendance at this year’s show suggests people still recognise the importance and value of meeting face-to-face and demonstrating products and services live. The event was well catered for, with multiple breakout rooms, areas for talks and networking as well as various restaurants and cafés around the exhibition centre. Lots of exhibitors, not just from the EV Show but other shows as well, were talking with clients and colleagues, and there was a real buzz, which we haven’t seen the likes of since pre-pandemic days.
The show was also great at sparking ideas for how we as a B2B marketing agency in Europe can be more sustainable, and our attendance certainly helped get the conversation going at SWC.
It’s always great to meet up with our clients and colleagues at these types of events, and we’re keen to attend to keep abreast of what’s going on in a particular industry. So if you have plans to attend next year’s EV show or any other events in 2023, please do get in touch with us here.
