The lion roars at Busworld
There were countless new innovations to see at Busworld Europe 2023 in Brussels, including two world premieres from MAN. 526 exhibitors, 251 vehicles, 40,000 visitors – the event was a total success.
However, the stars of the stand were without a doubt the five exhibits around which onlookers gathered the entire day. All visitors were able to inspect the MAN buses inside and out, including the two world premieres. On display were:
- MAN Lion's City 10 E, the compact eBus and reigning "Bus of the Year".
- MAN Lion's City 12 E LE: the world premiere for the first electric low-entry bus
- MAN Lion’s Intercity LE 14 with three axles, another world premiere
- MAN Lion’s Coach with new digital driver’s workplace
- MAN TGE Coach designed as a minibus for small groups of travellers
Busworld becomes buzzworld
It’s a concept that resonates: Busworld 2023 was a BUZZZZ for MAN. Every time a customer concluded a purchase during the ten days of the event, they could press the famous big red buzzer on the stand. It let out a loud lion’s roar, which gleaned applause from the entire team. The lion’s roar rang out quite a few times during the show: more than 1,000 buses were delivered to customers during Busworld 2023. A cause for celebration for the #StrongTeam at MAN.
The feedback at the show and the award are a superb acknowledgement of the tireless commitment and professional work of the entire team. “
- Electric and electrifying: MAN buses.
- Somewhere to chat: the MAN stand at Busworld.
- #strongteam: Great atmosphere at MAN.
Three awards and a reason to celebrate
Sales weren’t the only reason for a loud lion’s roar. The week of the event provided MAN with three awards:
The evening before the trade show saw the Lion’s City 10 E win the “Sustainable Bus of the Year” award in the “City Bus” category. The prize was given at the official Busworld opening gala night. The panel were especially impressed by the efficiency, environmentally friendliness and compact size of the fully electric bus.
MAN was also popping corks somewhere else at almost the same time: the #Electrifying Europe Tour was a winner at the Best of Content Marketing Awards (BCM Award) in Berlin. In the summer of 2022, MAN sent the Lion’s City 12 E on a unique road trip from Munich to Limerick: 8 countries, 10 days, almost 2,500 kilometres entirely on electric power, and all experienced in multimedia. The BCM awarded it Gold.
Lastly, as part of the Digital Mobility Solutions Conference at the end of the trade show, the new digital cockpit in MAN and NEOPLAN buses was given the “Digital Award” in the category “Digital On-board Comfort”. The opinion of the jury, which comprised experts from the bus industry, independent entrepreneurs, journalists and user experience designers, was that thanks to the innovative “SmartSelect” controls and the complete integration of the new electric platform and latest ADAS systems, drivers can concentrate on their job without distractions.
CEO and board members congratulate the team at the event
Recognition and appreciation for the team came from the very top. The MAN top brass were out in force in Brussels. The presence of CEO Alexander Vlaskamp, board member responsible for production Michael Kobriger, and board member responsible for sales Friedrich Baumann emphasised the importance of the bus sector for MAN. The bus team, headed by Barbaros Oktay, were delighted.
They could be seen on the stand, together with many MAN experts and visitors from around the world. The MAN stand was definitely THE place to meet during the entire Busworld event.
The generous space allowed room for interesting discussions of the latest market trends, as well as networking. A party atmosphere reigned in the evenings with the Happy Hour, which included spontaneous musical interludes. 6,000 meals and 800 litres of beer: the unofficial balance sheet for Busworld 2023 shows that MAN are not just bus experts, they really know how to set the mood, too.
Text: Julia Fiedler
Photos: MAN
