The Coach Travel Group used nine of its own depots and 43 partner operators to deliver a 144-vehicle transport programme in partnership with Zeelo at the LoungeFest event for staff of hospitality company Loungers.
Held at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on 8 June, the group was responsible for planning and managing transport arrangements, including pick-up locations, scheduling and operational logistics for thousands of employees of the hospitality business.
Despite what it says were a significant number of changes up to the week of the event, The Coach Travel Group’s team ensured that every amendment was accommodated, “resulting in a seamless delivery on the day,” it adds.
From the group’s own fleets, 30 coaches were deployed. The remainder came from partner operators. Those third-parties were drawn from across its network in what The Coach Travel Group notes is a demonstration of “the scale and strength” of such nationwide capabilities.
It adds that a consideration beforehand was potential adverse weather. A comprehensive contingency plan was drawn up to ensure that the operation could continue smoothly if required, but favourable conditions meant that those measures were not fully needed.
Speaking about the work with Zeelo and partner operators, National Key Accounts Executive Ella-Louise Parsons says: “This project demonstrated the strength of collaboration across The Coach Travel Group.
“Teams from sales, aftersales and service delivery worked together to manage a significant volume of amendments across 144 coaches, often at short notice. The flexibility, communication and commitment shown by everyone involved ensured that we were able to deliver a successful operation for our customer.
“Working closely with Zeelo, we were able to coordinate pick-up locations, scheduling and logistics while adapting to ongoing changes right up until the week of the event. The success of the operation is testament to the teamwork across our network and our ability to deliver complex transport solutions at scale.”
The Coach Travel Group says that it is seeing demand for transport to large events grow, with the Loungers project showcasing how it can deliver on such requirements through its own fleets and those of partner operators.
