05 May 2010

UK Coach Awards successes

Guild members once again demonstrated that they are simply the best in the industry, scooping two prestigious trophies at the 2010 UK Coach Awards. Johnsons Coaches of Henley in Arden were voted "Coach Operator of the Year - Large Fleets" and the highest accolade, that of overall "Coach Operator of the Year". To read more, click here. Fellow Guild member Burtons Coaches were highly commended in the same category.

Meanwhile, Woods Coaches of Leicester were highly commended in the "Coach Operator of the Year - Medium Fleets" (more here) and won the award for the "Best Coach Travel Programme". The latter award recognised Woods´ innovative "That´s Entertainment" theatre programme. Building on the popularity of the reality TV series about West End shows, Woods introduced a day trip programme which offers a range of excursions to London theatre shows and live events at regional venues. The range includes many different West End Shows, pantomimes, ice-skating shows, pop concerts and live tours throughout the year. The West End shows are usually scheduled as matinee performances to allow the trips to get to and from London within a day.

The trips are priced as a package combining the coach fare and ticket price. Woods only charge the price that they pay for the tickets (plus the coach fare) to the customer and do not add any additional booking fees or markup. On each ticket the customers can see the price that individuals pay at the theatres (which is much higher than group rates and excludes the cost of transport) and therefore they are impressed with how travelling with Woods Coaches is a cost effective way to see a London Show.

The photo shows Woods of Leicester Managing Director Kevin Brown with the Award, surrounded by his staff proudly displaying a selection of other trophies the firm has won.