Staging the Brisbane Truck Show, Australia’s largest industry exhibition, is a herculean task which, incredibly, is pulled off by a small team of passionate and dedicated HVIA staff and partners.
The planning and logistics (and sheer hard work) behind Australia’s largest industry exhibition and the biggest truck show in the Southern Hemisphere is truly staggering.
With more than 35,000 square metres of exhibitors filling every nook and cranny of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, the Brisbane Truck Show is not only the largest event held at the venue, but the most complex.
Bumping in almost 300 exhibitors and an array of overmass, overweight and oversize freight – including 94 trucks – into a constrained inner-city convention centre is a unique logistical challenge. Images: Alastair Brook and Thomas Wielecki
This is no gift fair that’s for sure! Planning and executing the bump in of almost 300 exhibitors and an array of overmass, overweight and oversize freight – including 94 trucks, 75 trailers and 14 dollies – into a constrained inner-city convention centre is a truly unique logistical challenge.
Not surprisingly, long before the doors open, the HVIA events team – comprising National Events Manager Kay Marco, National Events (Production) Manager Noelene Bradley and National Events Coordinator Jenny Wilson – spend near-on 12 months plotting, preparing and scheduling every element of the show, from signing up exhibitors, allocating stand locations and approving stand designs, to working with key partners to manage the massive task involved in the actual show build, including bump in and bump out.
More than 2,000 metres of trusses and 340 rigged points are installed on the roof of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from which to suspend a staggering 56 tonnes of equipment. Images: Alastair Brook and Thomas Wielecki
The numbers are mind-boggling! On top of the hundreds of movements of trucks and trailers entering the show venue on the Sunday night and Monday morning ahead of opening day, logistics partner GEL Event Logistics has the job of coordinating the arrival of 13 semi-trailer loads and one pallet truck load of gear from other exhibitors.
Then there’s the equally challenging task of moving all the stuff into place across the venue’s three levels – made doubly challenging this year due to the centre’s main goods lift being out of action!
Show partner Moreton Hire has the job of building out the show, from laying down an incredible 8,634 carpet tiles to constructing an eye-popping 5,196 square metres of modular stand space. Images: Alastair Brook and Thomas Wielecki
Amid this highly organised (and safe) chaos, 55 staff of key show partner Moreton Hire are busy with the job of building out the show, from laying down an incredible 8,634 carpet tiles to constructing an eye-popping 5,196 square metres of modular stand space.
Meanwhile, rigging, lighting and staging specialist Clifton Productions is hard at work installing over 600 lighting fixtures and more than 2,000 metres of trusses and some 340 rigged points from which to suspend a staggering 56 tonnes of equipment from the centre’s roof.
The Truck Show is produced by HVIA staff with the support of key partners including BCEC, Moreton Hire, Clifton Productions and GEL Event Logistics. Images: Alastair Brook and Thomas Wielecki
All in all, the build takes almost a week in readiness for the doors to open on the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show on Thursday morning.
Incredibly, running in parallel were equally complex builds of major activations outside the centre, including the Silverback Show ‘N’ Shine National Championship at South Bank Parklands and The Depot careers hub on the lawns of TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus – all also managed internally by HVIA’s small but exceedingly passionate team.
Running in parallel with the Truck Show is the equally complex builds of major activations outside the centre, including the Silverback Show ‘N’ Shine National Championship at South Bank. Images: Alastair Brook and Thomas Wielecki
And once it’s all done and dusted – and the last of the 54,790 show-goers have left the building after the doors closed at 2:00pm on Sunday – the equally arduous task of bumping out begins.
Incredibly, just two days – and eight semi-trailers and seven pallet trucks – later, the centre is cleared and cleaned ready for the next show to begin!
Video: 2025 Brisbane Truck Show Bump In