Next May is shaping up as arguably the biggest month on Brisbane’s 2025 events calendar, with a huge line-up of business and sporting events forecast to deliver a boon to the city’s economy – headlined by the Southern Hemisphere’s largest trucking event, the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show, which will be held as part of Truck Week 25, a new week-long festival of all things trucking.
Filling out the bumper calendar are the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE25), the Australian tourism industry’s largest annual business-to-business event; the most anticipated (and attended) rugby league round of the year, the 2025 NRL Magic Round; and even British-Irish crooner Chris de Burgh!
Speaking at this week’s official launch of Truck Week 25 (formerly Australian Heavy Vehicle Industry Week) in Brisbane, Cr Sandy Landers, Brisbane City Council’s Deputy Chair of the Economic Development, Nighttime Economy and 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee, said the Truck Show alone is expected to attract more than 40,000 industry players to the city.
Exhibition space for the 2025 show – the only event to fill all 30,000+ square metres of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre – is already sold out.
Speaking at the launch, Brisbane City Cr Sandy Landers, pictured above, said the Brisbane Truck Show alone is expected to attract more than 40,000 industry players to the city in May 2025. Photos: Daniel Neucom Photography
Cr Landers said that in 2023 the show attracted 42,855 over four days, an all-time record for the 56-year old event, with more than 36 per cent coming from interstate and nearly six per cent from overseas.
In a boon for local businesses, they generated an incredible 92,982 visitor nights in Queensland, with overseas visitors spending an above-average 6.7 nights in the city, interstate visitors staying an average of 4.3 nights and intrastate visitors staying an average of 3.4 nights.
They’re also big spenders, with interstate visitors spending an average of $363.89 a day, followed by overseas visitors at $342.91 – for an estimated total $31.58 million spend by overnight visitors from outside of Greater Brisbane.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the Brisbane Truck Show would drive a massive economic boost for Brisbane next May.
On display at the launch was KS Easter’s immaculate Kenworth T610 hitched to a trailer fully laden with eye-catching branding promoting the upcoming Brisbane Truck Show which has already clocked up 70,000km. Photos: Daniel Neucom Photography
“As Australia’s lifestyle capital, our major events calendar is a great drawcard for businesses and visitors to come and invest in Brisbane,” he said.
“Year after year, the Brisbane Truck Show brings big economic benefits to our city, with the 2023 event attracting over 42,000 people and injecting $31.5 million into the local economy.
“We hope people here for the Truck Show stay to enjoy our vibrant lifestyle precincts and unique tourism offerings, all while supporting our local businesses.”
After a record crowd in 2023, Truck Show organisers are anticipating another big turnout in 2025, fuelled by several new activations planned as part of Truck Week 25, an increasingly popular week-long trucking festival anchored by the Brisbane Truck Show and including the Heavy Equipment and Machinery Show at the RNA Showgrounds and the Heritage Truck Show at Rocklea.
HVIA CEO Todd Hacking, pictured above, said he was anticipating another big turnout in 2025, fuelled by several new activations planned as part of Truck Week 25, an increasingly popular week-long trucking festival. Photos: Daniel Neucom Photography
Todd Hacking, CEO of organiser HVIA, said the response to the show’s strategic expansion into a week-long trucking festival has been “fantastic”.
Truck Week 25 – to be held from May 12-May 18 – will feature exciting new activations, including the first-ever National Show ‘N’ Shine Championship, which will feature as many as 28 of Australia’s best blinged-up trucks competing for the crown of the nation’s best! The showcase will be staged at Little Stanley Street at South Bank and will be open to the general public.
An added attraction in 2025 will be the Premier Boxing Series to be staged at the South Bank Piazza on the Friday and Saturday nights of the show.
Telecast on the Seven Network, the series will feature six bouts involving elite amateur and professional boxers each night, culminating in a title bout.
Truck Week 25 will include the Heritage Truck Show featuring classic trucks like this 1984 Kenworth on display at this week’s launch; as well as the National Show ‘N’ Shine Championship showcasing epic custom trucks like S&J McMahon Transport’s popular Melbourne Storm-themed Kenworth T909 from the 2023 show. Photos: Daniel Neucom Photography
What’s more, in 2025 several thousand school students will flock to The Depot, a new interactive zone just outside the show at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus lawn which will feature an awesome array of interactive displays, cutting-edge simulators and other engaging activities aimed at showcasing careers in the heavy vehicle industry.
And like previous shows, there’ll be reciprocal ticketing and free bus transport from the Truck Show to the Brisbane Showgrounds for Queensland’s largest civil construction expo, the Heavy Equipment and Machinery Show; as well as a free shuttle run to Rocklea Showgrounds where there will be the most impressive display of classic trucks at the Heritage Truck Show.
“Back to 2018 HVIA received feedback from the major truck and trailer exhibitors of a need to get more inspirational, to push the envelope, to further their opportunities to showcase the industry and to utilise the industry’s largest asset they had to reach out to the community,” Hacking recalled at the launch.
“Up until then, the Brisbane Truck Show had been an industry show. Proudly run by industry for industry. It was the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere but it was preaching to the converted. That is still an important part of the event – it is a B2B event, but they saw it as a missed opportunity.
The Heritage Truck Association’s Rodney and Janette Sims, pictured above, with their son’s immaculate 1984 Kenworth aptly named ‘Big Easy’ at this week’s launch event at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Photos: Daniel Neucom Photography
“So HVIA set about making it bigger, we approached the Queensland Government and Tourism and Events Queensland and explained our vision. An industry event inside the doors of the BCEC and a trucking family festival in the surrounding areas.
“Our vision was simple – become the first B2B event to take over South Bank. And so ever since 2019, we have been reaching out to the community to explain the importance of trucking. And it is important. Without the heavy vehicle supply chain working as intended, fresh food isn’t delivered, medical supplies aren’t replenished, bricks and mortar for schools and homes don’t get to site and major industries such as retail, hospitality, mining, construction literally ground to a halt.
“2019 saw the Australian Heavy Vehicle Industry Week born. It was a mouthful but it was simply the monicker for all of the activities, events, activations, conferences and meetings that occur around the BTS. It had the key themes of safety, community, knowledge, careers, innovation and sustainability.
“We were the first to use a QR code on a live TV morning show for fundraising as Troy Conley-Magnusson broke a world record for the South Bank Truck Push for Kids; we’ve run a free family cinema at the Rainforest Green; we’ve showcased innovation and low and zero emission vehicles on Little Stanley Street; we’ve offered health checks for drivers, provided mental health advice and careers information for students; we’ve even turned concert promoter as last show saw us throw two free concerts as part of the Rock on Riverside.
Assistant Minister Amanda Stoker, pictured above, said Truck Week 25 not only delivers a boost to tourism, but also plays a role in promoting career opportunities in the heavy vehicle industry. Photos: Daniel Neucom Photography
“Every year it has been getting bigger and bigger but it has not and will not lost its focus, which is deep rooted in the vision and core themes of the event. And so in 2025 we are back bigger then ever!”
Generously supporting this week’s launch event, Queensland’s Assistant Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training, Amanda Stoker, said Truck Week 25 not only delivers a boost to the city’s tourism sector, but also plays a key role in promoting career opportunities in the state’s innovative heavy vehicle industry.
“Truck Week recognises the incredible contribution the heavy vehicle industry makes to our state by connecting all corners of Queensland,” Stoker said.
“With more than 600,000 registered trucks in Australia driven more than 250 billion tonne kilometres each year, supported by more than 70,000 heavy vehicle industry employees, it’s vital we can continue to support the industry by delivering quality training and a strong workforce.
This week’s launch was well-attended by key government and industry stakeholders including HVIA President John Drake (left in bottom pic) and (above L-R) TAFE QLD’s Kaz Harris-Brown, Katey Cochrane and Chris Kroehn. Photos: Daniel Neucom Photography
“The Depot Careers Hub at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus will be a Truck Week highlight, providing cyber security, graphic design and augmented reality welding demonstrations, and an insight into exciting careers not often considered for this industry.
“With a huge line-up of trucks, trailers and technology it will no doubt encourage more jobseekers to take up a heavy vehicle driver or mechanical apprenticeship.
“The Crisafulli Government is proud to support the Brisbane Truck Show. I look forward to celebrating the industry and showcasing the training and great jobs on offer during Truck Week 2025.”
Related Story: Custom Kings Vie For National Crown