Creating Wales’s First National Platform for Public Transport Collaboration
Transport for Wales | Public Transport Summit
To conceptualise, plan, and deliver Wales’s first-ever Public Transport Summit – a landmark two-day event in Wrexham designed to unite business, government, and transport leaders in shaping the future of public transport. Orchard was also tasked with developing and executing a commercial sponsorship strategy to ensure the summit’s financial sustainability and long-term growth.
Sponsorship Management
AV
Event Management
Sponsorship Strategy Development
Exhibition Design
Sponsorship Sales & Rights
Our Approach.
Orchard combined strategic thinking and seamless delivery across its Events & Experiences and Sponsorships & Partnerships teams to create an integrated summit experience that was as dynamic as the transport sector itself.
- Event Vision: Create a high-profile, action-oriented summit featuring keynote speakers, workshops, live demonstrations, and networking opportunities.
- Commercial Approach: Develop a five-tier sponsorship model aligned to Transport for Wales’s key policy themes – Railway Reform, Bus Reform, Regional Transport, Access for All, and Safer Routes.
- Digital Experience: Build a dedicated event website, registration portal, and event app to manage delegates, ticketing, scheduling, and live engagement tools.
- Distinctive Brand Identity: Develop a bespoke sub-brand to distinguish the summit from TfW’s everyday communications and create a recognisable platform for future editions.
Over eight weeks, Orchard delivered the end-to-end experience, from conception to delivery.
Content and Experience
- A two-day, fully bilingual conference programme featuring over 40 speakers and panels across plenary and breakout sessions.
- 400 delegates in attendance, representing the UK’s leading voices in transport, business, and government.
- Immersive live experiences including a walking tour of Wrexham’s active travel routes, a JCB pothole-filling demonstration, and train simulation workshops.
- Hybrid sessions streamed to remote attendees, supported by real-time audience polls and Q&A via the event app.
- Catering, refreshments, and networking drinks designed to encourage informal connection throughout the event.
Sponsorship and Exhibition
- Secured 29 commercial partners in just eight weeks, generating six-figure sponsorship revenue.
- Headline Sponsors: Stadler and Amey
- Official Partners: Network Rail, CitySwift, JCB, and ARUP
- 13 Official Exhibitors including Siemens, WSP, and Avanti, along with supporters such as Balfour Beatty, RIA, and AtkinsRealis.
- Designed and built bespoke exhibition stands and activation spaces.
- Introduced an Innovation Lab, showcasing technology partners including GCRE, Atmo Technology, and Lattice – spotlighting the future of transport innovation in Wales.
- Managed end-to-end sponsor rights, from branding and content integration to onsite coordination.
VIP Dinner
- Delivered an exclusive evening event for sponsors and senior delegates to continue the day’s conversations in a relaxed setting.
- Managed every element from venue liaison, menu curation, table plans, and bespoke invitations to stage setup, lighting, venue dressing, and dinner favours – creating a refined experience that strengthened relationships across the sector.
Brand and Design
- A cohesive sub-brand applied across the summit environment – from directional signage and exhibition zones to brochures, emails, and the event website.
- Custom registration portal with tiered ticketing, discount codes, Stripe payment integration, on-demand badging, and a staffed help desk for seamless attendee management.
Our Impact.
The inaugural Public Transport Summit exceeded expectations on every level:
- 400 delegates attended, surpassing projections.
- 29 sponsors and exhibitors engaged across panels, exhibition zones, and workshops.
- Six-figure sponsorship income secured within eight weeks.
- Positive stakeholder feedback, including formal thanks from James Price, CEO of Transport for Wales, who praised the summit’s impact and Orchard’s delivery.
The event established the Public Transport Summit as an annual platform for collaboration, innovation, and commercial growth – setting a new benchmark for industry-led events in Wales.
