by Joe Jeffrey
With so much to see and do at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show, CaravanTimes has pieced together a quick guide to help make sure you don’t miss a thing
The Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show 2015 has finally arrived and, over the next week, tens of thousands of people will descend upon the NEC in Birmingham to be a part of one of the shows of the year.
The show will be packed to the rafters with all the latest caravans, motorhomes, camping equipment, accessories and so much more, including loads of celebrities, guest speakers and oodles of entertainment for the whole family. But where do you start first? Well, never fear, CaravanTimes is here to help you decide.
Check out our guide below to make sure you don’t miss out on everything the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show has to offer.
Caravans and Motorhomes
With over 350 exhibitors on show, you won’t be hardpressed to find something to drool over by way of caravans and motorhomes. Whether it’s a two-berth motorhome to a six-berth caravan – or anything else in-between, the NEC will be housing some of the latest, most innovative caravans and motorhomes for your viewing pleasure. And with a number of great show-only deals on offer you might even find yourself reaching for the chequebook.
So whether you’re a caravan or motorhoming newbie, looking to upgrade, or simply just window-shopping, you couldn’t be coming to a better place.
Exhibitors at the show include Adria, who will be showing off their range of award-winning caravans, including the new style Altea for 2015.
Bailey will also be on hand with the new Bailey Unicorn, Bailey Pegasus GT65 and the latest addition to the Bailey motorhome family – the Approach Advance. Bailey have also organised a whole list of activities to keep you and the whole family entertained – from face painting to massages all round, so make sure you swing by there.
Coachman Caravans are offering a treat this year too; not only are their latest 2015 Pastiche, Laser, VIP and Vision caravans on display, but Coachman will also be offering you the chance to walk away with your very own Powrtouch motor mover with any new 2015 caravan purchased.
Elddis are readying their display too, with their latest range of caravans and motorhomes set to go on display, including the newly designed Affinity with Sky-Scape panoramic window, top-selling Avante, best-selling Autoquest and loads more, including Xplores, Compasses and Buccaneers, so make sure you check those out.
Meanwhile Swift will also be in attendance, with their latest 2015 ranges, including the Swift Challenger, Swift Elegance and their Sterling ranges ready to tempt you. And when it comes to motorhomes, Swift will have that covered too, with the Swift Bolero, Swift Kon-Tiki and a whole load more.
Attractions
We told you there was more to see than caravans and this is where you find out what else there is.
Firstly, The Caravan Club will be on hand to cast those motor manoeuvering doubts far aside. The Club will be offering free tuition at the show where you will be able to improve your manoeuvering skills and put what you know to the test alongside a fully qualified Caravan Club instructor. Just don’t forget to bring your driving licence!
Don’t miss your opportunity to learn how to hitch up and tow a caravan either. The Camping & Caravanning Club along with Volvo will be there to guide you every step of the way with specially trained tutors, allowing you to get the most out of your vehicle. So whether you’re new to towing, or simply want to put your skills to the test in front of the experts, this is the activity for you. So make sure you bring your driving licence and book your slot here now.
The Presentation Theatre is the place to be if you want to listen to the experts do their thing. Covering various subjects throughout the week, representatives from the leisure industry – as well as a few celebs thrown in for good measure – will be on hand to give interesting talks and answer any questions you might have.
It’s not all about humans though, and nothing says that more than the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show’s dog agility displays, featuring a number of amazingly trained dogs displaying their tricks and skills. This is definitely not to be missed.
Celebrities
Who needs Ray Mears when you’ve got a whole load of other celebrities on hand to see?
TV and radio presenter Matt Baker will be on The Caravan Club stand on opening day (17 February). The two-time BAFTA winner, who shares a love of the great outdoors will be on hand to welcome you and we’re sure he’ll have some interesting stories too!
Opening the show with Matt will be Ben Fogle, representing The Camping & Caravanning Club and helping them to launch an exciting new product. The traveller and adventurer will then take part in a Q&A session in the Experts’ Theatre, so make sure you head along to find out more about his intrepid travels.
Adventurer, TV presenter and New York Times bestselling author, Simon Reeve will be opening the Experts’ Theatre on opening day at 11:30am. Presenter of BBC TV series Indian Ocean, Simon has been around the world three times and visited over 100 countries, so should certainly have a story or two up his sleeve.
Olympic hero Sally Gunnell will be appearing at the show too, speaking in the Experts’ Theatre as well as showing off her dog Diggy’s skills in the dog agility arena. As the only woman ever to hold four major track titles concurrently whilst remaining true to her love of the great outdoors, make sure you pay Sally a visit as well.
Daredevil TV presenter Helen Skelton will also be in attendance in the Experts’ Theatre and with the amount of achievements on this sassy lady’s resumé, including kayaking down the Amazon, Antarctic hike and lots more, it would be silly to miss her speak.
Celebrities don’t stop there though and lots more will be on hand to make your day one you won’t forget. See below for a list of celebrity appearance dates:
Matt Baker – Tuesday 17th February
Ben Fogle – Tuesday 17th February
Sally Gunnell – Wednesday 18th February
Helen Skelton – Thursday 19th February
Ben Tish – Friday 20th February
Kate Lawler – Daily in the Experts’ Theatre at 4.15pm
Rising surf star, Melodie King – 17th to 22nd February
There you have it. But with still loads more to see and do, if the above still hasn’t convinced you to head along to the NEC from Tuesday 17 February, we’re not sure what will. Check out the show video below and let us know which day you’re going.
