The Effective Partneing Award was designed to be won by a partnership that has achieved a real measured difference in terms of increasing awareness of coach travel and increased coach patronage.

Coaches serve communities, and we have seen in the bus industry how Quality Bus Partnerships bring together operators, local authorities and other stakeholders, such as employers or their associations, schools and other academic institutions, health centres and hospitals, with a common goal of delivering better bus services.

In coach travel, partnerships can be equally effective – in improving facilities for coaches and their passengers, for example, or in marketing and promotional co-operation between operators and one or more attractions and/or service providers.

The Winners

• City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for their Coach Connections services to selected concerts at Symphony Hall, Birmingham

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with local coach operators run coach trips from a variety of locations to selected concerts at Symphony Hall, Birmingham for £7 return.  The services are provided from Bewdley and Kidderminster, Cheltenham, Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Wolverhampton.

The judges felt that the Coach Connections Service is an extremely valuable way of working with coach companies to improve access to arts events in Birmingham, particularly at a time when personal security concerns, global warming worries or traffic growth might otherwise deter people from attending CBSO concerts at Symphony Hall by driving into the city.  It is a very 'hassle free' way of getting to the Hall.

Runners Up

• Arriva the Shres for Green Line route 757 (Luton Airport to London Victoria).

The Green Line 757 Partnership is a series of individual commercial greements reached by Arriva the Shires in order to maximise the arketing coverage, patronage and, in turn, frequency and quality of Green Line 757 between London Luton Airport and London, Victoria. The company works with Luton Airport, Terravision, National Express and EasyBUs to deliver the services. The partnership has contributed to the growth of Green line 757 from an ourly daytime and evening operation to a 24 hour service with 3/4 daytime ourneys per hour and a minimum of 2 per hour overnight. The service incorporates a commuter function and journeys via Luton town centre. Fully accessible coaches were first introduced in 2006, and a new fleet of 16 Van Hool T917 63 seat integral coaches entered service on the route from December 2008.

Highly commended

• Virgin Trains and Stagecoach Group for their joint marketing of rail-connected coach services
• FirstGroup plc, for First Rail Support

Who could be nominated?

A partnership of two or more organisations (including, but not limited to, local authorities, tourist attractions, service providers and one or more coach operators).

… and by whom?

Any member of a partnership, or any reader of either Group Travel Organiser and Coach & Bus Week magazine. Self-nomination was acceptable