London Fashion Week is a high stakes, high profile event. When it comes to ground transport, the operations are complex and expectations are unforgiving. There’s little room for error. When dozens or even hundreds of journeys must run like clockwork, providers need to respond with foresight, agility and seamless execution.
Twice a year, the event brings together an influential and diverse collection of A-list guests, designers, journalists and buyers, all of whom can be found darting between venues across the city. It’s a showcase of glamour and precision – at least on the runway. On the streets, the reality can be quite different. Traffic, road closures, and unexpected delays thwart carefully choreographed schedules. As a result, guests can arrive late and tensions rise.
To date, extreme precision, meticulous planning and a lot of people power have been required to pull complex events like this together. This is all set to change however, and this is where AI comes in. From AI-powered route optimisation tools that anticipate traffic and adjust journeys in real time, to demand forecasting that ensures availability during peak times, AI promises something the ground transport industry has rarely been able to count on: predictability.
Smarter operations, better service
Consider the operational side of London Fashion Week. Hundreds of bookings are made, often at short notice. It used to take armies of staff to juggle incoming requests, process quotes, and handle inevitable last-minute changes. Each job required manual input, leaving little time for the kind of attentive service clients value the most.
However, AI is changing the game. Automated quoting systems can now process booking requests instantly, eliminating repetitive admin and reducing the risk of error. Instead of getting buried in paperwork, service teams can focus on where they add the most value: on reassuring anxious and stressed clients, managing unique VIP needs, and solving problems in the moment to deliver a high touch experience.
The result is a customer experience that feels both effortless and personalised. Automation takes care of the time-intensive, repetitive work while people deliver the human touch.
Data-driven predictability
Then there’s the issue of demand. Events like London Fashion Week create intense spikes at predictable – and sometimes less predictable – times. Airlines and hotels have long used forecasting to balance supply with demand. Ground transport is now catching up.
We’ve completed millions of jobs worldwide since our inception. And now, as part of a research collaboration with a leading UK university, our teams are using that historical dataset to train predictive models. By analysing past journeys alongside real-time conditions, AI can anticipate demand before it materialises. This kind of predictive intelligence is what sets ground transport providers apart.
The practical impact is significant:
- Vehicles are now available when and where they’re needed, even during peak congestion.
- Instant, accurate quotes can be created at the touch of a button, instead of long back-and-forth exchanges.
- Smoother and seamless logistics are delivered across multi-venue events where timing is critical.
In short, the unpredictability that once impacted ground transport starts to give way to certainty.
Keeping the human in the loop
Of course, no amount of automation can replace the white glove service expected at high-profile events. Clients still want the reassurance of knowing that there is a real person at the end of a line who is totally across the current situation.
The real opportunity lies in achieving the right balance. AI can handle admin-heavy tasks such as quoting, dispatching and invoicing, while humans can focus on building relationships, making judgment calls and paying attention to the finer details of customer care. This means that every element of the journey is predictable, with AI assisting in the right ways from planning to pick up.
The best outcomes are seen when technology and people work together. Providers that develop tools in collaboration with customers can ensure that AI enhances the experience rather than detracting from it.
A new standard for ground transport
Large-scale events already rely on ground transport providers to keep things moving. Until now, however, success has depended on manpower, local knowledge and a certain amount of luck.
AI introduces a new level of certainty. It’s not just about managing journeys effectively, but also about intelligently anticipating them and making continuous, real-time adjustments. For clients, this means less stress and more certainty. For operators, it means greater efficiency, freeing up teams to focus on high-value interactions and delivering on elements of the service that set them apart, whether that’s expert local knowledge, satisfying unique requests or ensuring discretion. For guests, this means an experience that lives up to the promise of seamless service.
AI enhances what humans are already doing well. By making ground transport smarter and more predictable, the glamour and success of events such as London Fashion Week isn’t undermined by what happens on the surrounding roads.
