Digital Strategist. Teacher. Masters student. Entrepreneur. These are just a few of the many roles that Matthew Thomas is taking here in London. Recently, Matthew launched Bend Bus – a company that takes Londoners to Grand Bend and back for an affordable price throughout the summer.
More than a transportation solution, Bend Bus also embraces local history, environmental consciousness, and offers a unique social opportunity. Let’s find out more – the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) recently spoke with Matthew to discover how this new idea is making waves throughout the city.
What is Bend Bus?
Bend Bus is the best way to get from London to Grand Bend in the summer, and it’s actually looking to expand this summer.
The idea came from my experience moving to London and in the past I had always been lived by the water and been involved in water recreation. When I moved here there was a beautiful waterfront in London but I was looking for something more. Until I actually went to Grand Bend in the summer, I didn’t realize this place existed. It’s so fun and there’s so much to do – the water is incredible and I felt like I was at a beach that could be anywhere in the world. It’s just so well done, and I thought to myself ‘This place is only 45 minutes away from London’.
It’s a 45 minute drive but parking was such an issue because there are about 5,000 cars trying to get into Grand Bend every weekend, so I’d often spend 20 minutes trying to find parking and when I did it cost $25. I felt like someone needed to make this as easy as possible to get to.
So since 2012 I’ve been tweeting that someone needs to make a bus to grand bend. It was always so popular and so many people would comment and say: ‘It’s a great idea! I waited in line for parking for 30 minutes. I just want to be able to have a drink and not have to worry too much.’
After the last six or seven years of tweeting, this last March (2018) I decided to be the one that would do it, that would make this bus happen. I started working with some bus companies, created a brand called the Bend Bus, and started this side hustle that I’ve been thinking about for a long time.
Tell us more about you – the brains behind the bus.})
I’m currently the Digital Strategist at Fanshawe College so I do Digital Marketing there and I also teach in the Public Relations program. In addition, I’m doing my Masters at OCAD University in Design and Strategic Foresight and Innovation, looking at how long-term we can make our resources like the Great Lakes sustainable.
Previously I worked at Museum London for 9 years and handled Marketing there. All of these roles and experiences work really well together.
How can people access this service?
You can go to www.bendbus.ca and you can see dates, ticket prices, and pick-up locations.
We run the busses out to Grand Bend typically every weekend on Saturday and Sunday between June until the end of August, but it’s weather dependent. We always communicate what the weather’s like in Grand Bend over social media and to those that are registered to attend so they can be aware.
The busses can fit a maximum of 50 people – with each seat fitting 2 adults or three children.
Who have you found has accessed this service so far?
I really started off marketing Bend Bus to students, but really 1/3 of my audience who wanted to access the service seemed to be lower-income families, which was great because they often didn’t have access to cars and as a result, hadn’t been to the beach in years.
Additionally, I’ve found that after putting the service out there, the 55+ demographic loved it, who enjoyed having everything taken care of. So really I’ve found people using this service are from all sorts of backgrounds and demographics, regardless of who you expect your target market to be. It’s really nice to know I can keep the ticket level affordable for such a wide range of people where entire families can go out and enjoy the beach.
Another thing that surprised me is that when I was in Grand Bend (I went on every trip last summer) I’d end up hanging out with people at the beach all the time, talking to everyone around me. It seemed like nearly 75% of people who were there were from Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, and when I’d ask them how they got to Grand Bend they’d say they drove over an hour and parking was a big issue. So I did one pilot project last summer which worked really well to help bring this new group to Grand Bend.
Are you collaborating with anyone on this initiative?})
For piloting the KW audience, I worked one of our regional tourism organizations. I also of course have worked with many local bus companies to provide transportation to and from the beach. This year I’ve secured one bus company to keep streamline the logstics side of things.
To get this idea off the ground, I worked with Leap Junction at Fanshawe College to seek some advice. Otherwise I’ve really figuring it out on my own. This year I’ll be hiring a couple of people as beach bus attendants as I went every weekend last year so that will not only give other people valuable experience, but will allow me to focus on the marketing and operations side more. Since this is a 45 minute trip, the attendants will aim to make the destination as good as the trip itself. We’re on-board and we’re wearing these silly lifeguard shirts that say Bend Bus and we’re in flip flops; we have giveaways on the bus, point out areas of historical interest, and we play music so it’s quite a fun atmosphere.
What kind of impact has this idea had on the community?
There’s definitely an affordability and environmental consciousness aspect to this initiative. People and families that may not be able to afford vehicles can access the bus at a fraction of the cost it would be to drive and park at the beach. On the environmental side, not only does this type of carpooling save on emissions going into the environment, but when people got to enjoy the water and talk about it on the way home, you got the sense that people really cared more about keeping the Great Lakes clean. There’s this incredible resource so close to us which is unique to our region, and the more people experience it the more they care about it.
What are your plans for Bend Bus?
We will be expanding the KW service this year, in addition to trying out a Port Stanley bus as it’s another nearby gem.
I also mentioned three distinct audiences earlier – I’m thinking about servicing them on their own, so at times offering family trips to the beach during the day, and a later trip for those that want to have a drink and enjoy the nightlife these places have to offer.
Overall, I want Bend Bus to be part of a larger movement, where people from London and KW are embracing the fact that we really are close to the Great Lakes. It may not seem like it in your day-to-day but these beaches really can be part of our cities marketing and value proposition because they are so close.
I have a friend that lives in Australia who goes to the beach every day – and it takes him 45 minutes to get there. Sydney, Australia is known for its beaches, yet London isn’t – it’s just a mindset. The more we can make it quick, affordable, and reliable to get to them, the easier I think it will be for us to embrace this.
Any advice you would like to share with entrepreneurs who may be reading?
I’ve had a few learning experiences, one being cancellation policies. One of the logistics I have to manage is that people will often purchase tickets just a few days before because weather is such a big factor. When it rains people ask for a refund, but the issue is when I work with multiple companies, they have cancellation policies – so I’ve had to make some adjustments around that.
What’s been encouraging is that I haven’t met anybody that is my competition – everybody wants this to succeed. Sometimes I feel in other places people are afraid to talk about their ideas because it may get stolen or not supported. It’s not like that here in London – there’s also a strong do-it-yourself attitude so if you don’t like something, if it’s not the city of your dreams, then you can change it or start initiatives that help work towards this change.
What’s been challenging is the resources, like funding. This always seems to be a big challenge for start-ups in the region, but overall London is a really good city to do business in.
Get in touch
If you’re interested in learning more about Bend Bus or have any questions about this service, please contact Matthew Thomas at bendbus.ca.
