The 2026 UMA Motorcoach EXPO in Birmingham, Alabama, will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and bus drivers who double as influencers to highlight the future of the motorcoach industry. A team of content creators, photographers, and international journalists will provide real-time coverage throughout the event.
Professional video, driver-led social storytelling, and international reporting will share the EXPO’s stories with audiences around the world. The team will document the education, innovation, competition, and community that define the motorcoach industry, connecting Birmingham to a global audience.
Shandra Martinez, editor-in-chief of Bus & Motorcoach News and EXPO Express, the official magazine of the UMA Motorcoach EXPO, said the combined media team will significantly expand the reach of EXPO coverage.
“Our coverage is designed to inform the hundreds who will attend the conference Feb. 11–14, as well as those who can’t be there,” Martinez said. “Between our daily Bus & Motorcoach NewsFlash, including a special EXPO edition, the Terrapin Blue video team, our international journalists, and this group of driver-influencers, we are creating a full view of the show — including exclusive behind-the-scenes moments that most attendees won’t experience.
“With so much happening at once, this team will help share real conversations with industry leaders, vendors, and attendees, and bring the EXPO experience to life far beyond the show floor.”
Reporting the event to the world
The Terrapin Blue video and photography team, led by Ryan and Jill Kelly, will return to provide professional coverage of the event.
Ryan Kelly said the team’s role is to document the full scope of EXPO. Their coverage will be on UMA and Bus and Motorcoach News’ social media channels and featured in the EXPO edition of the Bus and Motorcoach NewsFlash.
“With the trade show part, our job is to capture all the excitement that’s going on at the event — the education, the driver competition,” he said. “Our job is to document the show as it happens, in progress.”
Norwegian journalists Magne Håheim and Tom Terjesen will provide international coverage for Bussmagasinet and PublicTransport.Today.
Håheim can be followed at youtube.com/@bussmagasinet1 and tiktok.com/@bussmagasinet.
Terjesen, editor of Bussmagasinet and PublicTransport.Today, will publish coverage on bussmagasinet.no and publictransport.today.
From the driver’s seat
Rachel “Rai” Greenwell, who creates content under the name MotorcoachLife, will lead this year’s social media team.
“I am looking forward to covering the driver competition on Facebook on live stream and also highlighting our amazing sponsors with some fun and trendy videos,” Greenwell said.
Greenwell, a driver with Georgia Coach Lines, can be followed at tiktok.com/@motorcoachlife, facebook.com/raigreenwell, instagram.com/motorcoach_life, and youtube.com/@motorcoachlife.
Braden Lewis, a fourth-generation member of Lewis Coaches in New Orleans, said his coverage will focus on “Everything Bus!” He will post on his Facebook page and in the Motorcoach Operators Facebook group.
Brian Smith, a driver with Oleta Coach Lines in Williamsburg, Virginia, is one of two new faces on the influencer team this year.
“I want to show people why UMA is so important to our industry,” Smith said. His content can be found at facebook.com/brian.smith.the.creator.757 and on Instagram at showingpeoplethebus.
Jordan Layne Johansen, a driver with Spirit Coach in Madison, Alabama, will offer a hometown perspective. He can be followed on TikTok at @bamaboy_buses and on Facebook at Jordan Layne Johansen.
“As this will be my first attendance at UMA, I am looking forward to meeting with vendors, sponsors, and affiliates both near and far,” Johansen said.
Mark Reddock has worked in the transportation industry for nearly 27 years.
He began his career as a driver for the University of Michigan and later joined Getaway Tours in Milan, Michigan, where he now serves as general manager. He still enjoys getting behind the wheel when he has the chance and often documents his trips with photos and videos while on the road.
