Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Europe’s largest automotive aftermarket trade fair, Automechanika, believes that the key to its continued growth lies in the ongoing internationalisation of its activities.
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Speaking at a press conference in London last week, Automechanika’s Director, Thomas Aukamm, said that while the Frankfurt Automechanika event remains a flagship event, international participation at that event is increasingly important and Automechanika fairs are also being rolled out in many other international locations.
Messe Frankfurt launched its first Automechanika fairs outside Germany ten years ago and today holds thirteen events in twelve countries. Three new events made their debut last year alone: Automechanika Moscow, Automechanika Canada and Automechanika Roma.
An Automechanika fair is also being added in South Africa in 2009.
And the organisers believe that the proliferation of Automechanika trade fairs outside of Germany is also encouraging more non-German participation in Frankfurt as business relationships forged through the trade fairs broaden and deepen.
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By GlobalDataThe list of locations for Automechanika fairs is certainly impressive and reads like a checklist of the major automotive growth markets around the world – bar one obvious omission, India.
That absence may be more about politics than anything else.
“Auto-Expo [a huge New Delhi trade show that embraces cars, CVs, motorcycles and parts] rules in India and certain developments need to happen there for us to create an Automechanika for India,” Aukamm told just-auto.
“But it is certainly one of the most attractive markets and I believe there is a big aftermarket opportunity in India – it is developing very rapidly and we are well aware of that,” he said.
However, Automechanika’s Frankfurt fair later this year is the immediate priority on Automechanika’s planning horizon.
Held every two years, Automechanika Frankfurt offers trade visitors a spectrum of products for the automobile parts, workshop & filling-station equipment, carwash, accessories and tuning segments. Around 40% of visitors and 80% of exhibitors at the last event came from outside Germany. At the 20th Automechanika from 16 to 21 September 2008, Messe Frankfurt expects to welcome over 4,600 exhibitors and 160,000 visitors.
The main theme of this year’s fair is global warming and its impact on the automotive aftermarket. A study is being undertaken by leading industry expert Professor Dudenhöffer to assess how the aftermarket sector will be impacted to 2020. What is the significance of the latest innovations in the fields of emissions protection and CO2 reduction for the parts market? What recommendations does the sector have for workshops, filling stations and their service offers?
“Will there be more hybrids, mild hybrids, natural gas…these things have big implications for garage owners deciding whether to invest in different types of servicing equipment,” Mr Aukamm said.
This year’s Automechanika fair in Frankfurt will also see the debut of the brand new Hall 11 in the Messe Frankfurt showground, something that is expected to improve access to the show also.
The Automechanika organisers are also running a campaign against product piracy: ‘Messe Frankfurt against Copying’.
An official statement sets out the practicalities:
‘Messe Frankfurt advises and supports exhibitors in the fight against product piracy. For exhibitors, it is extremely important that they take steps before the fair, to prevent unpleasant surprises during the event. On the one hand, they should register their products or trademarks with the design office and, on the other hand, apply to the customs authorities for [suspicious] goods to be confiscated at the border (‘Antrag auf Grenzbeschlagnahme’). The authorities can then stop suspicious consignments, investigate them, take samples and destroy copies. Further information and tips can be found in a brochure published by Messe Frankfurt entitled ‘Protection against brand and product piracy’, which is distributed to all exhibitors and can also be downloaded from the internet at http://www.messefrankfurt.com/corporate/en/unternehmen_publikationen.html. Messe Frankfurt has arranged for an emergency intellectual-property service during the Automechanika.’
If anyone is suspicious about an exhibitor’s products at the show, they can alert the German Customs authorities who will then pay the stand in question a visit. Mr Aukamm is anxious for this sort of policing not to be misinterpreted.
“There is a need to maintain quality,” Mr Aukamm said. “And we will take steps to ensure that quality is maintained, for the benefit of everyone. This show is not about protectionism or keeping anyone out – we want openness and to continue to encourage expansion in all the new countries in this industry. But it is also essential that we keep the quality throughout and we want product piracy kept out of Automechanika.”
Dave Leggett
