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Automechanika 2008 – Frankfurt, 16-21 September
Innovative aftermarket concepts, which will make car travel in the future cleaner, more efficient and safer, will be at the centre of concern at the 20th edition of Automechanika from 16 to 21 September 2008. The special exhibition for the Automechanika Innovation Award in the Foyer of Hall 4.1 and the new visitors‚ guide, the “Green Directory”, will ensure that trade visitors do not miss any of the new technical and environmental developments, achievements and service concepts at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre.
A flyer on the “Green Directory” will be available to download from the beginning of September, or can be obtained from the information stands at the trade fair.
On 11 September 2008, within the framework of the business press conference, the first Automechanika study will be published. It has been conducted by Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Director of CAR, from the University of Applied Sciences, Gelsenkirchen. It forecasts possible effects of climate discussions on the automotive aftermarket up until the year 2020.
Decision makers in the automotive business can expect important advice on innovations that are now in the pipeline.
The number of entries for the Automechanika Innovation Award 2008 is higher than it has ever been. The awards will be handed down as part of the opening ceremony on 16 September 2008 at 10.00 a.m. in the Saal Europa in Hall 4.0. The accompanying special exhibition can be seen on all days of the trade fair in the Foyer in Hall 4.1.
Details of the innovations submitted can be found in advance of the trade fair at Automechanika website.
This year‚s Aftermarket Forum will take place from 17 to 19 September 2008 in the Genius/Logos room, Hall 9.1. Panel discussions and question and answer sessions will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Stefan Reindl, from the Geislingen Institut für Automobilwirtschaft e.V., Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Director of CAR, Centre of Automotive Research, University of Applied Sciences Gelsenkirchen and Heinrich Frost, of Frostmarketing, Lüneburg.
Topics include:
The programme for the Aftermarket Forum can also be found on the Internet.
Trade fair visitors, who have concluded their tour of the new southwest outdoor exhibition area to gather information on the many innovations in the car-wash business, should not miss the seminar programme that goes with it, organised by „Tankstelle‰ magazine and the Federal Association of Filling Station and Vehicle Washing Plants in Germany (Bundesverband Tankstellen und gewerbliche Autowäsche e.V). Speakers include Wolfgang Dietsch from Washtec, Marc Laude from BMW, Peter Bauer from Daimler AG, Benjamin Gozdowski from Dr. Stöcker and author Ilona Bergmann.
Topics include:
You will find the detailed programme at this Automechanika web address.
The German Association for Motor Trades and Repairs (ZDK -Deutsche Kraftfahrzeuggewerbe, Zentralverband e.V.) is presenting a special exhibition in Galleria 1, Stand A 05 with the title: „The Future. Technology. Service Expertise.‰ Visitors will find information about innovations in current and future automotive technology and the consequences that are to be drawn, specifically the effect they will have on the servicing skills of workshop staff. The special exhibition is divided according to topics: the future, bodywork, diagnosis, exhaust technology, running gear, alternative fuels and propulsion technology, and further professional training. Highlights in the programme are: the „Night of the European Associations‰, the presentation of a classic vehicle with a propulsion system of the future, and the „Girls and Cars‰ campaign day. You will find the detailed programme at this Automechanika web address.
The Central German Association for Bodywork and Vehicle Engineering (Zentralverband Karosserie und Fahrzeugtechnik e.V.) invites visitors to its special exhibition in Hall 9.2 (Stands C61 and C32). Key themes include building special vehicles and the professional restoration of classic cars. But the latest developments in spraying damaged vehicles and damage management are also on display. The latest technology in workshop equipment will be on show on Stand C61 - e.g. spot and smart repair, and other repair and measuring techniques. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to estimate the damage to an accident vehicle: there is a trip to an Automechanika of one‚s choice to be won.
Young mechanics will be able to draw inspiration from the “living workshop” , where work-benches will be in use (9.2, Stand C32). The display of work from the master-craftsmen‚s school for paint-work and spraying also shows what creative potential there is in the sector. The Central German Association for Bodywork and Vehicle Engineering (Zentralverband Karosserie- und Fahrzeugtechnik e.V ), the South-Westphalian Chamber of Craftsmen and women, Arnsberg, the Vocational School for Colour and Design (Gewerbliche Schule für Farbe und Gestaltung,) Stuttgart, and the school for master-craftsmen and women in Kaiserslautern are all represented with exhibits.
The Association of the German Car Parts Trade (GVA -Gesamtverband Autoteile-Handel e.V.) will be giving visitors to Automechanika all the details about the international campaign „Right to Repair‰ (Walkway, Hall 5.1. to 6.1.). Behind this campaign is the demand that car-owners should continue to have the right in future to a free choice of repair shop. The planned extension beyond 2010 of the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation is not yet certain, warns the Europe-wide „Right to Repair‰ campaign. The campaign is supported by the following associations: AIRC ( International Association of Vehicle Body Repairers), CECRA (European Council for Motor Trades and Repairs), EGEA (European Garage Equipment Association), FIA (International Automobile Federation) und FIGIEFA (International Federation of Automotive Aftermarket Distributors).
The free “Automotive Aftermarket” employs some 3.5 million people in Europe in the production and sales of vehicle spares and in the vehicle maintenance and repair. Some 660,000 firms, and indeed most of them small and medium sized businesses, offer spares and servicing at competitive prices and guarantee the consumer‚s freedom of choice. The alliance of international associations is taking action at European level to ensure that this remains the situation. “Competition in the spares market must not be allowed to be undermined by a manufacturers‚ sales monopoly; details of repair techniques, diagnostic data and software for the control units must not be an instrument of protectionist practices on the part of the manufacturers. Otherwise car-owners will become captive consumers and a whole swathe of medium-sized businesses will be wiped out”, says Hartmut Röhl, President of the GVA and a member of the steering committee of the Right-to-Repair campaign (NB: multilingual website).
The Hy Tech Challenge is a competition for which teams from individual firms, schools, universities and training establishments are developing hydrogen-fuelled, remote controlled model vehicles. The deciding run-off will be held at Automechanika on 20 September, when the teams will go head-to-head: the cars must complete a circuit with a carefully measured amount of fuel. At the same time, the skill of the driver/controller is also crucially important. The real challenge for the participants, in the end, is the combination of efficient fuel consumption and speed. The patron of the event is Dr. Annette Schavan, Federal Minister for Education and Research.
Hydrogen-based technologies are also the subject of an international lecture on 17 September in the Congress Centre. A representative from Aragon (Spain) will speak on the findings of research conducted as part of the work of a trust foundation. This region in the North East of Spain has been involved in the development of hydrogen technologies since 2003. It is one of five European regions participating in a programme of the European Union for the manufacture, storage and marketing of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. The presentation will be given by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Mr. Artuo Aliaga. Messe Frankfurt, CMF, Spektrum 1+2, 10 ˆ 12 a.m.
Providing that there are sufficient sponsors, “yourmove”, a joint venture on the part of the automotive sector, will mount an exhibition at the next Automechanika over an area of approx. 1,000 square metres: the themes will cover classic cars, youth, training, tradition and craftsmanship. Plans include activities such as building soap-box cars and Landrovers, or the live restoration of an old vehicle. Discussion groups and forums are also under consideration.
July 2008
Automechanika Moscow 2008 – End of show report
The Transport and Communication Department of the Moscow Government presented awards to prizewinners in the category “Best service station in Moscow” within the framework of the trade fair conference • The conference, held within the framework of the fair, received high accolades from industry professionals
The International Trade Fair for Automotive Parts, Equipment and Service Suppliers opened its doors on 4 March, 2008. Over 5,000 trade visitors attended the fair. 139 exhibitors from Belgium, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and the USA exhibited their products in three halls in Pavilion 8 at Expo Centre on Krasnaya Presnya. Germany and China presented national pavilions at the fair.
“The automotive parts and equipment industry and the car maintenance sector grow in size and importance every year. This situation is reflected in the high quality to be found at Automechanika Moscow. Three halls, a large number of visitors and wide representation from companies from all over the world set the pace for the whole of the coming year. We are keen to pre-serve the B2B character of the fair and work carefully on acquiring trade visitors. Our exhibitors get a real opportunity to develop and strengthen their business in the Russian market", said Eugen Alles, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt, Russia.
Aleksander Shtalenkov, General Manager of ITE pointed out, "The Automechanika trade fair is held in 11 countries and is the biggest trade event in the world for automotive equipment, automotive parts and maintenance. This is only the second time that Automechanika has been held in the Russian capital. However, in just that short period of time, the fair has become one of the lea-ding platforms for presenting the latest technologies in the automo-tive industry, where professionals can discuss new concepts and share their experience".
The conference, organised as part of the trade fair, also aroused interest. A representative from the Transport and Communication Department of the Moscow Government gave a talk on the deve-lopment of the automotive service infrastructure in Moscow.
Alexander Krasny, President of the Moscow Association of Ser-vice, Repair and Maintenance Enterprises (MAPTO), spoke about the problems of the automotive service structure in Moscow and ways of solving these problems.
The issue of a quality-management system in the automotive aftermarket sector was explored by Vladislav Kokorin, Director General, CS-B.
Nadezhda Golovkova, Chairperson of the Moscow Association for the Protection of Consumer Rights, gave a presentation about the importance of choosing quality services for customers.
Sergey Zubrisky, Professor at MAMI University, reported on the potential for development in the checks on the mechanical condi-tion of vehicles during the statutory technical inspection using the technical equipment available in garages.
Evgeny Brezhnev, President of the Moscow Association of Service and Maintenance for Self-Propelled Vehicles (MAST), reported on the use of existing capabilities in automotive service enterprises for the statutory technical inspection.
Within the framework of the conference, representatives from the Transport and Communication Department presented awards to prizewinners in the category of “Best Service Station”. Representatives of more than 130 nominees attended the trade fair and the conference.
Green Light, Olga Zinov`eva, Manager, Russia
For us it has been a very interesting and busy fair; we have done a lot of business. The fair is well organised. We have made a lot of useful contacts. In short, the fair has been very successful for us. We should like to mention the large number of the right sort and quality of visitors, who represent useful contacts. We will definitely participate next year. I think that from now on we will participate only in Automechanika Moscow. The fair is not over yet, but we are already seeing results and they are good enough for us to make the decision to take part again in 2009.
Forma, Soldatova Maria, Russia
Our first impressions have been very positive. For us, this is the best of all the Russian trade fairs that we participate in. All the negotiations that we have conducted at our stand have represented really serious business transactions.
AHCO Tools, Oleg Tikhomirov, Manager, Russia
A trade fair is all about image. Consequently, it is very important for us to present our activities on a platform that has a very good image. Among our visitors there have been a lot of people from the regions as well as from Moscow. We have made new and inter-esting contacts. In 2009 we will definitely exhibit our products at Automechanika Moscow. We are also planning to go to Auto+Automechanika in Saint Petersburg.
Dichtungspartner Hamburg GmbH, Germany, Mr. Aleksej Kozak, Area Sales Manager
We are entirely satisfied with the fair. The organisation has been very good. The Messe Frankfurt staff answered all our queries very quickly. All our expectations have been met. We had certain marketing aims which have been fulfilled. In addition to this, we have had the opportunity to talk to our existing customers.
MANN+HUMMEL, A. N. Rusakov, Technical Expert
This year the fair has had a very advantageous position in the city centre. Among the visitors there have been private business peo-ple as well as big potential customers and Russian factories that desperately need information about technical innovations. We also take part in the trade fairs in Frankfurt and Saint Petersburg.
Nerta, exclusive agents for the Belgian brand Entaco in Russia
We are satisfied with the fair. We invited our customers from country regions. We have also acquired some potential new contacts. The organisation has been of a very high standard. We plan to participate next year.
Bosch, Nikolay Rodin, maintenance & service expert
The organisation and the location of the fair are very good. This is the second time that we have visited Automechanika Moscow and we are very satisfied. The fair always lives up to our expectations. We are considering participating in the fair in 2009.
Central Scientific and Research Institute for Automobiles and Automotive Engines (NAMI), Vladimir Stepanov
Automechanika Moscow is a source of valuable information about the current situation in the market and about new products. We use this information in our research into and analysis of the auto-mobile manufacturing industry. We plan to visit the fair every year.
The next edition of Automechanika Moscow will be held from 3 to 5 March 2009 in the Moscow Expocentre on Krasnaya Presnya, Pavilion 8, Halls 1, 2, 3.
Automechanika Roma 2008 - End of show report
15,000 trade visitors at Automechanika Roma • Donald Wich: "A success in excess of all expectations" • 250 Italian and international companies took the automotive business into the heart of the Mediterranean region from 31 January to 3 February
For the 250 companies taking part in the première of Automechanika Roma, the fair was a great success in both image and business terms. Almost 15,000 visitors passed through the turnstiles during the four days of the fair; the quality of the contacts made and the trans actions concluded at the exhibition stands were high. For the companies taking part, this not only meant that they were able to make the desired contacts to the market in Central and South Italy, as well as the Mediterranean region, but also that they saw tangible results and an immediate return on their investment. Thus, Messe Frankfurt's concept of holding the first Automechanika in Europe outside Frankfurt has been a complete success: the bulk of visitors came from the Lazio region, as well as Calabria, Campania and Sicily, i.e., areas with a high degree of motorisation but a stock of vehicles older than that in the north of the country. Hence, the great interest in vehicle maintenance: visitors who live further away from the inter national trade events of the automotive sector were able to find answers to their questions and gather up-to-the-minute information about the spare-parts production and servicing equipment. Many visitors from the Mediterranean region were also keen to attend the first edition of an international trade fair such as the Automechanika.
For Donald Wich, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt Italia, the organisers of Automechanika Roma, the results exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts: "We believed in the potential of Rome and our expectations have been more than fulfilled. Of particular importance is that many exhibitors, especially from the spare-parts industry, believed even more than us in this great challenge, namely, to push the automotive business into the heart of the Mediterranean region." Automechanika Roma was not only a business event but also an information forum for the whole automobile-service world. Trade associations held numerous conferences on the most in teresting subjects of relevance to the sector. They included the meeting of the European Chapter of the Association Internationale des Réparateurs en Carrosserie (AIRC) with participants from twelve countries and the presentation by two leading bodywork repair associations, Eurogarant and InRetecar. The Automechanika Academy provided the setting for announcement of the code of ethics of the testing centres of the National Association for the Trade and Small Businesses (CNA), as well as for the presentation of the € 1000 Automechanika Award for the construction of a prototype of an ultra-lightweight racing care to trainees of the CNOS FAP di Don Bosco vocational training association. The echo in both the daily and trade press was excellent while 90-plus journalists from the various media made copious notes on all the new products and events at the fair.
Stephan Schott, managing director of KS Tools, Werkzeuge-Maschinen GmbH:
"The first Automechanika Roma was a big success for us. We took a large step closer to our aim of building up our own sales organisation in Italy. What we wanted here was to talk to tool and hardware distributors. Up until now we have only worked with two import companies. In the future we wish to avoid this intermediate stage. Knowing how to talk to the trade visitors in Rome, our Italian colleague was worth his weight in gold. We also struck lucky with our stand design even though its simplicity differs greatly from and cannot be compared in any way to our exhibition stands in Germany. The next step is the Automechanika Frankfurt.“
Reinhard Krausgrill, general manager of ClimAir Plava Kunststoffe:
"We are a medium-sized company with 70 employees and a turnover of €10 million. The Automechanika trade fairs abroad haven proven their value as a means for us to achieve third country sales and to increase our presence in other countries. Here in Rome for instance the cost of exhibiting remains within reasonable cost parameters and to this extent we do not consider it a risk. I always see the first time you exhibit at a trade fair as a trial balloon whose value has to be proven in the events that follow. The trade visitors came above all from the South of Italy, but we also had someone from Hungary. I have also seen our Italian competitors at the trade fair; they were curious to find out what the event was all about. Who knows perhaps they will also take part next year. We manufacture wind deflectors for side windows as well as sun protection and are looking both for distributors as well as contacts in the automotive industry itself. Over the last years we have already built a close relationship with Fiat."
Johannes Miunske, managing director of Fahrzeugtechnik Miunske GmbH:
"As an OEM suppliers we came to the Automechanika in Rome with two products: an intelligent flasher unit which combines conventional lights with new innovative LED technology and new power sockets for fuses and relays which enable particularly high power ratings on printed circuit boards. Our aim was to talk to the many manufacturers of construction machinery you find in Italy. So in the run up to the fair we sent an invitation out to around 70 companies. We had a lot of discussions during the trade fair but unfortunately our proper target group 'the manufacturers of construction machinery and commercial vehicles’ were not represented. We were also very surprised that our competitors were not amongst the exhibitors.
Apart from the Automechanika in Frankfurt we exhibit at four trade fairs each year, including the EIMA in Bologna, AUTOTEC in Brünn, BAUMA in Munich and the IAA commercial vehicles in Hanover. In our opinion the Automechanika Rome should definitely be developed as a platform for the manufacturers of construction and commercial vehicles so as to also maintain the future interest of international suppliers."
Alexander Zenz, managing director of Pewag Italia s.r.l.:
"We have been exhibiting at the Automechanika Frankfurt for ten years. I am very satisfied with the way the exhibition went for us at the first Automechanika Roma; our snow chains got a good response. The halls were full especially in the mornings. Many distributors of replacement parts, accessory specialists and garage representatives were there; unfortunately the tyre distributors were missing. I think the Automechanika Rome has the potential to grow ever bigger over the next few years."
Falk Schermaul, drive shaft sales, Welte-Wenu GmbH:
The 'Welte' group supplies drive shafts and replacement parts for drive shafts. In addition we own the EDS brand (European Driveshaft Services). Our EDS brand has been around since 2002 and we already have 53 licensees all over the world. The Automechanika trade fairs are our opportunity to look for EDS partners globally. When we have found one, we use this contact to gradually develop the markets in the countries or regions. In the North of Italy we are soon to open a partner office, yet one location in Italy is not enough. This was why we decided to exhibit at the Automechanika Rome. We are looking for drive shaft garages that are able to implement our EDS philosophy of rapid customer assistance. We put the emphasis on quality and good technical equipment. During the trade fair in Rome we were also pleased to make contact with interested parties from North Africa. We are targeting these states over the next few months. In two years we might be thinking about taking part in the Automechanika in Buenos Aires / Argentina."
Peter Segrodnik, export manager Eder GmbH:
"For us the Automechanika Rome had two sides. We hardly had any contacts on the Thursday and Friday, whereas we had a lot of visitors to our stand on Saturday and Sunday especially from Rome and the South of Italy. We will have to evaluate the quality of the contacts over the next weeks and months. At the next Automechanika Rome thought should be given as to how to attract more trade visitors on the weekdays. The organisation of the trade fair was as we are used to from Messe Frankfurt – everything went smoothly. The number of shuttle buses should really be increased and they were not scheduled to coincide with the train times. We would willingly exhibit again at the Automechanika in Rome, provided that our business develops in the South of Italy. We hope that it will then have more exhibitors and even more visitors on all the days."
April 2008
Automechanika Shanghai - End of show report -
5 – 7 December 2007, Shanghai New International Expo Centre • The third Automechanika Shanghai an unequivocal success, with nearly 22,000 visitors from 103 countries • Around 25% of all visitors come from overseas; exhibitors rate the event as highly professional and international • Special events such as the Automechanika Academy and Match-Making Forum create strong promotional and learning opportunities for show participants
The third Automechanika Shanghai —without doubt the largest Automechanika ever held outside Germany— was attended by nearly 22,000 trade visitors from 103 countries and regions, testifying to its growing importance and reputation within the automotive industry. The fair, which focused on parts, products & equipment for the auto-motive OE and aftermarket, housed 1,250 exhibitors in six halls, crea-ting a huge product showcase and pivotal meeting point for industry professionals. The atmosphere at the fair was lively and the halls were busy throughout the three days. A number of special events taking place during the fair kept exhibitors and visitors busy and well-informed.
A total of 21,882 trade professionals from 103 countries visited Automechanika Shanghai 2007. Of these, an impressive 5,287 people came from overseas – roughly one quarter of all visitors.
The top ten visiting countries (in order, greatest first) were Korea, Taiwan, Iran, Russia, India, Japan, Turkey, USA, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In terms of exhibitors, 1,250 companies from 23 countries & regions participated in the show, including some of the world’s best-known companies and market leaders. Pavilions from Germany, Italy, Taiwan & Korea were all present. Many of the exhibitors commented on the increased size and stature of the fair, but more importantly, on the improved hall layout, style and booth design, which gave the entire event a much more professional and ‘international’ feeling.
“For us, Automechanika Shanghai is a must-attend show,” said Mr. Wang Xi Lin of Launch Tech, a Chinese company providing a full range of equipment and service solutions for workshops. “We have exhibited at this fair every year, and have witnessed its rapid growth. To be honest, we are not surprised by its expanding speed consi-dering how fast-growing the industry is and how influential the Automechanika brand is. Competition is fierce in the Chinese domes-tic aftermarket industry, and the urge to grow our international busi-ness is another driver for us to attend Automechanika Shanghai. In my opinion, this fair has the highest international status among all the Chinese trade fairs for automotive and aftermarket.”
Exhibitors listed many and varied reasons for being present at the show. Chinese companies were looking to increase domestic sales, and exposure to international buyers. Foreign companies were look-ing for information on how the Chinese market works, what products are available, and for suitable partners to kick-start or expand their business in China. The high number of both domestic and internatio-nal visitors on-site meant that most exhibitors were happy with their results – whatever their objective.
Mr. Glenn Secco of Australia-based Neltronics – provider of technolo-gy for vehicles including GPS navigation, driver-warning systems and security – based his decision to come upon a successful participation in 2006. “last year, our first time at Automechanika Shanghai, we reached a wide spectrum of people from all over the world, telling us this is an international show, not a Chinese show. We are targeting wholesalers, and we’ve seen a couple of strong leads at this fair who have come back two or three times to talk with us – it’s extremely promising.”
Ms Claudia Allegrini of Webasto Germany – who make climate con-trol products (heating & cooling) and sunroofs for vehicles – joined as an exhibitor for the first time in 2007, after being impressed with the show as a visitor in 2006. “last year we realised what great potential there is here, so that’s why we joined as an exhibitor this year, mainly to increase awareness of our new heating products. It’s been much busier than we expected, and not just with visitors from China. I have been surprised to see people from Korea, Russia, Syria, India and Australia here too. The show is unquestionably more professional and international than last year.”
“We have established contacts already in China, but this is our first experience of a China show,” said Mr. Francisco Javier Goni of Icer Brakes, a Spanish manufacturer of brake pedals for all kinds of vehi-cles. “We simply came because Automechanika has a good reputa-tion and we thought we should be here. Being here is not just about sales for us, we want to know more about this market, see what other companies are doing, see which other Europeans are here. It’s been a good experience.”
Mr. Nam-Seok Kim, CEO of Korean company Sewon Powder Metallurgy Tech said: “We specialise in manufacturing powder metal-lurgy products for the automotive industry. Automechanika Shanghai is truly an international show. This fair generates a tremendous amount of customer enquiries for us. Visitors are either overseas buy-ers or local representatives of global companies. We’ve met some tier one and two auto suppliers from Iran, USA and Sweden, who were impressed with our high technology manufacturing capability. These are exactly the kind of qualified buyers I want to meet at an exhibition like this.”
For foreign companies, being successful in the Chinese market is often first and foremost about building brand recognition, before taking decisive steps to physically create business partnerships.
“We did a lot of research before we decided to attend this show,” said Mr. Yuya Uemichi of Bando Chemical, Japan. “But we did not plan to come and showcase our products. We simply wanted to find a presti-gious show where we could present the Bando name to both Chinese industrial colleagues and international buyers. So what you see here on our booth are only space and our brand. That’s what we want to achieve – visitors leave remembering our name. The visitors and exhibitors are of high quality, so we have chosen the best platform to reinforce our brand.” Bando Chemical Industries – headquartered in Kobe, Japan – is a global leader in technology and development of all brands of neoprene and urethane transmission products.
“Our general strategy is to have one importer per country, but this simply doesn’t work with China because of it’s vast size,” said Mr. Roland Braun of Liqui-Moly, a German supplier of lubricants, oils and additives for car care. “So one reason we are here is to look for a dis-tributor for Beijing, and one for south China. This is also a publicity exercise; our large booth and colourful branding is designed to make people aware of our product and our name.”
Automechanika Shanghai provided a well-rounded business forum for both exhibitors and visitors, with a comprehensive programme of spe-cial events running alongside the exhibition.
One of the speakers at the Automechanika Academy was Ms Joann Chan of General Motors China, also fulfilling the role of Best Prac-tices / Enforcement Committee Chairman for the Quality Brands Protection Committee (QBPC). The QBPC, under the China Asso-ciation of Enterprises with Foreign Investment, organised nine mem-ber companies of the Automotive Industry Working Group – Bosch, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Delphi, Ford, General Motors, Peugeot-Citroen, and Volkswagen – jointly with two other well known automo-tive parts manufacturers, Mann-Hummel and ZF, to participate in Automechanika Shanghai 2007.
“The QBPC wants to make a community and society contribution by eliminating counterfeit products,” said Ms Chan during her speech on day one of the show. “In the market, our members are competitors, but at the QBPC we are partners working together towards the same goal – to stop fake parts. We are presenting best practices and case stu-dies from around the world, we hope to introduce them to China and influence how things are done here.”
The Match-Making Forum allowed top-level companies with very spe-cific sourcing or manufacturing criteria to meet with pre-selected, top-level buyers in a quiet one-on-one meeting off the show floor. Partici-pants included BMW and Valeo – one of the world's top automotive suppliers focused on design, production and sale of components, systems and modules for cars and trucks.
“Three of the suppliers we met at last year’s Automechanika Shanghai Match-Making Forum are now our suppliers – so we thought it a good idea to return again this year,” said Mr. Shen Tong, Sourcing Leader for Valeo’s Asia Purchasing Office. “We met some good potential partners again this year, including a rubber supplier and a stamping supplier from Korea. This channel helps remove some of the initial leg-work involved in finding very high quality new suppliers.”
“We are pleased and proud about the growth & development of Automechanika in Shanghai,” said Mr. Stephan Kurzawski of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH – organiser of the show. “This industry is growing extremely fast: China produced over 7.2 million motor vehi-cles in the first 10 months of this year, up 22% over last year, creating huge demand in the aftermarket sector. In addition, governmental bodies are working on new policies that will help clean the air. So, while we continue to hear good and positive news like this from every corner of the auto industry in China, we can expect Automechanika Shanghai to continue to play a key role in bringing the entire industry together, and providing a place where new products & technology can be sourced, and vital market information can be learned.”
Automechanika Shanghai is organised by Messe Frankfurt in partnership with the China National Automotive Industry International Corporation. •
End of show report – January 2008
