July/August 2019

JULY/AUGUST 2019 AFTERMARKET 53 www.aftermarketonline.net How do you feel about Automechanika Birmingham 2019? This has been the best attended Automechanika Birmingham to date. Working with exhibitors, we have strived to offer visitors across the entire automotive industry an experience that supports the running of their businesses and one that they will continue to benefit from in the future. The event in 2021 is already shaping up to be another fantastic showcase for the automotive industry. We have had very good feedback from across the whole show. The Workshop Training Hub and the Technical Talks have been stacked out, Aftermarket Seminars have been stacked out. The really positive thing is that the atmosphere has been fantastic throughout the halls. It is a testament to the marketing campaign, to the exhibitors and to the fact that we are doing the right thing for the industry. This is the last time that people can attend Automechanika Birmingham until 2021. Everyone wants to be here and there is so much good stuff going on. How do you feel the sector is responding to the show? I think the brand is definitely established in the UK now. All of the leading suppliers are back this year, which is great. We have also seen a really positive uplift in the number of garages in the pre-registration and obviously that has come through into the show itself. There are lots of new initiatives, including The Big UK Garage Event, launched on the success of the Garage Quarter last year. Free parking is also still in place, but beyond that we have huge amounts of training, we have CPD- accredited training with the IMI for the first time, we've got electric vehicle training, we've got the Garage Equipment Showcase, the Reman Showcase. We've got so much going on this year that any garage looking at why they should be coming has got something this year. More celebrities, more cars, more deals and discounts, latest innovation, new product showcase, it is all here. You have the two year gap now – Has work started on the next show? We are already underway with 2021, and I am also in the privileged and positive position to be able to tell you that the majority of the leading suppliers are already confirmed for 2021, and it is really good to have that industry support for the new frequency of the event. Working on trade shows of this scale, there is definitely a process you have to go through. We will do that with our new frequency. It may mean we have even more new companies next time round. We had over 120 this time. We have some time to look at growth Right: Jack Halliday "BEST ATTENDED TO DATE" SAY AUTOMECHANIKA ORGANISERS Aftermarket sat down with Jack Halliday, Event Director of Automechanika Birmingham to look at the success of the event, and to look forward to 2021 and beyond: Automechanika Birmingham 2021 dates CONFIRMED Automechanika Birmingham will return to the NEC from 8 - 10 June 2021. 87% of space has already been reserved for the show in two years time. Exhibitors who have confirmed include Schaeffler, ZF, Valeo, NGK, HELLA, Delphi, Denso, BM Catalysts, Mann Hummel and YUASA. We hope to see you there! opportunities, and to make the show even better for 2021. Automechanika Birmingham is now fully established and firmly positioned.