A record-setting 4,820 exhibitors from 76 nations were manning booths at the 24th edition of the Automechanika Frankfurt exposition in September. Arriving in Germany from more than 170 different countries, 136,000 industry attendees passed through the turnstiles.
“With these impressive figures, Automechanika is continuing to build on its position as the world’s leading platform for the automotive aftermarket. In addition to countless impressive smart vehicles that are already connected, the struggle for data was one of the hottest topics of discussion at the trade fair,” says executive board member Detlef Braun at show producer Messe Frankfurt.
Citing the high level of interest in the subject, Messe Frankfurt has launched a new “Connected Mobility” format in the form of an international road show that will be making stops in a variety of locations ranging from Shanghai, China (Dec. 2) to Austin, Texas (March 11).
This year’s Automechanika Frankfurt visitor satisfaction ratings topped 95 percent per attendee surveys, with more than 80 percent of the exhibitors reporting that they were able to effectively reach their targeted marketing audience, according to Braun. “Both visitors and exhibitors – especially those from Germany – were extremely upbeat about the economic climate within the sector.”
Braun says the show serves as a key global barometer: “The top position of the motor vehicle industry and the motor vehicle retail trade is reflected in a new record for levels of participation in Automechanika in Frankfurt.”
Calling Automechanika Frankfurt “the shop window for innovations in the automotive aftermarket across the entire value chain,” and lauding the event as the “world’s leading trade fair for the automotive service industry,” exhibitor Karl Dedolph, director of international sales for Paladin Hi-Tech Lubricants of Clinton, Mo., marvels at the “unique product-range breadth and depth” that he and his colleagues experienced while traversing the miles of aisles.
“It is an international meeting place for all market participants from the industry,” Dedolph observes. “Dealership, distribution, maintenance and repair segments, to name a few, provide a major platform for business and technological product-knowledge transfer.”
“The aftermarket and workshops are on the brink of a new era – for workshops, connected mobility is the wave of the future. As a result, the themes of networking, digitalization and augmented reality were in particular demand at our stand this year,” says Dr. Uwe Thomas, president of Bosch’s aftermarket division.
“Automechanika is our platform of choice for showcasing the latest trends and technologies,” he notes, “as well as for demonstrating how Bosch can make workshop operations more efficient for the future.”
Replacing smartphones with handshakes
“Automechanika is more than just a trade fair for us. It is the international meeting place of the industry, and offers us the opportunity to meet with our customers from around the world and show them our latest products in a professional setting, as well as to network with them and other partners from the automotive aftermarket,” says Andreas Große-Coosmann, a Federal-Mogul divisional marketing director. “Furthermore, Automechanika also offers us a concise yet comprehensive overview of everything that is happening in these essential sectors.”
“Our members are extremely satisfied with the trade fair,” says Frank Beaujean, president of the German Association of Manufacturers and Importers of Automotive Service Equipment (ASA). “All of our companies welcomed top decision makers to their stands. Yet again, this year’s Automechanika has reinforced its status as the world’s leading trade fair for the industry.”
Dirk Willers, general manager at ElringKlinger’s parts division, says his staff welcomed the personal contacts that they were able to achieve with current and prospective customers in a burgeoning era of 3D glasses, virtual classrooms and interactive training courses. “Automechanika allows us to replace smartphones with handshakes. That is why this trade fair continues to be the most important event in our calendar.”
“We are extremely satisfied,” agrees Dr. Ulrich Walz, marketing director at ZF Services, “and both the visitors and our talks with them were of a very high quality on every day of the event. I am especially pleased that from the third day on we enjoyed a particularly positive response from workshop owners and mechanics from Germany.”
About 60 percent of the attendees were from nations outside of the immediate region. “There is no doubt that Automechanika is the best platform for establishing business contacts that extend beyond Europe,” says Istobal CEO Rafael Tomás.
“As manufacturers of painting systems and paint-spraying booths, we are currently focusing on optimizing the overall efficiency and energy consumption of our products,” says Tiemo Sehon, managing director of SEHON Innovative Lackieranlagen. “At Automechanika, we were able to reach our current customers and to establish many new contacts as well, especially in South Korea.”
FOLIATEC board member Michael Scherzer points out that “from large car manufacturers to two-man workshops, the world of automotive accessories comes together in Frankfurt in order to find out about the ever more important field of vehicle customization – the wilder, the better!”
“Never before has Automechanika had such a wide range of interesting themes covering all product groups as it did in 2016,” says Thomas Aukamm, CEO of ZKF, the Central Association of Bodywork and Motor Vehicle Engineers.
“In the field of bodywork and paintwork, the large audience for the ‘Schadentalk’ collision talk showed just how much is changing in the industry in the interplay between insurance companies, claim control and workshops,” adds Aukamm. “A platform like this is absolutely essential here. In addition, Automechanika has once again demonstrated that it is the biggest and most international industry event of its kind.”
“Countless participants in the international ‘Right to Repair Campaign’ from around the world took advantage of Automechanika as the perfect place for coming together and sharing opinions,” says Hartmut Röhl, senior chairman of the German Association of the Automotive Parts Trade (GVA).
“As part of the global campaign, organizations and individuals from the independent automotive parts and service markets are fighting for a more equitable legal framework in the automotive aftermarket,” Röhl explains. “This would be particularly advantageous for drivers’ freedom of choice regarding where they can have their cars serviced and repaired, and with what parts. The meeting’s participants felt that the increasing connectedness of cars is a particularly acute challenge at the current time. As a result, not only should there be a ‘Right to Repair’ for everyone in the automotive parts and service markets worldwide, but also a ‘Right to Connect.’”
“Following five days of Automechanika, there is no need for any complicated analysis to confirm what we already know: This trade fair was a resounding success for us,” reports Schaeffler Chairman Michael Söding.
“Our stand enjoyed a series of non-stop highlights – virtual discovery tours, exciting product and service innovations, a new record for the number of visitors and even a special anniversary, as Schaeffler celebrated 40 years in the automotive aftermarket.”
“The move from Hall 8 to Hall 9 was a big step for us, and it was a major success. Our stand attracted quite a large number of visitors, and we are really happy about the fact that the international component of Automechanika continues to grow,” says Uwe Neff at Hella Gutmann Solutions.
“The trade fair also offers the scope required for innovative themes,” according to Neff. “Autonomous driving is a highlight for us and for the industry as a whole right now, and it will continue to be so in future.”
“The international makeup of the visitors and the quality of talks at Automechanika are unrivalled. The fact that the trade fair is not only able to cover the traditional aftermarket business, but also to spotlight the service world of the future with its ‘Tomorrow’s Service & Mobility’ special showcase, was greatly appreciated by our visitors,” says Continental Aftermarket Vice President Peter J. Wagner.
“The workshop and retail sectors welcomed the fact that Continental is a reliable partner for the independent aftermarket,” he elaborates. “Digitalization in service is certain to be playing an even bigger role two years from now, and I hope to see more concrete examples, such as in the field of remote diagnostics.”
“Automechanika 2016 was a very successful event for us. Our focus was on maintaining our contacts with existing customers, as well as on linking up with new customers, but the workshops in the bodywork and paintwork areas organized by Messe Frankfurt were also on our program,” says Jens Nietzschmann, managing director at Deutsche Automobil Treuhand. “We are already looking forward to 2018, when we will be getting back together in Frankfurt yet again for our most important trade fair.”
A comprehensive platform
Scheduled to run Sept. 11-15, the 2018 Automechanika Frankfurt will be held alongside the REIFEN tire industry exposition licensed from Messe Essen.
Beginning next year, Automechanika Chicago, the largest U.S. trade show dedicated to high-end technical and management-related training for automotive collision and service repair shops, and NACE (the International Autobody Congress & Exposition), the premiere event for the U.S. collision repair industry, will be combining forces.
The co-production between Automechanika Chicago and NACE will create a unified stage using NACE’s strong relationships within the collision and OE community combined with Automechanika Chicago’s global strength throughout the automotive aftermarket. Working in collaboration, the two entities will create an unprecedented partnership focused on training and product discovery for the automotive technicians, shop owners and parts distributors. A combined Automechanika Chicago and NACE show will take place July 26-29, 2017 in Chicago.
“We are extremely pleased with this alliance. The industry has been asking for this and we listened. By combining the expertise of two undisputed market leaders, Automechanika Chicago and NACE, we are confident of our ability to offer a comprehensive platform for companies interested in reaching collision and mechanical repair shops en masse,” says Dennis Smith, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt North America.
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