The organisers of Automechanika Birmingham have announced that the show, which serves the United Kingdom’s automotive aftermarket, has been postponed to 7 to 9 June 2022.
According to the company, the organisers considered the best course of action to take for Automechanika Birmingham with exhibitors and the hosting city’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) over several months, resulting in what it describes as the “best solution” for the market in postponing to 2022.
“The market has requested to postpone the event, and we are delighted that almost all companies who committed to the original timing will be present in 2022,” said Simon Albert, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt UK. “With over 50 per cent of floor space already taken for the 2022 exhibition, the signs are good for an event with three years of pent-up demand.
“Now is a tough time for the global exhibition market, but it’s very positive to see that the UK aftermarket has shown its long-term commitment to the event. Despite almost no revenue globally for Messe Frankfurt since March this year, the company will weather the storm and continue to deliver successful Automechanika events globally.”
Organisers say Albert’s comments are supported by an industry-wide study named the ‘Global Recovery Insights Report’ produced by the Global Association for the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and the Society of Independent Show Organisers (SISO). This study indicated that networking and face-to-face events are a priority when conducting business, and that while digital marketing is important, it will not replace face-to-face meetings. The study also showed that of those who come to business events as visitors, 90 per cent felt they had been negatively impacted as a result of not being able to attend events.
Messe Frankfurt UK says it will continue to engage and support the industry, with a “pioneering” central digital resource platform, “auto:resource”, set to launch in the next few weeks.