The countdown is on to Automechanika Frankfurt’s first hybrid event, which commences on 14 September 2021.
Known as Automechanika Frankfurt Digital Plus, the three-day event will combine a compact exhibition on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds with an online platform that allows exhibitors and visitors to participate and network digitally.
Participants will be able to meet in person and experience the programme live on the exhibition grounds. Automechanika Frankfurt said a comprehensive protection and hygiene concept will ensure the best possible safety precautions are in place.
All exhibiting companies will also present their products online. Participants will have the opportunity to make new contacts through digital matchmaking, communicate with one another using live chat and one-to-one video calls, and participate in the events being streamed live.
According to Automechanika Frankfurt, around 50 per cent of the 300 companies registered plan to be in Frankfurt in person. There has also been significant international interest with the event to welcome exhibitors from Europe, Asia and Australia.
“People are very much looking forward to real in-person business encounters with their industry colleagues at Automechanika,” said Olaf Musshoff, Director of Automechanika Frankfurt. “At the same time, people’s trust in the digital networking opportunities that we have developed for this very special edition of the trade fair continues to grow. Our digital platform allows everyone to take part in the extensive three-day supporting programme not only here in Frankfurt, but also around the globe. This helps to ensure the international reach of our event.”
According to Automechanika Frankfurt, the latest topics and trends are reflected in the company’s live presentations and supporting programme, which includes a number of body shop related events.
COLLISION TALK
Collision Talk will address how body shops can meet the challenges of today’s accident repair market. Automechanika Frankfurt said shops are dealing with a number of problems simultaneously:
- A sharp fall in volume due to the pandemic
- Rapid increases in the cost of materials, wages and equipment
- Collapsing margins in the spare parts business
- Increasing moves by automotive insurers to reduce payments.
Christian Simmert (Editor-in-Chief of schaden.news) and Konrad Wenz (Editor-in-Chief of Fahrzeug + Karosserie) will moderate and discuss these issues with leading industry decision-makers.
LEARNING FROM AUTODOKTOREN
Autodoktoren will present live accident repair demonstrations. Topics include damage assessments, cost calculation, removing exterior dents, combined joining techniques, windshield repair and replacement, digitalisation and paintwork, ADAS calibration, and headlight beam alignment.
AUTOMECHANIKA BODY & PAINT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
More than 10 German body and paintwork professionals will compete to reach the finals of the first international Automechanika Body & Paint World Championships. A panel of experts including BodyShop News Publisher Michel Malik will select Germany’s winner, who will face off against the national winners from China, England and South Africa. Everyone will have a chance to vote for their personal favourites online.
DISCOVER3DPRINTING
The ‘Discover3Dprinting’ seminar will look at additive manufacturing methods, presenting application examples from various fields in the automotive industry. Participants will also discover the barriers to overcome when introducing these technologies and the applications for which industrial 3D printing is still economically unfeasible.
DIGITALISATION IN THE AFTERMARKET
At the Let’s Talk business panel discussion on 14 September, representatives from Bosch, AVL DiTest, Carbon and Hunter will join Musshoff to discuss innovative workshop solutions shaped by digitalisation and the mobility transition.
SUSTAINABLE AND RESOURCE-FRIENDLY
Sustainability and the role of the circular economy will be in the spotlight at the first Remanufacturing Day, organised in co-operation with the Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association (APRA).
Learn more about the show at www.automechanika.com.