Automechanika Frankfurt says more than 2600 exhibitors from around the world will bring the latest products and services to the event, to be held from 13 to 17 September at the Frankfurt Messe exhibition grounds. Training and networking will also be a feature of the show, with emerging technologies and concepts for mobility to be displayed and discussed.
“It has been great to see the response of exhibitors, now that they finally have an opportunity to showcase their latest products and services for an international industry audience,” said Olaf Musshoff, Director Automechanika Frankfurt. “We are expecting to welcome over 2600 exhibitors from 70 countries here in Frankfurt. This offers yet more proof that Automechanika remains the leading international industry platform for the entire automotive aftermarket. There’s simply no other event like it.”
The trade fair will address topics and trends such as new drive technologies, electromobility, connectivity, sustainability and the increasing digitalisation that is impacting every facet of the aftermarket. Trade visitors will be able to find innovative solutions for these fields and have an opportunity to learn more about them in presentations and panel discussions.
Automechanika Academy’s four stages will host a series of expert talks, panel discussions and presentations looking at the future in the areas of Body & Paint, Innovation4Mobility, Future Mobility Workshop 4.0, Classic Cars, Car Wash & Care, and Detailing.
Eleven practical workshops on accident repair, held in German and English, will take place daily in the Galleria. The workshops, held in collaboration with industry partners and moderated by experts from Autodoktoren, will discuss subjects such as systematic car damage assessments, damage cost calculation, working on high-voltage vehicles, bodywork, digitalisation, paintwork and ADAS calibration.
‘Innovation4Mobility’ will feature pioneering solutions for connected vehicles and climate-neutral mobility. Presenters from companies such as Audi, Adobe, ABB Germany, Bosch, BPW Bergische Achsen, Boston Consulting Group, eBay, Google Cloud, KEYOU, Fraunhofer ISE, INTIS, Schaeffler, Solaris, and the Toyota Mobility Foundation will deliver keynote talks on a variety of topics, including connected cars and autonomous driving, electromobility, hydrogen and alternative fuels.
Future Mobility Workshop 4.0 will present future technologies, processes, and business models. Automechanika Frankfurt said visitors can find practical ideas and concepts to make everyday business operations more efficient and ensure their business models are ready for future requirements. Future Mobility Workshop 4.0 mimics the structures of a conventional workshop with a practical depiction of the customer journey, allowing visitors to find out more about innovative technologies and put them to the test at 10 selected stations.
The first Automechanika Supply Chain Management Day, an interactive event on 15 September, is aimed at decision-makers, users, and providers of innovative solutions for the automotive industry’s logistics and supply chains. Presentations and workshops will be coupled with a networking area, offering opportunities to obtain information and find new business partners.
Musshoff said networking is a key focus of the 2022 event. “This year’s trade fair places a clear emphasis on networking all trade fair participants,’ Musshoff said. “Following a long dry spell, the opportunity to speak in person is extremely important to our customers, and that is why we are holding our first CEO Breakfast, an event taking place on the first day of the trade fair that features keynote talks from Mika Hakkinen and Mark Gallagher. The two Formula 1 professionals will be talking about the fast-changing technologies, lean and agile management and team spirit.
“The CEO Breakfast offers a unique opportunity to meet top management and association representatives from the independent automotive parts sector in person,” Musshoff added.
Automechanika Frankfurt also features networking lounges devoted to particular themes in various exhibition halls. Each lounge has a coffee bar, pop-up stands, and places to sit. This year marks the first time that eBay will take part in Automechanika, sponsoring the E-Commerce Lounge, where exhibitors and visitors can attend the daily Happy Hour – held every evening in the east and west sections of the exhibition grounds – to enjoy a glass of wine or beer and make new contacts in a relaxed atmosphere.
‘Mobility in transition’ is the motto of this year’s Body & Paint Championships. The event, sponsored by Axalta, BASF Coatings / Glasurit, and SATA, will feature painters from around the world who will present painted car bonnets to an international panel of experts and show audience. The awards ceremony will take place on 16 September at 2:00 pm in Hall 11.
The Automechanika Innovation Awards, to be presented on 13 September, will also reflect industry shaping trends, with 133 submissions from 99 exhibitors covering a range of applications, from paint-care products produced from renewable resources and rescue systems for vehicles with battery fires to highly complex laser scanners able to measure entire vehicles in minutes. The submissions also include tools and components that are being digitalised and connected to workshops’ IT systems, as well as new mobility and alternative drive systems.