Organisers of Automechanika Birmingham, Messe Frankfurt UK, made the decision following close discussion with exhibitors and other key stakeholders in the UK aftermarket.
Through this consultation process, there has been a strong interest from suppliers and manufacturers for a face-to-face national event to take place sooner than 2023.The organisers have therefore revealed that they are working with suppliers to formulate a specialist national garage and bodyshop event in 2022, with more details to follow soon.
Meanwhile, Messe Frankfurt continues to offer new digital initiatives, such as auto:resource, which provides suppliers with a digital content marketing platform as a way to connect with their customers.
Simon Albert, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt UK, said: “We could never have imagined that when we closed the doors to a successful Automechanika Birmingham in 2019, it would be four years until the next edition. Despite these acutely challenging times, we will continue to support the automotive industry by running quality events at the right time for our partners. It has been clear from our conversations with suppliers that the industry has missed events and we look forward to providing them again soon.
“Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the way the automotive industry, and garages in particular, have consumed content has expanded, with a growing number visiting online and digital platforms to find out information on a raft of issues affecting their business. That is why we created www.autoresource.co.uk to further serve the market.
With our commitment to organising large scale quality face-to-face events, we will continue to serve the needs of the UK aftermarket.
Automechanika Frankfurt Digital Plus will run 14 -16 September 2021, and will then take place in its familiar format on the trade fair grounds in Germany 13 -17 September 2022. The Birmingham event will return to the NEC on 6-8 June 2023. More details will be released about the specialist UK garage and bodyshop event in 2022 in due course.