Strong demand for Automechanika Birmingham
Demand for places at Automechanika Birmingham, the UK’s first trade show dedicated to automotive supply chain and aftermarket companies, is building rapid momentum, with more than a third (35%) of the exhibition space already booked up in just one month.
Automechanika Birmingham – which will run from 7-9 June 2016 – will give a boost to the UK’s automotive suppliers seeking to attract new business. This key industry event is the result of a partnership between the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Messe Frankfurt, the company behind Automechanika, the world’s biggest international trade fair brand for the automotive sector.
Strong interest from the UK’s growing automotive component manufacturing sectors reflects renewed confidence, with British vehicle production set to reach all-time record levels in the next few years, and manufacturers increasingly keen to source components locally. Recent figures show domestic suppliers increased sales to UK vehicle makers by 19% last year, and significant potential still remains, with the scope for supplier growth valued by the Automotive Council at some £4 billion.*
Automechanika Birmingham comes at a time when the UK’s automotive sector is going from strength to strength. The latest figures from SMMT show that in 2014, the automotive manufacturing sector’s turnover was £69.5 billion; and the industry’s export value was £34.6 billion.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, ‘Even at this early stage, the level of interest in Automechanika Birmingham has been strong, and we are confident it will prove to be a successful event for those businesses already signed up. It is the perfect time for British supply and aftermarket businesses to capitalise on the record growth in UK automotive, and expand their businesses with buyers both in the UK and abroad. This event will help them do exactly that.’
Automechanika Birmingham will bring together the broad scope of the UK automotive supply chain and aftermarket, from parts suppliers and electronic systems providers to accessory manufacturers and service and repair companies. The show, which has been licensed to Forest Exhibitions Ltd. by Messe Frankfurt Exhibitions GmbH, is expected to play host to around 250 exhibiting companies and 5,000 trade visitors in the NEC.
