Meet the Buyer back at Automechanika
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) will bring the UK automotive industry together at a special event in Birmingham this summer as part of efforts to boost supply chain reshoring.
To help British companies exploit growth in manufacturing and the aftermarket sector, SMMT’s Meet the Buyer event will return to Automechanika Birmingham this June for a second year. The event, run in partnership with the Department for International Trade’s Automotive Investment Organisation, encourages inward investment by bringing together purchasers from vehicle manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers and matching them with component makers of all sizes in hundreds of one-to-one meetings.
Automechanika Birmingham is the UK’s largest aftermarket and supply chain exhibition. This summer it will be 70% bigger than last year, hosting more than 750 exhibitors with 250 companies making their debut. New for 2017 is a dedicated Supply Chain Zone, as well as specific seminars for engineers and buyers across all tiers of the supply chain.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, ‘UK Automotive has just enjoyed a record year for car exports, with demand for UK-made cars growing 10.3% in 2016. This demonstrates Britain’s strengths as one of the best places to make vehicles and components – and new opportunities exist to grow the industry further by re-shoring manufacturing to the UK, and taking our thriving aftermarket to emerging markets. Rarely has there been a more important time for suppliers to come together under one roof and explore how to grasp these opportunities, and Meet the Buyer provides that platform.’
Lawrence Davies MBE, CEO of Automotive Investment Organisation, Department for International Trade, said, ‘The Department for International Trade has worked closely with SMMT to ensure Meet the Buyer has consistently delivered success for major manufacturers and suppliers. This is the UK’s biggest automotive trade event where the very best of the UK’s automotive industry and international companies meet. With demand growing for UK-made cars and six billion pounds worth of investment opportunities in the automotive supply chain, this event is a significant opportunity for any company. Make the most of it.”
Companies can register their interest for Meet the Buyer at www.smmt.co.uk/events/meet-the-buyer before 20 April.
