“Extreme Repairs”; Bosch service workshop wins the Automechanika photo competition

Posted on 25. January 2012 by automechanikablog

In October, Automechanika invited entries for the photo competition “Extreme Repairs”. They were looking for bizarre or amusing photos from the everyday life in an automotive workshop. Now the winners have been decided. They were selected by the Automechanika team, who also took account of the ratings and comments from fans on Automechanika’s Facebook page. The winner is Bosch-Service Werkstatt Gottlob Maier GmbH from Pfullingen. The 15 colleagues at the winning garage can now look forward to enjoying their prize – a trip to the ‘Kart and Fun’ kart racing track in Neckartenzlingen. The winning photo shows four members of the team displaying their acrobatic skills as they repair an old BMW. The General Manager of the garage, who took the photo himself, insists: “We shall undoubtedly show the same amount of physical involvement, as we rock around the karting track.”

Second place in the photo competition goes to a vintage-car fan from Mainz. With his observation: “In my workshop, I am king”, he has provided his own self portrait. On the photo he appears, as befits his claim, with a crown and sceptre made of car parts. The creative amateur mechanic has many enthusiasms; amongst other things he is also a freelance journalist and author.

A mother duck with her nine ducklings forms the centrepiece of the photo that took third place. Their first trip to the garage will have been as memorable for the ducks as it was for the guys in the workshop. The family of ducks in fact lives in the park next door.

The next Automechanika in Frankfurt will take place from 11 to 16 September 2012. The photo competition “Extreme repairs” was the first of a number of promotional activities designed to provide a little amusement for workshop visitors in the run up to the next Automechanika. In February there will be an online game, a car race called “Automechanika Racer”.

More information on this will shortly appear on the website at www.werkstatt-treff.automechanika.com. In addition, the new internet site offers an overview of all information and events relating to motor vehicle repair and overhaul, workshop equipment and services that will be on show as part of Automechanika 2012. New for 2012: for the first time visitors will be able to take part in certificated training sessions. These sessions will be organised by Automechanika in cooperation with vocational colleges, recruiting agencies and professional associations.

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Exhibitors and visitors delighted with Automechanika Shanghai 2011

Posted on 23. January 2012 by automechanikablog

National and international exhibitors are unanimous – Automechanika Shanghai is Asia’s most influential trade fair for automobile parts, accessories and equipment. According to exhibitors from China and abroad, the fair is the ideal venue for making contacts, initiating business transactions and achieving corporate goals.

Jason Cao, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co Ltd, explains: “Automechanika Shanghai has grown dramatically in just seven years. The fair for the automotive aftermarket continues to develop and, thanks to the broad spectrum of product groups covered, meets the needs of the industry.”

“Automechanika Shanghai has an extremely good influence on brand awareness and world-market sales. One of the main reasons for this is that Automechanika Shanghai attracts not only more visitors than any other Chinese fair but also more high-grade trade visitors”, says Liu Qi Wei, Manager of Great Wall Motor Company Limited, which presented a variety of innovations including energy-saving diesel engines. His opinion is shared by many other Chinese exhibitors.

Numerous international companies confirm that Automechanika Shanghai is an outstanding venue at which to launch new products onto the Chinese and the Asia-Pacific markets. The fair is also very good for finding new sales partners. “For manufacturers of branded products, Automechanika Shanghai represents a unique platform for expanding in the Chinese market”, explains Anthony Lan, Manager for the China region of Meguiar’s, USA, a company in the car-care field.

3,619 exhibitors from 36 countries presented their products and services to 61,178 visitors at Automechanika Shanghai from 7 to 10 December 2011. The number of exhibitors rose by 16 percent in comparison to the previous year. Numerous re­nowned companies, including Biaobang, BorgWarner, Panasonic and Philips, took part in Automechanika Shanghai for the first time.

The number of visitors rose by 21 percent. 28 percent of the total came from outside China, most of them from the neighbouring countries of Russia, India and Taiwan, as well as from further afield, e.g., Turkey, the USA, Japan and Australia. The number of national pavilions also rose from nine in 2010 to twelve this year. India and Japan had their own pavilions for the first time and the exhibitors of both countries were more than satisfied with the results. Thus, they were able to find out more about the Chinese market and make numerous contacts.

There was also a special pavilion at Automechanika Shanghai to take account of the increasing demand for remanufacturing, i.e., reconditioning used automotive parts. For Ronald Carr, Vice President of MCI Cores, USA, China is an important, future-oriented market for remanufacturing and the company reported an extremely good echo from its products by potential customers.

Another highlight for visitors was the ‘New Energy Zone’ where numerous inter­national exhibitors, such as Changan, Chery and MIDAS presented their latest products. This special area was also used for the complementary programme organised by international associations. One event, for example, took a look into a future without fossil fuels. Altogether, there were 27 events on the programme including lectures, matchmaking sessions and seminars covering the entire spectrum of automotive subjects, from automobile parts, via repairs and washing, to remanufacturing and new energy. The complementary programme was a great success among visitors.

The next Automechanika Shanghai opens its doors from 11 to 14 December 2012.

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Declaration of intent between Automechanika and ProMexico

Posted on 20. December 2011 by automechanikablog

Erwin Feldhaus, Director CEE, ProMéxico (le) und Michael Johannes, Brand Manager Automechanika

Automechanika, the world’s leading trade-fair brand in the B2B sector and Mexico’s ProMéxico business-promotion organisation have signed a declaration of intent to stimulate the growth of the Automechanika fairs in Frankfurt and Mexico City. On the one hand, Messe Frankfurt will support Mexican automotive companies wanting to expand into the international market within the framework of the next Automechanika in Frankfurt from 11 to 16 September 2012. On the other hand, the attention of international customers will be drawn to the associated fair in Mexico City which will open its doors at the ‘Centro Banamex’ Convention and Exhibition Centre in Mexico City in July 2012.

In addition to joint marketing activities with Automechanika Frankfurt, ProMéxico is planning a conference on the automotive supply chain in association with Automechanika PAACE 2012. To be called, the ‘Automotive Supply Chain Summit’, the conference will be held in the immediate vicinity of the fair in Mexico City. A road show on the subject is also being planned for February 2012. Apart from Germany, the target countries are Turkey, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Russia.

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Automechanika Shanghai sets new records

Posted on 16. December 2011 by automechanikablog

Automechanika Shanghai 2011 closed its doors with new record figures. Over 3,600 exhibitors presented automobile parts, accessories and equipment at Asia’s biggest trade fair for the sector. New sections, including ‘Infotainment’, ‘Car Care and Tuning’ and ‘New Energy / EMobility’, supplemented the range of exhibits on around 160,000 square metres of exhibition space. Particular interest was shown in the reconditioning of automotive parts (‘remanufacturing’). Around 60,000 visitors came to the world’s second-biggest Automechanika fair. In this connection, Michael Johannes, Automechanika global Brand Manager, said, “We are very proud of the way Automechanika Shanghai has developed.”

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Award for Automechanika South Africa

Posted on 28. November 2011 by automechanikablog

Automechanika in Frankfurt has been distinguished by a continuous growth since its première in 1971. Today, it is the world’s biggest trade fair for the workshop and parts sector and covers the entire value of the automotive sector, from original equipment, via repairs, vehicle processing, customising and reconditioning, to filling stations and car washes. The last Automechanikain Frankfurt attracted 155,000 visitors from the industry, trade and workshops from 181 countries.

Philip Otto, Show Director of Automechanika South Africa

Automechanika fairs are currently held in ten different countries and Automechanika South Africa was recently chosen by the Exhibition and Events Association of South Africa (EXSA) as South Africa’s best trade fair with more than 12,000 square metres of exhibition space. Automechanika South Africa was launched in Johannesburg in 2009 and the dates of the next event in 2013 have now been announced. Thus, Expo Centre Johannesburg will open its doors again to an audience of trade visitors from the industry, workshops and the trade between 8 and 11 May 2013.

The impressive Mercedes-Benz stand at the 2011 Automechanika SA trade fair won an award at the EXSA awards ceremony.

Even at this early stage, it is evident that the event will be distinguished by a large number of international exhibitors. Thus, Automechanika South Africa in 2011 was attended by 547 exhibitors from 25 countries – 33 percent more than at the première in 2009. The nations represented on the exhibitor side in at the last event in 2011 were China, Germany, France, India, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey. The number of visitors also increased significantly compared to 2009 and rose 10 percent to approx. 9,000. As in the past, the fair will be organised by Johannesburg-based Dogan Trading, which also partnered Messe Frankfurt for the organisation of the first two editions.

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New concept for Automechanika St. Petersburg in April 2012

Posted on 16. November 2011 by automechanikablog

Automechanika St. Petersburg from 12 to 14 April 2012 will be distinguished by a new concept. As a trade fair for the automotive parts and accessories, workshop equipment, filling-station and car-wash segments, Automechanika St. Petersburg will now focus the range of products and services covered on trade visitors from the industry, trade and workshop sectors. New is the commercial-vehicle segment – a logical addition to the spectrum covered because logistics and transport play a vital role in the northwest of the country – and companies such as Delphi, Valeo, Schaeffler, Flennor, Maha, Normfest, Scania RUS, Bergkraft RUS and SNR have already announced that they will be taking part.
Messe Frankfurt’s partner for the development of the extensive complementary programme is the ‘Association of European Business in Russia’ (AEB). Anyone wanting to find out more about the aftermarket in Northwest Russia will be able to obtain practical information about questions concerning investing, standards and the logistical challenges to be faced there.

The economic region around St. Petersburg is expanding and remains an attractive setting for an event such as Automechanika, as shown repeatedly by the fair since its première at the end of the nineties. The city is a focal point for subjects such as transport and logistics – a transport hub and a centre of research and development. The US $ 1 billion invested by Gazprom in the St. Petersburg Exhibition Centre is further evidence of the region’s economic significance and potential.

The automobile market has been booming for many years – especially in the repair sector where business is growing by an annual rate of approximately 20 percent, which actually reached 40 percent in 2010. This process has been boosted by an official promotional programme. Thus, tax breaks, commercial zones with a fully developed infrastructure and a qualified workforce have made it easier for foreign automobile manufacturers, such as Ford, Toyota, General Motors, Nissan and Hyundai, to locate to the St. Petersburg region. As well, many leading international parts manufacturers have set up bases in St. Petersburg. Magna, Tenneco, Brisk and Continental have production facilities there.

Further information can be found on the internet at http://aam.lenexpo.ru/en.
Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Konstantin Gultsev by telephone on +7 495 649 8775 (ext. 107) or by mail at Konstantin.Gultsev@russia.messefrankfurt.com. He will be pleased to help.

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Automechanika invites entries for the photo competition “Extreme Repairs”

Posted on 31. October 2011 by automechanikablog

A trip to a kart racing track all the repair-shop staff – that is, at all events, an excellent way to motivate the team. If you’d like to win such a trip, then you’ll need to have a look at the Automechanika photo competition. Under the title “Extreme Repairs”, we are looking for unusual, bizarre or funny photos from the day-to-day experiences in the car-repair shop. Participants may submit one photo each. From customers’ adventurous emergency repairs to distorted exhaust pipes and odd constructions in the engine compartment – there are no limits to the kind of creativity we have in mind.

First entry of Gottlob Maier GmbH, Pfullingen

The pictures must be sent in by 31 December and will then be posted on the new website, werkstatt-treff.automechanika.com, and on Facebook.
Conditions of entry are simply that participants must live in Germany, Austria or Switzerland and must be at least 18 years old. The photo must be submitted in either JPG or GIF format and be no more than 3MB in size. Of course, participants must also be the person who took the photo and own the rights; if people are depicted in the photo, neither their picture rights nor their personal rights must be infringed. In cases of doubt, you should get the agreement of the colleague(s) or customer(s) concerned before the photo is sent in. Number plates should, in all cases, be rendered unrecognisable.
As the prize, the winner can look forward to a session at a local kart racing track – and, of course the whole team is invited. You can be sure that the internal workshop classification resulting from the races that are organised will provide a topic of conversation among the team for a considerable time to come! And all participants will also receive an Automechanika fan cap.

The announcement of the photo competition marks the launch of the newly created Automechanika website “Werkstatt-Treff”. The site offers an overview of all the information and promotions available as part of Automechanika 2012 and relating to vehicle overhaul and repair, as well as workshop services and equipment. The organisers are keen to make people aware of this trade fair as early as possible.
Details of the photo competition, together with the application form can be found at: werkstatt-treff.automechanika.com

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Automechanika Shanghai expects 3,600 exhibitors

Posted on 21. October 2011 by automechanikablog

Automechanika Shanghai will take place at the International Expo Centre in China from 7 to 10 December 2011. The show is the largest trade fair in Asia for manufacturers and suppliers of automotive parts, customer service products and workshop equipment. Automobile accessories represent another important key area of the trade fair, which is organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and the China National Automotive Industry International Corporation (CNAICO).

The success of Automechanika Shanghai is part of a long-standing international brand strategy at Messe Frankfurt, going back many years. Alongside Automechanika in Frankfurt from 11 to 16 September 2012, the trade fair is held at eleven other locations in Europe, Asia, America and Africa.

This year, 3,600 exhibitors are expected at Automechanika Shanghai. This represents an increase of 15 percent over the previous year. The exhibitors come from 30 different countries and regions. Taking part for the first time are the Czech Republic and Tunisia. Products are presented over an area of 160,000 square metres in 13 halls. National pavilions from Spain, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and the USA have been announced and India, too, has indicated its intention to take part for the first time.

Trade in automotive parts in China increased by leaps and bounds in the first half of 2011. Exports of machines and components were worth US$ 2.3 billion, representing a jump of 38.45 percent over the previous year. At the same time, imports rose by 28.49 percent to US$ 2.2 billion.

The importance of Automechanika Shanghai can also be seen from the fact that, in 2010, 18.04 million vehicles were registered on the Chinese automobile market and the value of the automotive parts market exceeded € 52 billion. The Chinese car manufacturers’ association expects another increase in Chinese car purchases of 10 percent in 2011. Total volume of car sales is set to rise to €100 billion within three years and represents, therefore, a huge market. For products in the field of car electronics alone, they are reckoning on an annual growth rate of 26 percent, rising to € 25 billion.

Overall the Chinese government is counting on an increase in automobile production to over 20 million vehicles by 2012, with ten percent of them employing alternative power units. All these forecasts and facts demonstrate just what an interesting market the Chinese market is – and for anyone seeking to do business here, Automechanika Shanghai is a must.

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PAACE Automechanika Mexico with a record visitor turnout once again

Posted on 21. September 2011 by automechanikablog

PAACE Automechanika 2011 was a complete success. With 474 exhibitors from 20 countries, the trade fair once more confirmed its position as the most important event for Mexico’s and Central America’s automotive aftermarket. 11,895 visitors from 31 countries are even further proof of the high international reputation of this meeting place for the industry.

The Centro Banamex in Mexico City was the venue for the 13th edition of PAACE Automechanika Mexico, which was held from 13 to 15 July this year. The fair is the biggest platform for Central America’s automotive aftermarket and owes its success mainly to the exhibitors. Those who had already presented their product range in the past were pleased with the great interest shown by the visitors and first-time exhibitors at PAACE Automechanika were enthusiastic about the possibilities the Mexican market had to offer them.

Thousands of buyers used the three-day event as an occasion to take a look at the latest products and services and to acquire one or two innovative products. The trade fair was also an opportunity to network with colleagues in the automotive sector, to learn more about vehicle customisation and to refresh their knowledge by taking part in the PAACE Automechanika Mexico Seminar Programme.


With just on 9,000 interested trade visitors taking part this year, the programme even topped last year’s record number of participants. There were more than 40 different seminars covering a broad range of topics. This also included training courses and workshops sponsored by companies with a trade fair presence at PAACE Automechanika Mexico.

Yet another highlight at PAACE Automechanika Mexico was provided by more than 100 tuned vehicles presented at a special show: an increase of more than 10% over last year. This attraction drew several thousand enthusiasts interested in the customisation of vehicles, a growing market in Mexico. The organisers of PAACE Automechanika Mexico were therefore very pleased to be able to showcase this part of the trade fair as well.

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Happy Birthday Automechanika: the show celebrates its 40th birthday

Posted on 14. September 2011 by automechanikablog

It is now almost 40 years ago to the day that the first Automechanika opened its doors on 18 September 1971. Since then a great deal has happened: Automechanika is now the world’s largest trade fair for the aftermarket in the automotive industry and, every two years, attracts trade and professional visitors from right across the globe. Through the Automechanika shows outside Germany, it is becoming better and better known internationally, resulting in more international exhibitors and visitors.

The trade fair came into being when, in January 1971, the Association of the German Automobile Industry (Verband der deutschen Automobilindustrie -VDA) withdrew from the IAA PKW which it had organised until then. About two months later, Messe Frankfurt announced that another exhibition, namely “Automechanika 1971″, would be held to replace it. The impetus for this came from the professional associations of the motor vehicle trades and the service-station and garage industry, since these groups still wished to exhibit their products.

The first show in those days was more than successful. With some 500 exhibitors and over 75,000 visitors from 63 countries, the first Automechanika was a complete hit, which really had to be repeated. Since 1972 the trade fair has taken place every two years, alternating with the IAA. What was originally an emergency solution has, over the years, become an established institution, which is also extremely successful on an international level. So that there are now 12 Automechanika shows worldwide, held in eleven countries. At the last Automechanika in Germany, more than 150,000 visitors came to have a look at what the 4,486 exhibitors had on show.

It is not for nothing that Automechanika is the world’s largest trade fair that specialises in the automotive aftermarket. From the beginning, top decisions makers from industry, garage workshops and the wholesale and retail trade have been meeting up there. Even at the first show, exhibitors felt able to provide very positive summaries of their experiences. Thus, for instance, one reads in Messe Frankfurt’s customer newspaper in 1971: “Visitors with a genuine professional interest were very significantly in the majority compared to those who had just come to look. […] In a poll conducted on the penultimate day of the exhibition for the management team at Messe Frankfurt, 86.6 % of exhibitors rated their commercial outcomes as good to satisfactory.”

The next Automechanika will take place from 11 to 16 September 2012 in Frankfurt.

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