10 WORDS IN ACTION http://www.abrbuzz.co.za
W
ith Shanghai being the commercial and fi nancial centre
of China, as well as being one of the main industrial
centres of China, and with the world’s busiest container
port, it is not surprising that the Automechanika Shanghai trade
fair is a convergence of growth, as Messe Frankfurt is the world’s
largest trade fair, congress and event organiser. The numbers
tell the story. In 1954 the population of Shanghai was a tad
over six million, whereas today it is over 25 million. Similarly,
the growth of the Automechanika show in this vibrant city has
been impressive. The fi rst show that I attended was in 2011,
with 61 178 visitors, versus 130 928 visitors in 2017. Likewise,
the exhibition area has grown from 160 000 m² to 340 000 m² in
the past six years, and the number of exhibitors has grown from 3
619 to 6 051. And of course, innovation and evolution is the name
of the game when it comes to fringe programmes and display themes,
with the 2017 show highlighting signifi cant trends.New and enhanced areas included electronics, new energy vehicles, electric
car developments, and autonomous driving innovations, and these displays,
together with the Connected Mobility Conference (more on this in the March 2018 issue of
aBr), refl ected the overall direction in which the entire automotive industry is moving, and was testimony to the show’s ability to run in
tandem with the evolving trends of the automotive industry.
The addition of the brand new REIFEN Zone for tyres, wheels and rims completed the circle, with the industry’s entire product supply
chain now covered at Automechanika Shanghai. Many exhibitors expressed how this helps generate more opportunities for cross-sector
collaboration with leading players in parts, components, repair, maintenance, accessories, customising, electronics, systems, and tyres.
Another signifi cant milestone is the increased internationalism of the fair, with 19 individual country and regional pavilions participating
from France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand,
Turkey, the UK, the US and the UAE, and a clear indication of an increase in overseas exhibitors compared to previous years – with a
14% increase alone from 2016 to 2017, making the 2017 show the largest ever globally represented show, and transforming the fair into
an international hub by drawing in high-level participants from multiple sectors.
26% of the visitors were from overseas, with the top ten visiting countries being Taiwan, Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Iran, India, Thailand,
Japan, Turkey and Australia, with positive feedback emanating from Automechanika Shanghai’s range of concurrent fringe events, including
the highly anticipated Connected Mobility Conference (to be covered in the March 2018 issue of aBr), the AIAG Auto Parts Purchasing
Leadership and Suppliers Summit, and the third Summit for Merger and Acquisition Strategies for Chinese Automotive Corporations in
the Overseas Markets. In total, there were 57 concurrent fringe programme events, and the general consensus amongst attendees was
that the events served as a vital source to learn, interact and to expand their business across Asia’s entire automotive industry, and with
the expanded topic coverage conferring many benefi ts.
Fiona Chiew, deputy general manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, expressed her satisfaction with the show, saying that
“Over the years, the consistent increase in quality and exhibitor participation has accounted for the ultimate success of Automechanika
Shanghai. Moving forward, we will further enhance the representation of each sector according to the market’s demands, and achieve an
even more balanced product representation. I’m certain the show will continue to play a major role in bringing various sectors together,
and will grow alongside Asia’s evolving automotive industry.”
Cheng Yongshun, vice president of China National Machinery Industry International, adds that “Thanks to our partnership with Messe
Frankfurt, we have been able to witness the impressive growth path of Automechanika Shanghai. It’s great to see more leading international
players looking to penetrate the Chinese market, because the industry here is evolving at a rapid pace. The region’s technological
advancements and improving products are once again well represented at the show, and we expect this to continue in future editions.”
Many of the participants affi rmed these sentiments, with quotes including comments such as “the fair is heading in a positive direction,
and it is most certainly in line with the industry both domestically, and globally too”; “we’re now in the ‘golden age’ of development for
car maintenance, electronics, repair, spare parts and many other sectors, and Automechanika Shanghai helps bring all of these sector
developments together”; “new energy vehicles are still very young in terms of their market penetration both in China and globally, but
thanks to the sector’s growing representation at Automechanika Shanghai, we expect more and more people will devote themselves
to this fi eld in the coming years”; “Automechanika Shanghai is a global infl uential trade fair for the automotive parts and aftermarket,
The thirteenth
edition of the AutomechanikaShanghai International Trade Fair
for Automotive Parts, Equipment andService Suppliers, held at the National
Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, from 29November to 2 December 2017, once
again ratcheted up the records, asMesse Frankfurt celebrated its
most successful Shanghaishow ever
by Austin Gamble
AUTOMECHANIKA SHANGHAI 2017
Convergence of Growth