Automotive Exports March 2021

Automechanika Frankfurt: Leading aftermarket
trade fair to take place as physical event with a
new online program
Frankfurt am Main – This year’s
Automechanika Frankfurt is taking place
as a hybrid event for the first time. The
primary focus will be on the physical
event and all the advantages it offers.
Automechanika will be supplementing
these by providing all exhibitors with new
opportunities to network digitally with
those members of the international B2B
audience who cannot travel to Frankfurt
due to the pandemic. Digital features that
are made available to all exhibitors free of
charge maximise their reach while opening
up entirely new possibilities for product
presentations and communication with
customers.
Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive
Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, is positive
about the future: Starting in June, the
Frankfurt exhibition grounds will be hosting
trade fairs once again. First up is Indoor-Air,
a trade fair for ventilation and air quality,
and work on the content and organisation
of this September’s Automechanika, our
leading trade fair brand, is also in full
swing. Thanks to our hygiene and safety
concept, everything is in place to ensure
safe events for everyone involved.
The primary focus is on face-to-face
business encounters. And to ensure that
customers who are still unable to travel
to their normal extent in September will
be able to take part, the organisers are
planning a hybrid format.
Michael Johannes, Brand Manager
of Automechanika: We want to bring
industry players from different countries
and continents together be it live in
Frankfurt or virtually from afar to satisfy
their need to network. Based on the good
experience we’ve had over the past six
months providing digital services for our
customers not only in German-speaking
countries, but also in Russia, Dubai,
Shanghai and beyond, we have decided
to hold Automechanika Frankfurt as a
hybrid event. ACMA Automechanika New
Delhi, one of 15 Automechanika trade fairs
worldwide, has also opted for the hybrid
format when it takes place next month.
Johannes: Our entire international brand
family works together closely, and we have
gained valuable experience and expertise
from each of our trade fair teams activities
in their home countries.
New digital features
Automechanika Frankfurt is taking place as
a physical event on the Frankfurt exhibition
grounds in accordance with all applicable
hygiene and protection measures. To
ensure that networking will also be
possible for those international visitors
who are not able to travel to Frankfurt,
exhibitors can take advantage of new
digital features.
Olaf Mußhoff, Director of Automechanika
Frankfurt: Thanks to a digital matchmaking
and scheduling tool and facilities for live
chats and 1:1 video calls, exhibitors will be
able to communicate directly with their
customers and generate new leads. We
are making these services available free
of charge this year to the approx. 2,000
exhibitors who have already confirmed that
they are taking part. Exhibitors product
information and company profiles will also
remain online even after the event has
finished. This lets us give all participating
companies greater reach.
Exhibitors can also present their product
innovations via live stream.
Michael Johannes explained: We have used
these months to invest in our employees’
technical skills and establish our own
web studio for our customers here on the
Frankfurt exhibition grounds. I am already
looking forward to the videos and live
streams that our exhibitors will be creating
to supplement the supporting program.
Events: in person in Frankfurt and as live
streams online
For everyone who is unable to travel
to Frankfurt due to the coronavirus,
Automechanika Frankfurt will be offering
some of the supporting program digitally
as well. This means that people can
take part in a select online program that
includes Collision talk, the Automechanika
Innovation Awards, Automechanika
Academy an event focusing on themes
that are important to the future and a
special program for workshops. Most of the
content will also be available online in the
media centre afterwards.
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