The organisers of Automechanika Birmingham held a very well attended press launch in London on Tuesday which presented both compelling reasons for visitors to attend the exhibition and to show how it has already proved to be a great success with exhibitors.

The first ever Automechanika event to be staged in the UK takes place at the NEC in Birmingham between the 7th and 9th June. It will provide a comprehensive showcase for the very latest products and services available to the automotive sector, as well as an insight into the future of the industry.

At the press launch, held at the headquarters of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Trades (SMMT), three key note speakers explained different aspects of the event.

Olaf Musshoff, Director of Automechanika Frankfurt, gave some the reasoning behind staging the event in Birmingham. He explained how the original Automechanika Exhibition in Germany is now the biggest trade fare in the world across all industries. The success of the Frankfurt show has gone on to inspire the development of 15 other Automechanika events around the world attended by 600,000 visitors. The bi-annual Frankfurt exhibition attracts almost 5000 visitors from the UK and Ireland and as such the organisers were confident that a UK show would be well received. Olaf also explained that in the experience of the organisation, exhibitions staged in other countries actually added to the success of the German event.

In the second address, Simon Albert, Event Director of Automechanika Birmingham, explained how in exhibitor terms the event has already far surpassed expectations. The original plan was to have a single hall at the NEC, but demand has seen the exhibition space sell out three times over and the exhibition triple in size to three halls. The strong Automechanika brand is seen as part of the reason for this, as well as the current levels of optimism in the independent aftermarket and the UK automotive supply chain.

Simon also explained that the new event would be staged every year to meet the demand of exhibitors. A very strong line-up of 550 exhibiting companies is in place covering a complete spectrum of automotive products and services. 62% of these are UK companies with 38% coming from other countries. As well as the exhibition itself, Simon also explained there will be a free seminar programme, with many key industry figures discussing the latest developments and innovations in the industry.

SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes then explained how the Birmingham event would also be important for the automotive supply chain in the UK.  Automechanika Birmingham has been designed to support the UK automotive industry and to provide an opportunity for component manufacturers to showcase their capabilities.

Registration for the exhibition recently opened and in the first 10 days some 1500 visitors signed up to attend. Because of its proximity and ease of access, it is anticipated that a large contingent of visitors will travel to Automechanika Birmingham from Ireland.

Registration and attendance is free of charge. To register and for more information, visit the website www.automechanika-birmingham.com