Industry stakeholders who attended Automotive Maintenance and Repair Expo (AMR) 2018 will now be better equipped than ever before to navigate the vast automotive aftermarket landscape in China, according to the organizers. AMR, Asia’s leading repair and maintenance industry event, wrapped up last Wednesday with a steady increase of 5 percent in exhibitors. Housing 1,200 exhibitors and 57,117 trade visitors from 70 countries and regions, the fair offered participants sourcing options, connections and industry knowledge, each of which are much needed for establishing a more sustainable business in the fast-changing Chinese market.

The growth of the fair could be seen from the extended product offering across the 110,000-square-meter show floor. The newly added Car Care and Spare Parts Hall expanded the sourcing variety for distributors and end-users. Positive signs also were recognized from exhibitors who the organizers say were happy to build relationships with workshops, 4S shops, trading companies, chain stores, car care shops, tire shops and car washes.

The rest of the repair and maintenance sector was well covered by specialized halls for tools, tire equipment and consumables, cleaning, car care, refinishing, collision repair, garage, chain store, testing, diagnostics and brand equipment. With a strong presence of top industry players, the fair reflected global product trends which drew a broad range and good-quality buyers.

These key players included 3M, Anche, APG, Axalta, Beissbarth, Biaobang, BPI, Bright, Car-o-liner, Celette, Corghi, Dali, Festool, Fly-eagle, Gaochang, Hunter, JBT, Juxuan, Kapci, Launch, Leoch, Luoshi, Maha, Mirka, Nanhua, Nederman, Nussbaum, Panda, Piusi, RAV, Rupes, Sata, Sata Tools, Sensen, Snap-on, Sontian, Sorl Tech International, Tiptop, Wepp and more.

Despite the recent Easter holiday and China’s tomb sweeping national holiday, this year’s show attracted 57,117 visitors. Strong growth was registered in overseas buyers such as Australia, India and Poland, while China remained the majority. Several trade associations from the likes of Beijing, Chengdu, Hebei, Henan, Hunan, Shandong, Tianjin and Guangdong Province organized buyer delegation visits at the show.

Fiona Chiew, managing director for Messe Frankfurt Traders-Link (Beijing), the newly formed company to run AMR, said, “There were two key objectives set for us to achieve after the new collaboration. One was to increase international business opportunities for exhibitors, and the other to connect global players from the extensive vertical supply chain to the emerging Chinese market through AMR. Judging from the increasing presence of international exhibitors and visitors at the show, I am pleased to say our strategies have been successful and we will continue to work even harder on this in future editions.”

Co-organizers of the show, the China Automotive Maintenance Equipment Industry Association (CAMEIA) and the China Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association (CAMRA), contributed their support to AMR by organizing a range of concurrent activities. These events added allowed the industry’s leading businesses to shape their models and fit into the evolving industry trends.

One of the major highlights was the “Huanyue 5S Night” – The AMR 2018 Automotive Aftermarket Awards Ceremony for China’s Top Repair Chain Store Brands, Top 20 Manufacturers of Exported Auto Maintenance and Repair Products, Top 20 Exported Products, Top 20 Distributors and AMR 2018 Recommended Products. Nearly 2,000 industry representatives attended this award ceremony. Hosted by CAMEIA and CAMRA, several awards were presented to encourage new product innovation and developments across the industry.

Xie Jiaju, chairman of CAMEIA, said, “The awards energized the advancements of players in the aftermarket supply chain. Through this opportunity, the winning companies have increased their brand exposure and competitiveness in the market, which aligns with the objectives of AMR. We will continue to hold this event during the show in future editions.”

Chen Qi, chairman of CAMRA, who organized the first awards for China’s Top Repair Chain Store Brands, said, “Chain stores and brands are an inevitable trend in the industry. This award is a reflection on the significant contribution from the government in facilitating the automotive aftermarket’s development, and a milestone of the industry’s changing focus in terms of quality. The panel of judges formed by industry experts, entrepreneurs and key media, have worked closely together to select 35 out of 73 participated brands, after much evaluation.”

Other popular activities included:

• “WEPP China” – New Trends in the Automotive Services Industry 2018, China’s Automotive Service Industry Summit – Technology Innovation and Business Module Upgrade
• The China Auto Parts Dealer Grand Alliance Inauguration Conference
• “Huanyue 5S” Aftermarket Empowerment: Summit for Internet+, Technology and Finance
• “Huanyue 5S” China Collision Industry Summit
• “Huanyue 5S” The Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Summit
• The 3rd Edition of the National Finals of Automotive Mechanics
• The 2nd JD.com x AMR China Auto Maintenance Products Mall