Automechanika and the Italian Garage Equipment Manufacturers Association (AICA) have announced their intentions to work together more closely in the future during a press conference held May 25 in Bologna. The new alliance should benefit the approximately 100 members of the Italian aftermarket association that present their products and services at 17 Automechanika events in 15 countries.
According to Michael Johannes, vice president of mobility and logistics, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, “The goal is to strengthen our integration with the Italian market. As one of Europe’s leading economies, Italy is a very high priority for Automechanika. For example, Italian companies accounted for more than 10 percent of all exhibitors at the last Automechanika Frankfurt. By collaborating with AICA, we are hoping to offer better support for this important target group, and are looking forward to a successful relationship with the association.”
The partnership is to kick off with Automechanika Johannesburg from Sept. 27-30 and Automechanika Shanghai from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, both of which cover markets that are of particular interest to AICA members. As part of their efforts, Automechanika and AICA are planning joint marketing campaigns and special programs for members of the Italian association for these and other trade fairs.
“The collaboration between AICA and Messe Frankfurt aims at supporting AICA member companies in their international promotion,” said AICA President Mauro Severi. “AICA will negotiate special programs for its members and will coordinate their possible participation in the various Messe Frankfurt exhibitions.”
With 17 events on four continents, the Automechanika brand represents more than 20,000 exhibitors, 600,000 trade visitors and 45 years of industry experience. In 1971, the brand was launched with Automechanika Frankfurt. The newest member of the trade fair family is Automechanika Riyadh, which will be taking place for the first time in February 2018.
