Regular visitors know that a day at Automechanika is insufficient to take advantage of the entire spectrum of events at the fair. In other words, early planning is a must. Here’s overview of everything visitors need to know:
WESTERN SECTION
New accent in Hall 9
Bosch is making its presentation in Hall 9 for the first time – with all brands together in the same location. The new presentation emphasizes the company’s "complete system expertise" – in four different workshops, Bosch shows everything that it has to offer in the fields of vehicle diagnosis, maintenance and repair.
Basis and advanced training
Anyone looking for an overview of jobs in the automotive sector will find numerous sources of information in addition to those in the Galleria, Portalhaus and Hall 11. Job exchanges, presentations by automobile associations and "Career Days" on the weekend mean there will be plenty of experts on-hand throughout the fair. Visitors wanting to use their time at the fair to increase their knowledge can take part in a wide variety of training courses on different subjects including, for the first time, the body and paint segment. The courses are available in German only. Registration is necessary at http://werkstatttreff.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/de/besucher/automechanika-events/aus-und-weiterbildung.html
The motto in the Galleria 2012: professionals at work!
Visitors to the fair who haven’t got their hands full because they are taking part in brief courses or professional seminars have the chance to enjoy the many interesting cars in the Galleria, e.g., a racing car made by students, ‘AutoKULTur’ by an automobile blogger and extraordinary tuning concepts with hearses and disco balls. The non-profit "Yourmove" initiative invites visitors to take part in the restoration of old Cuno Bistram micro-cars. Master students show what they can do in the field of body and paintwork, technician colleges present their courses and a publishing company promotes an interactive training program that teaches how to carry out repairs in the same way as a pilot learns in a flight simulator.
Aftermarket Forum
Interesting panel discussions and expert lectures with more than 50 international speakers will be held in the Portalhaus building from Sept. 11-14. The lectures will be translated simultaneously. Details of the subjects and main themes can be found at http://automechanika.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/de/besucher/events/aftermarket-forum.html.
Truck Competence
Around 700 exhibitors will be demonstrating ‘Truck Competence’ at this year’s Automechanika – and they will be spread throughout the entire Exhibition Centre. To gain an overview, visitors will find the ‘Truck Competence’ logo on the exhibition stands and details in a special brochure. And under no circumstances should they miss the presentations on the outdoor exhibition area. So many racing, rally and trial trucks at once – that has real scarcity value!
E-mobility made in Germany
The German E-Mobility Association (Bundesverband eMobilität e.V. – BEM) and its member companies are planning a special show covering an area of more than 700 square meters. Two test courses for e-cars and electrically-powered bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters will run from the exhibition hall to an outdoor area where there will be several charging columns for recharging the electric vehicles. The BEM member companies taking part include Adam Opel with the Ampera, EnBW with the new ‘Electronaut Charging Card’ system, EDAG with the innovative Light Car Sharing Concept, Helmut Niemeyer GmbH with the EGRET One e-scooter and Movelo with numerous EAPCs for test rides.
Right next to the major players
Young German companies have the chance to make presentations alongside Bosch and other major players, such as BMW, Waeco, Schaeffler and Continental at Automechanika. As in the past, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie – BMWi) is joining forces with the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (Messeausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V. – AUMA) to sponsor success-oriented newcomers to the sector.
Take a break at the Automechanika Carwash Museum
On an area of 170 square meters, Automechanika exhibitors show car washes, filling stations, pumps, photos and posters from the past five decades. Additionally, visitors can obtain expert advice on car cleaning and valeting at the special show in Hall 10 organized by the Federal Association of Filling Stations and Commercial Car Washes (Bundesverband Tankstellen und Gewerbliche Autowäsche Deutschland e.V. – BTG).
Car washing competition
Wet T-shirt competitions are out. At Automechanika, visitors and workshop teams can compete against one of the latest car washes and win one of many different prizes.
EASTERN SECTION
An indicator of the sector’s innovativeness – the Automechanika Innovation Award
Who has won this time? Launched in 1996, the internationally acclaimed Automechanika Innovation Award is given in nine categories: Parts, Systems, Tuning, Accessories, Repair / Diagnostics, Repair / Maintenance, IT & Management and Service Station & Car Wash. A jury of renowned experts evaluates the entries by the following criteria: innovative content, functionality, aftermarket relevance, safety, quality and contribution to environmental protection. All winners and the top four entrants will be presented in a special show in the foyer of Hall 4.1 during the fair. The official awards ceremony will be held during the Opening Ceremony in ‘Saal Panorama’ of the Forum at 10 a.m. on Sept. 11.
Automechanika Green Directory
Prins Autogassystemen BV with its Prins Direct LiquiMax System received the highest rating of all sustainable and environmentally friendly products submitted for inclusion in the Green Directory. Together with 24 other companies, Prins makes up the list of exhibitors in this guide for visitors, which was launched in 2008 to make attending the fair easier for all ‘eco shoppers.’
E-mobility show on the Agora
Presenting a company from the floor-conveyor sector: Linde makes 350,000 electric motors a year. At the fair, Linde will join forces with Karabag and Still to demonstrate that e-mobility is already an affordable proposition today. Four times a day, visitors will be able to see what e-vehicles are capable of in a hosted show with music.
Pit lane meets workshop
The events in the Accessories & Tuning section in Hall 4 leave virtually no wish unfulfilled: a car-media special show presents the latest mobile infotainment equipment, a BMW will be converted into a club racer, cars will be covered in adhesive films live and Lamborghini fans will be over the moon. Visit http://automechanika.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/de/besucher/events/showcases-tuning-accessories.html
Automechanika Rally
This year, the valuable motoring treasures will assemble in front of the Congress Centre Messe Frankfurt, next to the Festhalle. As in the past, entries have been received for more than 100 vehicles, including vintage, veteran, classic and tuned cars, which will do battle for the title in their individual categories. The parade around the Exhibition Centre will end at the Agora. The entire event will be hosted by Johannes Hübner. Visit www.automechanika.com/sternfahrt.
Networking International
Several interesting events aimed at export-oriented companies will be held in Hall 4. First, the B2B events for automotive suppliers from Sept. 12-14 September; second, the Telematics & Electric Vehicle Forum Europe meets Taiwan and the India Day, which will offer insights in the opportunities and challenges in the Indian market.
Messe Frankfurt against Copying
Launched in January 2006, the ‘Messe Frankfurt against Copying’ campaign aims to inform Automechanika exhibitors and visitors about the protection of trademarks and designs. Representatives of German and European authorities for intellectual-property protection and the most important private initiatives will once again be on hand to provide advice at the information stand in the foyer of Hall 4.1. The campaign is also supported by national and international associations, such as the Association of the Independent Parts Market (VREI), the European Garage Equipment Association (EGEA), the International Federation of Automotive Aftermarket Distributors (FIGIEFA) and the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA). Further tips and information can be found in the brochure entitled ‘Protection against brand and product piracy’ published by Messe Frankfurt, which can be downloaded from http://automechanika.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/de/aussteller/messeplanung/against-copying.html.
