Automechanika Shanghai 2009 Sets Attendance Records

Buyers report effectiveness of Matchmaking Foru

With economies slowly recovering in most major nations, suppliers and buyers of auto parts and services turned out in promising numbers at last year's Automechanika Shanghai, held the 11th time from December 9 to 11 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. Such encouraging numbers are not surprising, because Automechanika Shanghai is Asia's largest trade fair for the aftermarket automotive parts and services sectors.

Sizable Rises in Attendance

The exhibitor number increased by nearly 22% to 2,414 from 24 countries compared to the 2008 event; while the visitor number rose even higher relative to that in 2008, totaling 38,551 from 132 countries for nearly a 25% rise. Also significant was the global representation, with some 29% of visitors coming from abroad, compared to 16% in 2008. The top-10 visitor countries outside China, in descending order, were Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Iran, Japan, Russia, Turkey, India, the United States and Hong Kong.

Mr. Jason Cao, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt Shanghai, says: “We are very happy

with this remarkable result. Despite the global economic slowdown, the show continues

to gain momentum and we have set new records for exhibitor and visitor numbers.”

The 2009 show also saw visitors from 35 new countries, including nine new African

countries, according to Cao.

Heavyweight Exhibitors

Automechanika Shanghai 2009 attracted many world-leading companies as exhibitors. Mr. Claudio Spiritelli, Sales and Marketing Director of the Italian company Corghi, a global auto equipment manufacturer who will soon open a factory in China, expressed confidence in the benefits of the major trade event: “The show offers an important platform for us to strengthen and improve our relationship with different companies. We always give priority to participate in this show.”

A first-time exhibitor from Taiwan was the Unipoint Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd, a leading supplier of wiper blades and rotating electrical parts to world-famous carmakers as Continental, Ford, GM, Peugeot and Toyota. Ms. Y.C. Chuang, the Marketing Specialist, not only met buyers from Africa, Europe, the Middle East and South America, but expressed optimism: “The show provides a good opportunity for us to gain brand recognition and stand out from other companies especially under the current economic climate.”

The widely-known American auto tools supplier Snap-on was a third-time exhibitor, indicative of its confidence in the event as a good platform for equipment manufacturers to showcase their products and advantages. Mr. Nicky Marr, Equipment Manager, OEM and Training says: “Automechanika Shanghai is not only for overseas customers. Many domestic equipment resellers come here to find new products and business opportunities. In the last two days, there have been some potential Chinese resellers discussing opportunities to be our resellers.”

Positive Buyer Comments

Some buyers from the UAE, the Netherlands and Shanghai reported productive visits to Automechanika Shanghai, where they not only strengthened existing contacts but also built new opportunities with potential suppliers. Mr. Elory Wu, Product Manager for Shanghai CPM Trading Co. Ltd., says: “Besides meeting with our existing suppliers, I've made several new contacts. The show has covered all product groups in the industry and it's like a one-stop station to learn all the China and global market developments and trends.”

Matchmaking Forum

Following in the footsteps of other trade shows, Automechanika Shanghai also organized one-on-one meetings between suppliers and buyers, minimizing confusion and inefficiencies of doing business. Confirming the effectiveness of the Matchmaking Forum, Mr. V. Rajkumar, manager of Dubai company Dynatrade, specializing in diverse automotive products as tires, batteries and vehicle parts, says that with too many companies at the show, the matchmaking forum is a shortcut to quickly make contact with leading suppliers.

Educational Events

Another highly popular event was the Automechanika Academy, where many prominent industry speakers addressed the latest topics. Participants included technicians, workshop operators and management.” Four other events were organized, including the Forum on Low Carbon and Zero Carbon Vehicle Technologies; Chinese Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers & Distributors Networking Event; Seminar 2009 for IMD (In Mold Decoration) in Automotive Interior; and Summit of China Auto Electronic and Electrical Appliances

Industry.

In 2010 Automechanika Shanghai will become a four-day event, instead of a three-day event, running Dec. 8-11, 2010. For further information, visit www.automechanika.com