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Automechanika Frankfurt 2016 to Remain the Leading Trade Fair for Global Automobile Trade and Industry

2016/08/09 | By Steve Chuang

Automechanika Academy will be staged during Automechanika Frankfurt 2016 to shed light on the development of the global automobile trade and car production industries.
Automechanika Academy will be staged during Automechanika Frankfurt 2016 to shed light on the development of the global automobile trade and car production industries.

Automechanika Academy – the name is nowadays a synonym for high-grade, future-oriented lectures and events. This year, too, Messe Frankfurt has spared no effort with improvements being made not only to the exhibition concept but also to the accompanying lecture and professional-development programmes. Trade visitors can look forward to a line-up of lectures, seminars and practical further-development courses unrivalled in terms of both quality and quantity. Indeed, the Automechanika Academy programme is now of a size and scope that could easily provide the material for several supplementary professional qualifications.

To structure the large number of lectures and events, and to make it easier for visitors to choose, the programme has been split into two main tracks. In the ‘Festhalle' (Hall 2), they have the opportunity to discover all aspects of tomorrow's digitalised and networked automobiles, including servicing and repairs, on 13, 14 and 16 September. The focus of the events and workshops to be held in Hall 11 and the adjoining Portalhaus from 13 to 17 September will be on everyday challenges in the modern workshop, especially the various facets of vehicle repairs in body and paint shops.

Three thematic days on mobility in the future

The events on tomorrow's mobility in the ‘Festhalle' are split into three themed days. On Tuesday, 13 September, the speakers will risk a look into the future of mobility in ten years' time. In interesting 30-minute lectures under the motto ‘Future of Mobility', twelve experts will discuss the impact digitalisation, networking and new car-sharing models are expected to have on tomorrow's mobility. Beginning at 10.00 hrs on the second themed day, 14 September, eleven lectures will present a variety of solutions and the challenges presented by alternative drive systems. The third day on 16 September is entitled ‘Virtual worlds in the motor-vehicle industry' and is likely to be of particular interest to workshop professionals because several of the nine lectures examine the question of how digitalisation will affect working life in the automobile industry and the automobile service business. All lecturers on the three themed days come from the automobile industry, the parts industry, the IT / internet sector or the trade associations and are thought leaders in their companies or organisations for tomorrow's technologies. Attendance at the 32 individual lectures is free of charge and advance registration is not necessary.

Further details of the programme can be found at automechanika.com/events.

Visitors who register at academy.automechanika.com by the end of August 2016 will be sent a voucher for a free day admission ticket to Automechanika 2016.

By hands-on practitioners for workshop professionals

No less expert are the speakers who will give the lectures for workshop professionals at the Workshop Days to be held as part of the Automechanika Academy in the Portalhaus building on 16 and 17 September. Each of the 90-minute lectures on corporate management will be devoted to existential questions, such as how earnings and profits can be increased in a sustainable way (16 September) and how workshops can operate more successfully through active sales (17 September).

The emphasis of the second Collision Talk for workshop professionals in the Portalhaus building at 10.00 hrs on 15 September will be political. At the première in 2014, over 650 visitors came to hear the opinions of the panellists on the subject of repair processes and claims management. This year's discussions are also likely to be controversial with renowned representatives of big insurance companies, claims managers, IT companies and the associations facing critical questions from co-chairs Christian Simmert and Wolfgang Auer. Flanking the Collision Talk will be the new ‘Collision Repair Street' where 14 companies (workshop equipment suppliers, paint manufacturers and collision-damage specialists) present tried and tested solutions and new developments for optimising repair processes in repair and paint shops.

Further development for professionals

Workshop professionals who want to roll up their sleeves and combine their visit to the fair with free professional development opportunities should register for one of the twelve workshops for body and paint repair specialists, which will be held daily from 13 to 17 September. Please note: the three-hour workshops will be held in German in the mornings and repeated in English in the afternoons. This year's workshop programme ranges from the calibration of assistant systems, via new bonding and joining techniques, to damage-cost calculations and digital communication. All workshops will be held in the Galleria between Halls 8, 9 and 10. Participation is free of charge. Due to the great demand, visitors are asked to register in advance online at training.automechanika.com.

New in the programme is the subject of ‘Caravan Competence'. Held in cooperation with the Vogel Business publishing company, the expert meeting will focus on caravan skin repairs, including damage assessment, on 13 September. To support this lecture series, the ZKF association has created a special show on outdoor area F 11 where collision and small-damage repairs and preparatory work will be demonstrated using panels and exhibits.

Connected Mobility – premiere on 15 September

Although not yet a permanent part of the Automechanika Academy, it fits perfectly with the ‘Tomorrow´s Service & Mobility' lecture and event programme: the first intercontinental ‘Connected Mobility – driving digitalization' roadshow, which makes its European debut in the ‘Forum' of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre from 10.00 to 15.00 hrs on 15 September. There, renowned representatives of the automobile industry, internet companies and start-ups will discuss the technological, ecological, economic and social opportunities, challenges and consequences of digitalisation and networking of automobiles, the infrastructure and the working world. Among those taking part will be Thilo Koslowski, new CEO of Porsche Digital GmbH, Chris Valasek, Security Lead of Uber Advanced Technologies Centre and Olivier Bremer, General Manager Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy of BlaBlaCar.


The organisers of Connected Mobility are the new ‘Mobility & Logistics' Business Unit of Messe Frankfurt and Convent Congress GmbH. The roadshow will continue on the continent of Asia in Shanghai on 2 December 2016. The third stop, in North America, will be at Austin, Texas, on 17 March 2017. Participation in the roadshow is free of charge but only possible after prior registration.

Further details about the event and registration at www.convent.de/mobility.