Events with drive

The importance of regional automotive exhibitions is accelerating. Event organisers and exhibitors agree the value of trade and public shows cannot be underestimated. While offering an ideal opportunity to raise brand awareness and launch new products, automotive exhibitions also present unrivalled face-to-face networking. Yet an exhibitor's presence must be tailored to whether visitors are from the trade or the public. Elaborate stands may be worthwhile for a public motorshow, where the aim is to raise brand awareness, but it is less important at a trade show, where the emphasis is on new products rather than projecting an image to trade visitors who know the brand. "A trade event has to put a selected audience into a more intense contact with our product," says Audi Asia Pacific marketing communications manager Ms Jagoda Becic. "We consider additional criteria such as planning locations for test drives, selecting bigger venues for catering and creating stages for presentations." Venues have become an essential part of the growth of the automotive exhibition sector. "Singapore has excellent venues and Hong Kong is good but expensive. However, the Beijing World Trade Centre is expensive for what it is and this is a cost we have to pass on," admits Messe Frankfurt (HK) general manager tradefairs Asia Ms Betty Heywood. "In China, rental prices for overseas organisers are higher. If people want a level playing field this needs to change." Exhibition logistics, which for the automotive sector include transporting vehicles, cause few problems. Although there is often red tape when importing vehicles, exhibitors can overcome this by using a local contractor. "It's a question of working with good local freight forwarders," adds Ms Heywood. Often the bureaucracy has cost implications for exhibitors, which Audi's Ms Becic is keenly aware of. "Most of the shows in Asia are big in terms of visitor numbers, but we are facing higher booth rental fees, longer transportation and sometimes difficult custom regulations. "We decide strategically that we need to be at a particular show and often the cost is secondary. We look at attendance figures as well as facilities because an unsuccessful show reflects negatively on our brand," she says. Criticism of the region's motorshows focuses on inconsistency in event quality and frequency. Nevertheless automotive exhibitions are essential for all parties concerned. "We have a long-term view as a partner for the automotive industry in Asia. Automotive exhibitions are a growth market, especially in China and Thailand," says Ms Heywood.