The Automechanika Birmingham event has been postponed until 7-9 June 2022, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers of the automotive aftermarket exhibition made the decision following the postponement of Automechanika Frankfurt to September 2021, for the same reason.

The UK event decision has not been taken lightly by the organisers, who have taken several months to discuss this with exhibitors and the NEC to deliver the best solution for the market.  

Simon Albert, managing director of Messe Frankfurt UK, said “The market has requested to postpone the event, and we are delighted that almost all companies who committed to the original timing will be present in 2022. With over 50% of floor space already taken for the 2022 exhibition, the signs are good for an event with three years of pent-up demand.

“Now is a tough time for the global exhibition market, but it’s very positive to see that the UK aftermarket has shown its long-term commitment to the event. Despite almost no revenue globally for Messe Frankfurt since March this year, the company will weather the storm and continue to deliver successful Automechanika events globally.”

An industry-wide study named the ‘Global Recovery Insights Report’ produced by UFI, (The Global Association for the Exhibition Industry) and SISO (The Society of Independent Show Organisers), showed that networking and face-to-face events are a priority when conducting business, and while digital marketing is important, it will not replace face-to-face meetings.

The UFI study showed that of those who come to business events as visitors, 90% felt they had been negatively impacted as a result of not being able to attend events.

Messe Frankfurt UK will continue to engage and support the industry, with a central digital resource platform, ‘auto:resource’ set to launch in the next few weeks.