Truck Competence, a novel idea
By R. Natarajan, Managing Editor & Publisher
The just-concluded Automechanika Frankfurt organised by Messe Frankfurt GmbH proved beyond doubt that the fair remains the mother of all events held worldwide. Despite the crisis the world economy is passing through, the event surpassed all expectations by attracting huge number of participation from world over. No wonder, the credit for the fair success goes to the dynamic approach of the Messe Frankfurt GmbH management team that accounted for attracting not only a record number of exhibitors but also a huge number of quality visitors from all over the world.
According to statistics, the Automechanika 2012 held during September 11-16 had 4,593 exhibitors from 74 countries as compared to 4,471 exhibitors from 76 countries in 2010.
In terms of country representation, there was a marked increase in exhibitor participation despite the adverse impact of the worsening world economy.
The number of exhibitors from Germany moved up from 826 in 2010 to 852 this year, whereas participation from outside Germany has moved up from 3,645 in 2010 to 3,741 in 2012.
It is interesting to note that India was among the top 10 countries attracting 165 exhibitors this year as compared to 159 in 2010.
At the official opening ceremony on September 11, nine companies were presented the Innovation Award for 2012 by the Prime Minister of Hessia, Mr. Volker Bouffier, in the presence of an august gathering.
Truck Competence, a novel idea
Coming to the list of participants in the event, it is nothing but a who’s who from the industry who have demonstrated their latest product development and services. For most of the exhibitors, Automechanika Frankfurt proved an ideal platform for export of their components, accessories, etc.
The main show was packed with several concurrent events such as Truck Competence, Presentation of Innovation Award, e-mobility show, Conference on Various Interesting Subjects, India Day, etc. A total of 160 companies from 35 countries showcased their innovative solutions in the field of e-mobility in terms of original equipment fitted during manufacture, conversions, vehicle accessories and charging facilities as well as waste disposal and recycling.
A new departure for Automechanika this year was its focus on commercial vehicles. Since the CV industry is gaining momentum worldwide, the organisers for the first time introduced the novel idea of “Truck Competence”. With the “Truck Competence” logo, Messe Frankfurt created greater awareness to make it as easy as possible for visitors interested in this segment to find their way to appropriate stands. Some 700 exhibitors, 25 per cent of whom were from Germany, signed up the Truck Competence logo. A dedicated visitors’ guide was also created for this area.