Automechanika Kuala Lumpur 2019 (AMKL) successfully wrapped up its 11th edition in the second half of March, with a few firsts to its credit. With 19 per cent increase in the number of exhibitors participating aggressively compared to the last edition, AMKL proved that Malaysia is indeed sitting right at the heart of the ASEAN region with more and more successful inroads being made by global OEM players. The vision of AMKL 11th edition was ‘Sourcing. Training. Entertainment’, and it was successful in achieving it too..
dignitaries at the inaugural ceremony of Automechanika Kuala Lumpur 2019
One major highlight of the show was its special zone dedicated to IoT and Trucks. The aim was to cater to different perceived needs of the domestic and international visitors and participants. In line with that, the show had arranged for fringe programmes that could be categorized as knowledge-sharing and were lapped by the participants and interested visitors.
Ms. Fiona Chiew, Deputy General Manager – Messe Frankfurt, said: “We believe that the show’s direction will attract new audiences from the CV sector, Malaysia’s technology industry and auto-lifestyle afficionados. And that is how the show goes beyond from being merely a trading platform.”
Malaysia ranks the third highest in the ASEAN region in motor sales and production and is a ‘hotspot for overseas companies in capitalizing the market’s positioning’, according to the official report. This was proved beyond doubt by the presence of 16 countries, including Australia, India, the UK, the UAE, Italy, Korea and Germany.
The product categories that the participating countries exhibited included parts and components, electronics and systems, accessories and customizing, repair and maintenance, dealer and workshop management, alternative drive systems and digital solutions.
Ms. Chiew shared: “The domestic market has a rapidly growing automotive industry which has recorded a CAGR of 11 per cent since 2011.”
Talking about the special showcase area Truck Zone, she said: “The Truck Zone has made a highly successful debut this year and the response has been tremendous. It has highlighted many a number of trends that have sparked a rapid growth in the CV sector in the region. The Malaysian CV sector is expected to grow at three per cent CAGR which translates into a sale of more than 84,000 units by 2025, making it a highly attractive market for the major international players.”
The zone welcomed an impressive line-up of manufacturers, auto parts and tyre dealers who entranced their visitors with latest solutions, products and services.
Another highlight was the IoT Zone which had both ‘upstream and downstream’ companies from the industry to reflect the latest IoT technology that the Malaysian companies had to offer. The hardware and software developers from the domestic market displayed their most innovative technologies in advanced GPS systems, telematics, road safety and software for Fleet Management Systems.
An exclusive conversation with Ms. Clara Tam, Assistant Group Manager – Trade Fairs, Messe Frankfurt, reveals the highlights of the show that has successfully concluded its 11th edition.
Excerpts:
What was the theme of AMKL this year?
‘Sourcing. Training. Entertainment.’ was the theme at AMKL 2019. It was an improvement over the last show which was solely a sourcing platform. In our efforts to add new and more interesting elements to the show, we wanted to include networking, entertainment, education, knowledge-sharing, offering market updates to the existing platform of a motor show which was originally meant for business. That is why we had many fringe activities.
What were the main highlights of the show?
In this edition we have also focused sharply on the CV sector and we have had the participation from about 15 per cent exhibitors related to this segment. Besides the products on display by the participants, we had the Fleet Management Conference which was customized to meet the knowledge-sharing needs of fleet operators. A number of highly influential industry experts were invited to talk about the fleet management solutions and global trends. They successfully shared new technology for fleet monitoring and management. They also managed to share some of the global best practices in sustainability and system integration aspects too with the eager audience.
Tell us more about the Fleet Management Conference that had a robust line-up of speakers.
The Fleet Management Conference explored the synergy between the IoT and the CV sector. We had participation of industry experts from major companies, including Fleetsol, Guardian, Scania and Valvoline, among others. As experts, they had had the opportunity to examine the inherent challenges and opportunities in the ASEAN region.
What, according to you, are the latest and emerging trends in the market?
We have observed that in this edition there was a more focused interest on digitalization and connectivity. And we believe that we did well by introducing the IoT and Truck Zones. Since this is new to South-East Asia, we wanted to target the database of the companies in IT solutions and connectivity providers since connectivity is not yet common in the domestic market. Hence, we wanted to give it a big push so that the ASEAN region and its markets can benefit from it too. Our platform is focused on helping people to connect to the emerging trends. We would definitely like to expand in this section in our future editions.