National and international exhibitors are unanimous – Automechanika Shanghai is Asia’s most influential trade fair for automobile parts, accessories and equipment. According to exhibitors from China and abroad, the fair is the ideal venue for making contacts, initiating business transactions and achieving corporate goals.
Jason Cao, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co Ltd, explains: “Automechanika Shanghai has grown dramatically in just seven years. The fair for the automotive aftermarket continues to develop and, thanks to the broad spectrum of product groups covered, meets the needs of the industry.”
“Automechanika Shanghai has an extremely good influence on brand awareness and world-market sales. One of the main reasons for this is that Automechanika Shanghai attracts not only more visitors than any other Chinese fair but also more high-grade trade visitors”, says Liu Qi Wei, Manager of Great Wall Motor Company Limited, which presented a variety of innovations including energy-saving diesel engines. His opinion is shared by many other Chinese exhibitors.
Numerous international companies confirm that Automechanika Shanghai is an 
outstanding venue at which to launch new products onto the Chinese and the Asia-Pacific markets. The fair is also very good for finding new sales partners. “For manufacturers of branded products, Automechanika Shanghai represents a unique platform for expanding in the Chinese market”, explains Anthony Lan, Manager for the China region of Meguiar’s, USA, a company in the car-care field.
3,619 exhibitors from 36 countries presented their products and services to 61,178 visitors at Automechanika Shanghai from 7 to 10 December 2011. The number of exhibitors rose by 16 percent in comparison to the previous year. Numerous renowned companies, including Biaobang, BorgWarner, Panasonic and Philips, took part in Automechanika Shanghai for the first time.
The number of visitors rose by 21 percent. 28 percent of the total came from outside China, most of them from the neighbouring countries of Russia, India and Taiwan, as well as from further afield, e.g., Turkey, the USA, Japan and Australia. The number of national pavilions also rose from nine in 2010 to twelve this year. India and Japan had their own pavilions for the first time and the exhibitors of both countries were more than satisfied with the results. Thus, they were able to find out more about the Chinese market and make numerous contacts.
There was also a special pavilion at Automechanika Shanghai to take account of the increasing demand for remanufacturing, i.e., reconditioning used automotive parts. For Ronald Carr, Vice President of MCI Cores, USA, China is an important, future-oriented market for remanufacturing and the company reported an extremely good echo from its products by potential customers.
Another highlight for visitors was the ‘New Energy Zone’ where numerous international exhibitors, such as Changan, Chery and MIDAS presented their latest products. This special area was also used for the complementary programme organised by international associations. One event, for example, took a look into a future without fossil fuels. Altogether, there were 27 events on the programme including lectures, matchmaking sessions and seminars covering the entire spectrum of automotive subjects, from automobile parts, via repairs and washing, to remanufacturing and new energy. The complementary programme was a great success among visitors.
The next Automechanika Shanghai opens its doors from 11 to 14 December 2012.
