Automechanika Frankfurt 2022 – A Job Well Done

Automechanika Frankfurt 2022 was a triumphant return to form compared to pre-pandemic editions and showed just how relevant trade fairs continue to be. The trade fair attracted 2804 companies in total, which represented the complete automotive aftermarket, to Messe Frankfurt. More than 78,000 trade visitors attended all five days during the show. That’s on top of the participation on the digital extension of the trade show.

You had more products and more innovations across the nine product groups. Body & Paint, Car Wash & Care, Accessories & Customizing, Dealer & Workshop-Management, Diagnostics & Repair, Classic Cars, Electronics & Connectivity, Parts & Components, Tires & Wheels are the backbone of this classic automotive aftermarket trade fair. The recipe for success has never failed once, making the brand recognizable and the fair format easy to replicate.

You’ll see how Automechanika steadily returns across all 12 additional locations in South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Turkey, Dubai, the UK, China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.

The 2022 edition earned 92% satisfaction rate among trade visitors – a strong signal the industry has restarted in earnest and that Automechanika Frankfurt 2023 will be even better.

“Things are heading in the right direction. Together with our customers and our international partners, we are optimistic about the future: nothing can take the place of trade fairs,” says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, in regards to the exceptional turnout and performance.

The Future is Digital – There’s No Way Around That

The trade fair has grown a lot since its first edition in 1971 and most recently this is seen in the shift towards a hybrid format. A response to the pandemic, the Digital Extension helps those who can’t attend in person make the most out of their situation by tapping into additional networking formats for your exchange with customers, partners and journalists. The digital platform makes it a lot easier to connect and promote yourself as an exhibitor. Not to mention that matchmaking is done with a little support from AI.

The Digital Extension is most beneficial to pre-show and post-show preparation, while during the trade fair you can see the main highlights streamed live. The Automechanika Frankfurt team will then curate a digital library with select content available video-on-demand.

The Innovation Award Winners 2022 Are Reimagining Driving

The Automechanika Innovation Awards is a cutthroat competition, which in 2022 has reached a record-breaking number of applications: a total of 133. This only goes to show tireless companies are in the pursuit of a groundbreaking product. A 14-member jury, composed of first time experts from the USA, South Africa, Türkiye, UK and Australia, did the hard deliberation and announced the winners back in July. Here are the respective categories and winners:

Picture: Automechanika Frankfurt / Messe Frankfurt GmbH

Unique Value Propositions

• Automechanika Frankfurt boasts a rich exhibitor list. You’ll encounter solutions and hot technological advancements from ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland, LKQ Europe, Hoffmann Speedster parts, BASF Coatings, Autel Europe, Herth + Buss Fahrzeugteile and GelKoh;
• A truly global reach – exhibitors represented 70 countries and trade visitors flew in from 175 countries. The 2022 edition tapped into key markets in Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, North America and South America.
• 350 events and special shows during the trade fair - Innovation 4 Mobility, Future Mobility Park, the E-Commerce Networking Lounge, Automechanika Supply Chain Management Day. The list is near endless.

Automechanika Frankfurt Invests in Knowledge Exchange

The shortage of skilled staff has been felt at every level in the industry. As a result, Automechanika Frankfurt has taken action by launching new industry initiative Talents4AA. It’s run by suppliers and parts manufacturers and targets young people to discover many different career paths working in the automotive aftermarket.

Detlef Braun explains that “No other event offers the opportunity to experience such a wide range of automotive professions up close and in person as does Automechanika.” In addition, organisers have set up a series of practical workshops in German and English, which are focused on accident repair – the leading cause for repairs needing to be done. By signing up, you’ll be able to dust up on your skills in systematic car damage assessments, damage cost calculation, working on high-voltage vehicles (professionally trained persons (FUP)), bodywork, digitalisation, paintwork and ADAS calibration.

A final workshop we want to mention is the Future Workshop 4.0, home to tomorrow’s processes, technologies, and business models. If you’re looking to find inspiration and practical knowledge, then this is where you need to be. After all, the automotive industry continues accelerating when it comes to new technologies entering the market.

The Future Mobility Workshop 4.0 is based on of-the-moment workshops with a depiction of the customer journey. This way visitors get a step-by-step overview of innovative technologies and see how they perform at ten selected stations.